Factors to Consider When Building Brick Homes

When you are planning to build a home or an extension, you might be thinking about the possibility of using bricks. Bricks are a mainstay building material in the construction of houses, holding the walls of most homes for centuries. If you are in the process of building a home using bricks, you might be aware that there are different types of bricks. Here is a closer look at some options and factors to consider when choosing blocks.

Types of Brick

There are three main types of bricks, classified based on the material composition, clay, cement, and lime. Looking at the type, most homeowners prefer clay bricks for their sustainable and cost-effective benefits. When it comes to the mode of creation, bricks can be classified as handmade and machine made bricks.

Machinemade bricks, for instance, are known for their neat finish. Automating the extrusion process and the fact that machine bricks have minimal sand are the main parameters that make machine brinks stand out.

Handmade bricks are known for their authentic look. These bricks do not look stand out as far as neatness is concerned. However, their rough and open texture makes them suitable for specific applications.

Choosing the Right Bricks

Choosing bricks for home construction might sound obvious to many people. Unfortunately, some people end up making costly mistakes by making the wrong choices. One of the most important things to look at as far as choosing bricks is concerned is the area you live in. Look at things such as the color of the soil, and most importantly, recommendations from your local planning office.

This does not mean that you should limit yourself to bricks or designs that are indigenous to your area. You can always get creative but within acceptable limits. The best way to go about this is to contact local planners to get an idea of their stance on local materials. Knowing what is acceptable and what isn’t is critical to making your project a success.

Brick Standards

Bricks used to build homes should be subjected to some quality tests, for obvious reasons. These quality checks are meant to ensure that your blocks meet the necessary criteria in term of water absorption, strength, and frost retention, among other parameters.

Once you know what you need, you are ready to buy some bricks for your project. Whether you are looking for cheap bricks without compromising on the quality, what is most important is to ensure you source them from a reputable bricks manufacturer.