Brick Types in Pakistan: Awal Class, Doem and Fly Ash

If you have ever gone brick-shopping at a kiln near Jhelum at 7 in the morning, you know the ritual. The kiln owner picks up a brick, holds it to your ear, and taps it with a coin. “Sunno — awal hai.” The good ones ring. The soft ones go thud.

That sound test is older than every brick chart on the internet, and it still works. But between the tap and the trolley, a lot of people get confused about what they are actually buying. So here is the plain version.

The words everyone uses

Awal (first class) bricks — uniform red colour, sharp edges, no big cracks, ring when tapped, low breakage in the stack. These go where the wall matters: foundations, main walls, anything that will carry load.

Doem (second) bricks — the honest middle. Slightly uneven colour, a few rough edges, a handful of cracked ones per hundred. For boundary walls, mortar beds, filling work, septic and soak areas — doem does the job without awal money.

Pakki vs kachchi (over- vs under-burnt) — over-burnt bricks come out dark and twisted; they are extremely hard but irregular, so masons use them for filling. Under-burnt bricks are pale and soft; avoid them for any structural work.

Fly ash bricks — factory-moulded from fly ash, sand and cement, not fired in a kiln. They come out uniform in size and colour, with smoother faces and generally lower water absorption. Some masons love them for neat plaster lines; others stay loyal to clay. Both are used around here — it usually comes down to the mason’s habit and what the job needs.

Three tests at the kiln (that take two minutes)

1. The coin tap. Two bricks, one knock. A clear metallic ring means it was burnt properly. A dull thud means soft or under-burnt.
2. The drop test. Drop one from waist height, flat. An awal brick survives; a weak one cracks or chips badly.
3. The soak test. Leave a brick in a tub of water for a few hours. A thirsty brick that drinks a lot and feels heavy is porous — more mortar-eating, weaker wall.

Also just look around the kiln: if the stack you are buying from has one cracked brick in five, that ratio is going home with you.

Which brick for which work?

There is no single answer — your mason and your drawings decide. What we see most often: awal for foundations and main walls, doem for boundary walls and fill, fly ash where the mason wants uniform courses. Plaster hides the face of the wall anyway, so do not pay extra for looks you will never see.

One practical thing: whatever class you buy, keep the same kiln and the same batch for one phase of the house. Mixing batches mid-wall is how you get courses of slightly different sizes.

Bricks and delivery — how it works with us

Brick rates around Jhelum change day to day, so we do not print a table here — call or WhatsApp +92 331 5083 648 for today’s rate. Bricks-on-trolley rates include delivery: the trolley comes kiln-direct to your site, and the delivery is already part of the agreed rate. Count the stacks at unload before the trolley leaves — this is normal practice, not mistrust. We deliver within roughly 10–15 km of Jhelum city; further out, it might still be possible with extra charges agreed at order time.

Estimate before you order

If you are not sure how many bricks your walls need, use our free bricks calculator, and for a full plot-level number read how many bricks a 5 marla house needs. The calculator gives you a starting figure — your munshi’s wall-by-wall count is the final word.

Before you build

Brick quality affects the whole wall, so involve your mason or engineer in the class decision. Once they say the word — awal, doem or fly ash — call us and we will arrange kiln-fresh stock on trolley.