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Fired clay bricks remain one of the most enduring building materials
known to the world wide building industry. Some might argue that it
is also one of the most beautiful and that it adds character to any
building with its colour, strength and texture. Clay brick dates as
far back as the Egyptian age and connects us with the history of our
ancestors.
Being such a versatile building material and because of its very
good climatic characteristics, it remains the material of choice for
residential buildings in South Africa. Bricks have an excellent fire
rating, it is weatherproof and has really good acoustic properties
and is almost soundproof, and best of all it amount to only about 10
per cent of the total cost of a typical residential building.
Homebuyers will almost always prefer to buy a house constructed out
of clay brick as it does not deteriorate over time and has a higher
resale value.
Bricks vary quite significantly in because of the diverse
manufacturing processes and types of clay used in their manufacture
in various regions. Often potential home builders make the mistake
in thinking that all bricks are the same and there is no need to
shop around for different finishes and colours. This can be costly
as the quality of different brick manufacturers vary considerably as
will also be reflected in the price. A very cheap brick might be of
un-even size or may warp making building with them a lot more
difficult.
Face brick
The use of face brick is often used in residential architecture for
its low maintenance properties and often the aesthetics is
overlooked completely. Face brick can be very aesthetically pleasing
with its rustic look and a good architect might combine face brick
with plastered areas to come to more a balanced aesthetic as face
brick in its single form can be a bit overwhelming. When opting to
build with face brick make sure you appoint a good builder with a
good face brick portfolio as the jointing of a face brick wall can
make or break the aesthetic of this type of construction. Also make
sure you order sufficient bricks the first time as, because it being
a natural material can vary noticeably per batch.
Cement bricks
These bricks are similar to a clay stock (plaster) brick but are
more often used in regions where clay might be in short supply.
There is usually not a big price difference between cement and clay
plaster bricks and cement brick is mostly used as a substitute. When
ordering cement bricks make sure that they are properly cured and
dry before using them. If more that 5 per cent breaks upon delivery,
have a knowledgeable person check the quality of the bricks.
Plaster (Stock) bricks
Cheaper than face bricks, a plaster brick still is manufactured to
high standards to ensure uniformity of size and structure, but have
to be plastered and painted thereby cancelling out the cost saving
and has to be maintained at fairly regular intervals. Often great
aesthetics can be achieved by combining plastered walls with face
brick walls.
Written by Jere Botes, architect & founder of
dreamhouses. Reproductions of
this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to
http://www.dreamhouses.co.za |
