Introduction
Man has used brick as a building material for over 10,000 years. They were inexpensive to produce and the raw material was often close to where the building was to be constructed. When you travel through countries like India, even today, bricks are made literally on the side of the road and fired in a primitive clamp after drying in the sun. The earliest recorded use of bricks was at Jericho, about 8000 BC.
The Modern Brick
The modern brick varies significantly from its historical past. Fired in kilns at 1100ºC, the modern brick is very strong robust building material. The fact that it is extruded means that it is about 40% lighter than bricks made say 100 years ago, which were pressed. The core holes in the bricks can fill with mortar creating a dowelling effect so modern veneers in reality act like a large bracing panel and for this reason, if correctly installed, they perform exceptionally well during earthquakes.
Why Build in Brick
There are lots of good reasons for building in brick, especially clay bricks.
• Virtually maintenance free
• Large selection of colours, textures and size of product
• Resists high impact
• Speed of installation, it is a finishing product
• Very economic
• No ‘weathertightness’ issues – has a 40mm cavity.
• Extremely durable
• Excellent substrate for either painting or plastering over
• Modern veneer correctly installed perform amazingly well in earthquakes
• Resale value –‘Invest in brick and mortar!’
The Brick Consultant
• I can advise on bricks, blocks and stone products
• Project Manage veneer installations and all that entails
• Investigate complaints and prepare a comprehensive report
• Provide staff training for the use of masonry products and their installation
• Provide good guidance on the plastering of masonry veneers.
• Provide Producer Statements.
• Help resolve any issues relating to bricks and masonry veneers.