Types of Brick Defined          Source:  Brick Institute of America

Brick is defined as a solid masonry unit of clay or shale, formed in a rectangular prism while plastic and burned or fired in a kiln.

Types of Brick Include:

• Acid-Resistant – brick suitable for use in contact with chemicals, usually in conjunction with acid-resistant mortars
• Adobe – large roughly-molded, sun dried, clay brick of varying size
• Angle – any brick shaped to an oblique angle to fit a salient corner
• Arch – wedge-shaped brick for special use in an arch or extremely hard-burned brick from an arch of a scove kiln
• Building – brick for building purposes not especially treated for texture or color. Formerly called Common Brick.
• Clinker – a very hard-burned brick whose shape is distorted or bloated due to nearly complete vitrification
• Common – see Building Brick (above)
• Dry-Press – brick formed in molds under high pressures from relatively dry clay (5-7% moisture content)
• Economy – brick whose nominal dimensions are 4 x 4 x 8 inches
• Engineered - brick whose nominal dimensions are 4 x 3.2 x 8 inches
• Facing – brick made especially for facing purposes, often treated to produce surface texture and are made of selected clays, or treated to produce desired color
• Fire – brick made of refractory ceramic material which will resist high temperatures
• Floor – smooth dense brick, highly resistant to abrasion, used as finished floor surfaces
• Gauged – brick which have been ground or otherwise produce accurate dimensions or tapered arch brick
• Jumbo – a generic term indicating a brick larger in size than the standard
• Norman - brick whose nominal dimensions are 4 x 2 2/3 x 12 inches
• Paving – vitrified brick especially suitable for use in pavements where resistance to abrasion is important
• Roman - brick whose nominal dimensions are 4 x 2 x 12 inches
• Salmon – generic term for under-burned brick which are more porous, slightly larger and lighter colored than hard-burned brick (usually pinkish-orange color)
• Sewer – low absorption, abrasive-resistant brick intended for use in drainage structures
• Soft-Mud – brick produced by molding relatively wet clay (20-30% moisture content)
• Stiff-Mud – brick produced by extruding a stiff, but plastic clay (12-15% moisture content) through a die

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A Brief Brick Buyers Guide    Source: Glen-Gery Brick

As you plan your new home, it may be helpful to start with a brief introduction into the world of brick.  The brick on a home’s exterior is usually referred to as “face brick”.  It is packaged and priced in lots of 1,000, and can easily be converted to square foot coverage.  There are three basic methods of manufacturing brick, each imparts a different look to suit the character of your home and your personal taste.  These methods include: extruded (or wire-cut), machine molded and handmade.  There are also several kinds of paving brick, which are used in landscaping and flooring.  Brick shapes are available in many designs to enhance your home’s architecture. 

Extruded Face Brick:  

• Manufactured by extruding a column of prepared raw material (like toothpaste coming out of a tube) and slicing it into brick size units

• Fairly even and regular rectangular shape

• Many types of textures can be added as the brick is extruded, from subtle to dramatic

• Available in hundreds of colors and color range blends

Machine Molded Face Brick:

• Sometimes referred to as “colonial brick”

• Produced by mechanically dumping the raw material into brick shaped mold boxes

• Slightly irregular shape (reminiscent of early colonial brick)

• Overall look is a wonderful textural effect and stately appearance

Handmade Face Brick:

• Produced by a craftsman “throwing” the prepared raw material into a wooden model, one brick at a time

• Results in a surface of unparalleled beauty with individuality and unique folds and textures

• Slightly larger than standard sized extruded or molded brick and fewer are necessary when constructing walls

• Often featured on interior walls and fireplaces due to the brick’s outstanding beauty

Paving Brick:

• Used in landscaping and flooring

• Manufactured in many ways: extruded and molded pavers, produced like the face brick described above; and repressed paving brick, which is twice compressed for extra strength and generally with a chamfered or beveled edge added to the process

• Can easily be installed without mortar for patios, walkways and landscaping elements

Brick Shapes:

• Many interesting shapes are available to give your home special architectural appeal

• Used for: window sills, step treads, pool copings, straight or curved arches over doorways or windows

Once the brick units are formed, by any of the above methods, they are slowly dried to remove moisture.  They then gradually move through various heat zones in a kiln until they reach a firing temperature of nearly 2,000 degrees.  The brick is then slowly cooled, sorted, packaged and banded into “cubes” of approximately 500 brick.

Top 20 Reasons to Buy a Brick Home or Apartment  

Source:  Brick Institute of America

 1.  Brick homes and apartments look as if they are worth the price.  The material is simple and elegant and produces housing that is much more than just the sum of its parts.

2.  Because of the variety of brick colors and textures (more than 10,000) and bonding patterns, each brick wall can have a distinctive, beautiful character and sense of scale.

