Bricks Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I buy or build a brick home?

Nothing else can match the classic beauty and elegance of a brick home. Building with brick says, “You have arrived.” But there’s more to brick than just looks. Brick offers lasting value. It can enhance the resale value of your home by as much as 6 percent. Brick is virtually maintenance free. It doesn’t rot, dent, or need to be painted and it won’t be eaten by termites. Brick is also energy efficient, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In short, brick offers you a combination of advantages not found in any other siding material. The world’s most beautiful and most practical homes are built with brick.

Does the selection of mortar color matter when I select my brick?

Yes. Mortar is nearly 20% of your wall and will make a big difference in the overall look.

How are brick priced?

They a priced per thousand pieces, although they are packaged in smaller quantities due to the weight of the brick.

How many bricks will I need?

First determine how many square feet you are covering with brick, and then select a brick size from the table below. Multiply the total number of square feet by the brick needed per square foot, and divide by .95 to allow for breakage.

Bricks per Square Foot Calculator

Is brick that much more expensive than other siding materials?

Brick costs more than some other commonly used siding materials because brick is a premium product, but it’s not nearly as expensive as you might think. In many parts of the country, a new brick home will cost you only a small percentage more than a comparable vinyl-sided home. Other products, such as artificial stucco, cost about the same as brick, but are far less durable and require much greater maintenance and upkeep.

What kind of maintenance does a brick home require?

A brick home is virtually maintenance free. Brick is one of the oldest building materials in the world, and one of the reasons it’s still so popular is brick’s ease of upkeep. Brick never needs painting, never rots, will never be eaten by termites and will never dent or tear. Brick homes built hundreds of years ago still stand today.

Is brick energy efficient?

Brick is a building material that has exceptional “thermal mass” properties. Thermal mass is the ability of a heavy, dense material to store heat and then slowly release it. For you, this means that during the summer months your brick home stays cool during the hottest part of the day. During the winter, brick walls store your home’s heat and radiate it back to you. Vinyl, aluminum, wood or EIFS (artificial stucco) are all thin, light building materials that don’t have good thermal mass properties. The superior thermal mass qualities of brick have been known for centuries. Most notably, the Pueblo Indians in the Southwest used adobe masonry to moderate weather extremes and dip their homes comfortable.

How does brick impact my home insurance costs?

A brick home is fire resistant, pest resistant and weather resistant. Brick is such a strong and durable building material that your insurance companies may even offer you a discount on your home insurance costs. Check with your agent for more details.

Do brick homes have a better resale value?

Take a look through this Sunday’s real estate section of your local newspaper and read the home listings. Notice how people always list brick as a primary selling point. Brick’s beauty and practicality are always a plus when you resell. On average, a brick exterior adds 6% to the resale value of your home.

Does brick allow me to personalize the look of my home?

Brick is not a one-dimensional product like stucco or siding. Brick allows you to personalize the look of your home with elegant detailing, such as arches and quoins, different bond patterns and special shapes. Brick expresses your personality and style like no other building product can.

Can I add brick to my existing home?

Brick can be added to an existing home. This can be done by adding a nominal three or four inch thick brick in front of the wall and supporting it by either the existing footing or on an angle fastened to the existing concrete or block foundation wall. It is important to properly detail the wall by providing flashing and weep holes at all points of support. The area beneath the angle at or below the ground level should have gravel at least six inches deep to provide good drainage. The brick should also have at least a one inch air space between itself and the exiting siding. Building paper should cover the existing siding unless it is already provided behind the existing siding. Corrosion resistant metal anchors should tie the brick to the studs in the existing wall. The joint between the brickwork and all doors and windows should be closed with silicone caulk. Insulation may also be added to increase the total thermal value of the wall. Another alternative is to use thin brick in panels and attach them directly to wall studs. This may mean removing the exiting siding in order to attach the thin brick. Insulation may also be added if desired. Contact us to find out more information on the thin brick we carry.

Are there many color options available with brick?

Brick is an all-natural building material that is made from a mix of clay and water that is then baked, or “fired,” in a kiln until hardened. Different clays produce different colors, and there are many different types of clays. In addition, various natural coatings, such as sand and limestone, can also be added during the firing process to produce different colors, effects, textures and finishes. Even a brick’s position in the kiln can affect the final look. When you combine these with the tonal varieties of today’s mortars, you can see that your color choices in brick are virtually endless.

Can ivy or other plants growing on my brick damage it?

To answer this question, you need to understand the consequences of leaving or removing plant growth. This growth on brick can potentially damage it by forcing root tendrils into the mortar joints. Moisture can then find its way into the wall and freeze thaw action or other moisture related events can occur resulting in damage. However, ivy also sheds rainwater and reduces the surface temperature of the wall. Properly constructed walls with good workmanship and well tooled joints can also resist tendril intrusion better than poorly constructed walls. When existing plant growth is removed from a brick wall, it may also remove part of the mortar from the joint. This could result in the wall having to be rejointed by removing any broken mortar and repacking with new. Further, complete removal of the tendrils is difficult. Failure to do so may result in stains on the wall. Therefore, it is an evaluation which is best made by the owners taking these as well as the aesthetic and economic considerations into account. While plant growth can shorten the life of brickwork, a well constructed wall should still last for many decades.

