From red brick to keys

What red brick and core and shell mean

A unit on red brick (على الطوب الأحمر) has its concrete frame and brick walls in place, with no plaster, no electrical or plumbing services and no floors.

Core and shell is a term developers use in compounds. It usually means the structure and the outside façade are done while the inside is still bare concrete or brick. Exactly what is handed over differs from one developer to another, so read the specification annex of your contract before handover.

• Usually in place: columns and concrete slabs, the outside walls, and sometimes the inside walls.
• Usually missing: electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning first fix, plaster, waterproofing, floors, doors and windows, paint and fittings.
• Varies by contract: outside windows, electricity and water meters, and the façade finish.

Before the first blow: measurements and drawings

The first step in finishing from red brick is not work on site; it is a measured survey and drawings.

• An accurate measured survey, because the original drawings do not always match what was built.
• A final layout: where every bathroom, kitchen and wall goes.
• Electrical drawings: sockets, switches, light points and the distribution board.
• Plumbing drawings: supply and drainage points for every fixture and appliance.
• The air-conditioning decision: split units or concealed ducted units, and where the outdoor units and drains go.

These drawings are what the quotation is built on, and the clearer they are, the more accurate the quantities.

The stages in order

This is the usual order in Egypt; some stages overlap depending on the size of the unit.

1. Block-work changes

   Building or removing walls for the new layout, and forming door and window openings.

2. Electrical first fix

   Conduit, boxes and the board position, following the drawings.

3. Plumbing first fix

   Supply and drainage pipes, and points for water heaters and appliances.

4. Air-conditioning first fix

   Copper pipes, condensate drains and unit positions.

5. Door frames and plaster

   Fixing the door frames, then plastering walls and ceilings over levelling dots and screeds (بؤج وأوتار) so the surfaces come out flat.

6. Waterproofing

   Waterproofing bathroom, kitchen and balcony floors, then a water test before anything covers it.

7. Ceilings and floors

   Gypsum board ceilings, then tiles or marble, stairs, and bathroom and kitchen wall cladding.

8. Paint, fit-out and handover

   Filler and undercoats, then doors, kitchen, sanitary ware and lighting, then the final coat, cleaning and handover.

Our guide to the finishing steps covers each stage in detail and what to check before closing it.

Decisions that cannot wait

Some decisions, if left until after the plaster, are paid for in demolition and rework.

• Socket and switch positions, especially by the bed, in the kitchen and where the television goes.
• The air-conditioning type and its pipe routes.
• The bathroom and kitchen layouts, and the position of every appliance and floor drain.
• The lighting plan and where concealed lighting sits in the gypsum.
• Data, camera and smart-control wiring, if you will want them.
• Water heaters: one per bathroom or a central heater, and where they go.
• The level of finish, because the materials decide layer thicknesses and floor levels.

Who supplies the materials

Finishing from red brick uses two kinds of material: base materials that disappear under the finish, and final materials you see every day. Both deserve the same attention.

• Base materials: cement, sand, bricks, pipes and cable. Their quality shows after years, not on handover day.
• Final materials: tiles, marble, sanitary ware, paint and doors.
• With Itmam you can take materials supply-only, or supply with installation.
• On a finishing contract you pay each supplier yourself and the tax invoice is in your name, so you know exactly what every material cost.

What sets the cost

The cost of finishing from red brick is set by the area, the level of finish, the materials and the number of bathrooms and kitchens, not by a fixed figure per metre.

• The area, though not every item grows at the same rate: bathrooms and the kitchen weigh heavily whatever the size.
• The level of finish: super lux or ultra super lux.
• The floors: porcelain or marble, and the tile size.
• The air conditioning: split units or concealed.
• How much block-work and layout change there is.
• Ceilings: gypsum board throughout or only in chosen rooms.

A price per metre given before anyone sees the unit is a general number. The accurate answer is a written quotation with quantities, which is what we prepare after the survey.

In a compound: approvals before changes

If the unit is in a compound, a change to the layout, the façade or the windows may need the developer's approval before it is carried out.

Each compound also has rules on worker access, working hours and debris removal. Ask the management for them in writing before you fix a start date.

How Itmam finishes from red brick

We visit the unit, measure it, and write you an itemised quotation before any work starts.

Building materials, finishing materials and stone are available from us supply-only or with installation. On a finishing contract you pay suppliers directly, the tax invoice is in your name, and our fee for supervision and execution is agreed in writing before work starts.

Kitchens, wardrobes, doors, vanities and metalwork are made in our own workshops. And if you have a plot rather than a shell, we build too.

We have 20+ years in this business, working in Alexandria, on the North Coast and in New Cairo.