3.  Brick, unlike wood, does not burn.  It does not buckle or melt in high heat like metal or plastic siding.

4.  Termites go away hungry from brick walls.

5.  Brick cannot corrode or rust like aluminum or steel siding. 

6.  Brick “party walls” between townhouses or apartment units can greatly reduce sound transmission.

7.  Wood, aluminum, steel and plastic sidings dent.  Brick does not.

8.  Brick does not rot.  It needs no protection from the elements in on-the-ground applications such as patios and sidewalks.

9.  Brick housing resells for more.  Any real estate broker can tell you that brick homes almost always command premium resale prices.

10.  Brick never has to be painted.  Wood homes need painting or staining every three to five years.

11.  Metal sidings scratch easily, letting the raw material show through.  Retouching metal siding exactly is nearly impossible.  Most brick, of course, are the same color all the way through. 

12.  Because it has great strength, brick lends itself to dramatic architectural detailing, like arches, soffits, and freestanding pierced sun screens.

13.  Brick alone imparts a feeling of permanence and solidity, a quality that says, “This is my home.”

14.  Brick homes are easily enlarged visually at minimum expense.  Modestly priced patios, walks, planters, and walls – many of which you can build yourself – can be harmonious with your home and make it look larger than it is.

15.  Brick is basic.  It is above fashion and fad and has been time-tested for 10,000 years.  Brick homes are always “in fashion."

16.  Brick is “people sized” in scale.  Architects use brick purposefully in large buildings to give an impression of warmth and friendliness and to avoid the cold, impersonal feeling of commercial building products.

17.  Brick is exciting.  The newest, most contemporary looks – the award-winning home designs – are in brick.

18.  Brick homes are gardeners’ dreams.  They create a beautiful background for showing off plantings.  And brick does not create hotspots or glare for vines and other plantings close to the wall.

19.  Brick weathers the weather.  High winds, hail and rain do not faze brick.  Sun does not fade it.  And mold and mildew cannot penetrate it. 

20.  Brick is easily available.  In most cases, the dealer or distributor who supplied the brick for your home will be able to supply you with an exact or extremely close match in case you want to expand.  

Benefits of Concrete Block Foundations   

Source:  Brick Institute of America

Construction Time

Concrete masonry block offers the fastest way to construct a basement.  Most block foundations can be completed and back-filled in just a couple of days.  By contrast a poured foundation should not be back-filled for several days to avoid cracking.  Time is money.  Your bank is keeping close track of its investment; you should too.

Cost

Our findings show that masonry block basements can cost up to 15% less to build than comparably sized poured basements.  Savings may vary, but one fact remains; money NOT spent on your basement can be used to upgrade carpet, cabinets or even build a fireplace.

Energy Efficiency

A typical block foundation has more than twice the resale-value of a poured foundation, saving you even more money when it is time to insulate.  The top of a block wall is also much straighter and more level than a poured wall, so air leaks are almost eliminated.  The hollow spaces in a block wall also help keep water condensation away from the inside of wall surfaces.  That is a real plus when it is dry.  Poured walls have no choice but to “sweat”, which wets insulation.  That can be a real problem.

Higher Strength

Poured wall field practices, like adding water to the mix, greatly reduces the strength by increasing the size and frequency of cracks in poured walls.  A standard concrete block wall has guaranteed built-in strength, block after block.  And the block used in large commercial buildings are the same type used in your foundation wall.  There is no downgrading of product used to build your block basement.

Construction Flexibility

When building a concrete masonry foundation, a mason can stop anywhere, at any time, to make custom changes, like moving a door or enlarging a window, without affecting the quality of the job.  Once pouring a wall has started, there is no stopping until the forms are filled.  Also, block is perfectly suited for building basements in tight spots, between existing structures for example, where concrete trucks cannot gain access.  With concrete block it is easier to increase the ceiling height by simply adding another course or two of block.  To do the same with poured walls, extra formwork and bracing is needed, which increases costs.

Waterproofing

A leaky basement is usually caused by a poorly drained site or faulty drain tile installation.  A block foundation is waterproofed by backplastering or applying a cement-based coating.  Poured walls are usually sprayed with a thin layer of asphalt paint.  Block walls are waterproofed; poured walls usually are not.

Reparability

In the event a masonry block wall cracks, repairs are readily made using regular mortar.  When a poured wall cracks, not only does it lose strength, but also requires a complex set of steps and materials be followed for success.

All Weather Construction

Provided the soil under the wall is not frozen, a masonry block wall can be constructed in any temperature, any weather.  Block basements are dramatically less susceptible to the effects of freezing than poured walls.  Remember, the entire poured wall must cure in the field.  Only the mortar in-between the dry blocks must field cure.

Ease of Remodeling

By using pre-colored, pre-finished block, the need for additional finishing measures can be eliminated.  Even a plain grey block wall looks great with just a coat of paint.  Typically, poured walls need furring and sheet rock to look as good as concrete block.  What is comes down to is that pre-finished, painted or furred and sheet rocked block walls are easier to construct and less expensive than poured basements.  That is something to consider when you are thinking about adding more living space.