What is the fire resistance rating of a brick wall assembly?

Since the primary ingredient in brick is clay which is fired to around 2000°F, it is a non-combustible material. As such, it is an excellent cladding choice to resist or confine fires. A brick wall’s fire resistance rating can be calculated. This is done by extrapolating from known fire resistance periods for a given thickness of wall. Currently, there are four Underwriters Laboratories tests which have assigned fire resistant rating to specific wall assemblies. The y include U302, U418, U425, and U902. U302 yields a 2 hour rating and involves a brick veneer drainage wall with wood studs and gypsum sheathing and wallboard. U418 and U425 vary in rating between ǽ to 2 hours and are brick veneer drainage walls with steel suds and gypsum sheathing and wallboard. U902 consists of a drainage wall with brick veneer and concrete masonry units and has a 4 hour rating.

Should brickwork be painted?

A brick wall may be painted provided the correct preparation is done, the proper paint is selected, and the paint is applied correctly. Generally, new brick walls are not painted. However, if it is desired to paint a recently constructed brick wall, the wall should be allowed to fully cure 28 days and should not be cleaned or treated with acid solutions. Alkali resistant paints should be used and a zinc chloride or zinc sulfate solution may need to be applied to the wall to neutralize the surface. Painting brick does not preclude good construction and detailing practices. Any deficiencies such as surface deposits: broken brick: cracked, loose or missing mortar: or inadequate flashing and weep holes should be corrected prior to painting. In addition, the brick should be thoroughly cleaned and given ample time to dry before application of paint. For brickwork to function properly, the wall must resist moisture penetration and be permeable to vapor from the structure. Consequently, any paint applied to the wall must also have these same characteristics. In addition, the inherent features of a brick wall which channel water out, such as weep holes and vents, must not be clogged by paint or caulk to inhibit the flow of water. Latex and Portland cement based paints perform well on brick walls. Oil based, alkyd, rubber and epoxy paints do not allow any vapor in the wall to escape and consequently should not be applied to brick. Prior to painting, the brick should receive a prime coat suitable for the paint application per manufacturer’s instructions.

Should a water repellent be applied to a brick wall?

Generally, water repellents are only an interim solution to any water penetrating a brick wall since they lose their ability to repel water after 1 to 10 years. However, in cases where all other options have been exhausted, it may be considered as long as one is aware of the inherent nature of water repellents. There are basically two types of water repellents: films and penetrants. Films such as acrylics, stearates, mineral gum waxes, urethanes and silicone resins form a thin membrane over the brick. Penetrants such as silanes, siloxanes and blends actually penetrate the brick surface. Films are good at repelling water but poor at permitting water vapor transmission which allows the wall to breathe. Penetrants, on the other hand, are good at both. They will usually have a matte finish while films may produce a higher sheen. Penetrants are more acceptable since they allow any water present in the brick to exit the wall. However, penetrants will not provide graffiti resistance to a wall while some films will. Application of a water repellent does not negate proper buck construction and detailing procedures. Any deficiencies in a brick wall such as inadequate flashing, weep holes, mortar joints or broken brick should be corrected prior to the application of a water repellent. The wall should also be cleaned and allowed to thoroughly dry before administering a water repellent.

What is the best weep system?

Weep systems in use include wicks, oiled rods, weep tubes, open head joints, and vents. The Brick Institute of America does not advocate one type of weep system over another. Wicks should be spaced at 16” o.c. with the remainder of the weep systems spaced at 12” o.c. Rope wicks can be made from cotton sash cord. Drainage materials used at the bottom of the cavity are most effective for open type of weep holes like open head joints, weep tubes, etc…, however it could be used with rope wicks. It is important to maintain a clean, open cavity for weep holes to function properly. If mortar droppings are anticipated, then it is best to detail a drainage material that will catch any mortar like pea gravel or mesh.

Can stains be removed from brickwork?

Most stains and discoloration can be removed from brickwork if the proper cleaning technique is employed. There are essentially applied to the wall and those which originate from within the wall. Those which come from within a wall may need additional investigation to prevent the stain from returning. As always, it is important to thoroughly saturate a brick wall before application of any cleaning solution. As a general rule, acidic cleaning solutions should only be applied to red brick with no surface finish such as sand. Also, an inconspicuous area of the wall should be tested with any cleaning solution for compatibility prior to application on the entire wall. Any cleaning solutions should be thoroughly rinsed from the wall. Most stains can be dealt with by thoroughly washing the wall with a common household or kitchen cleanser dissolved in water and applied to the wall with a stiff bristle brush. If this is ineffective, a poultice which dissolves the stain and pulls it into an inert material may be necessary. The inert material can be talc, whiting or fuller’s earth while the solvent will vary based on the type of stain. Proprietary cleaning agents can also be employed to remove specific stains. Sandblasting and pressure washing brick work can also be options for certain brick when especially stubborn mortar or externally applied stains are involved. Bricks with coatings such as sand or slurry finishes should not be washing should usually only are undertaken by a competent professional with experience. If improperly executed, either of these methods can permanently damage the brick.