Don’t run your head into a brick wall. Build your house with four of them.
179,000 homes were built with bricks in the United States in 2019. Other housing materials like cement are becoming popular, but bricks remain very prominent.
Many people consider brick to be an antiquated housing material. But brick is modern and versatile.
Consider the benefits of brick and you can design your home on a strong foundation. Here are seven.
1. Bricks Promote Energy Efficiency
Bricks are a strong insulator. They resist air currents, preventing heat from passing through them. This keeps your home warm in the winter.
When the heat is high, the bricks take a long time to absorb heat. This keeps your home cool in the summer.
You can place insulation directly onto bricks. Bricks support rigid foam boards that absorb heat. Construction companies can install studs into the brick walls, filling voids with insulation.
You can also place thermal sheets on brick walls. These sheets reflect heat back into a home. They are easy to remove in the summertime.
2. They Are Environmentally Friendly
Bricks are a green product in and of themselves. Manufacturers make them from clay and water. They fire thousands of them altogether, reducing energy consumption in kilns.
Manufacturers locate their facilities near clay resources. This reduces the environmental impact of transportation. Many manufacturers build their sites on former mining areas, reducing damage to land and water resources.
If you need to remove bricks, you can then recycle them. Construction companies can use bricks as a filler for other walls. They can also utilize them as an aggregate in concrete, reinforcing foundations.
3. They Provide Sound Insulation
Bricks insulate for energy and sound. Bricks are thick and dense, keeping sound waves from passing through walls. Drywall tends to be thin and brittle, allowing sound waves to crash on through.
If you want to add sound insulation, you can onto bricks. You can hang cloth on the wall to avoid echoes. You can pin the cloth up with wall hangers and then remove it with ease.
4. Bricks Are a Low-Maintenance Housing Material
Some people place steel or plastic over their bricks. This gives them some added reinforcement from the elements.
But uncovered brick walls can last for decades. They withstand the elements, including wind and hail. They can chip without losing integrity.
Bricks compress together well. This means that they do not crack, shrink, or expand. You can count on brick walls remaining the same size while supporting your roof and flooring.
Bricks do not support mold or mildew growth. Bricks have no living nutrients to sustain bacteria or other harmful substances. Bricks dry quickly, keeping water from building inside them.
If you need to clean your walls, you can do so with a hose and soap. If you need to add mortar between bricks, you can fit it into the gaps.
5. They Are Creative
Whatever style of building you want, you can use bricks for that style.
The rich color of bricks comes from patina. As brick reacts to the air, it oxidizes and turns bronze. If you want that eye-catching color, you can let the bricks be.
The firing process can create multiple brick house colors. Bricks can appear dark and chocolatey. They can have metallic or nutty colors.
The earthy tones of bricks complement rural and rustic homes. They provide a good contrast to other houses in suburban and urban areas.
You can apply paint over bricks. You can ask your manufacturer to paint them, or you can start painting brick yourself. Bricks can hold onto paint for years, even after inclement weather.
For a smooth texture, you can sand bricks down. If you want your house to shine, you can apply finishes over your bricks.
6. Brick Houses Sell Well
Bricks add value to your home in several ways. By improving energy efficiency, they reduce your heating and energy bills. This allows you to get a higher return on investment when you sell your home.
You will save on maintenance costs. You don’t need to hire a maintenance company or buy expensive cleaning solutions. You don’t need to repaint your bricks, so you won’t need to find a pricey painting company.
Home insurers prefer brick over wood or concrete homes. They know that bricks are a safer, sturdier, and more desirable building material. This encourages them to offer better rates, which promotes the value of your home.
You can use the qualities of bricks as marketing material when you sell your home. People want to buy an energy-efficient and low-maintenance property. You can ask for a higher price and you will be able to get it.
7. Bricks Are Safe
Brick walls do not crumble. They do not react to humidity and they do not crack in the heat.
Wood expands and contracts when it contacts high moisture. This makes wood an unsafe material to build walls on. Manufacturers need to reinforce wood with other substances, driving up maintenance costs.
Bricks are a fire-resistant material. They do not combust at high temperatures and they do not conduct fires.
Vinyl can burn through in 20 minutes. Wood can burn at an even faster rate. Brick resists flames entirely, allowing you and your family to evacuate your home.
Bricks Are the Best Housing Material
Many people think that bricks are a product of the 19th century. But bricks are the versatile housing material of the modern era.
Bricks are thick and heat-resistant, promoting energy efficiency. They are made of environmentally friendly materials that insulate against sounds. They withstand the elements, reducing your maintenance costs.
You can paint and mold bricks to match whatever style you want. Brick homes increase the value of your home because they are sturdy and safe.
Improve your home however you can. Follow our coverage for more real estate and home improvement guides.
