Know the True Value of Brick

You have many choices in building today, some natural and many manmade replicas or variations. Sorting through costs and benefits can be complicated, so take a moment to quickly see how brick compares to competing materials.

Are You Brick Smart? Do You Know the True Value of Brick?

Clay Brick $7.18/sq.ft.

Brick is today what it always has been, an authentic building material, made from the earth, for the earth. Although many

have tried to duplicate some of its remarkable qualities in design and construction, no other material has equaled the unique blend of beauty and brawn in authentic fired clay brick. Rediscover how brick smartly improves your life:

• From the Earth. Brick is formed from natural clays taken directly from the ground, molded, cut, and fired in energy-efficient clean-burning natural gas kilns.
• Color Selection. You can pick just the right brick, or beautiful blend of complementary shades, in harmony with your region, because the clays are dug nearby.
• Never Fades. The color of brick is integral to the material, through and through. Punishing UV rays, wind, and inclement weather are no match for richness that lasts.
• Comfortably Efficient. Brick slows the transfer of summer heat to a home’s interior, which helps your air conditioning take a load off.
• Appreciating Value. Homes appraise higher, foot for foot, from day one and increase in value as years go by when finished in brick, compared to lesser siding.
• Reduced Insurance. Brick’s fire, wind, and water resistance, and overall durability, can deliver 6% to 10% savings on homeowner’s or building insurance rates.
• Peace and Quiet. Brick’s mass helps dampen the transfer of sound through the wall, keeping outdoor sounds out, or letting you rock out without disturbing the peace.
• Maintenance Free. Gone are the days of frequent cleanings and regular repainting schedules with stable, integral color of beautifully durable brick.
• Unmatched Safety. Fire, wind, and impact are no match for brick—even beyond the one-hour fire test—compared with legions of lesser building materials.
• Design Opportunity. Architects and homeowners alike appreciate the unit-based nature of brick in creating imaginative and finely detailed structures.
• Lifetime Durability. Your brick home will outlast your mortgage. Brick buildings are often repurposed over long life spans, across decades and centuries.

There’s a reason that less authentic, more expedient materials go in and out of fashion. They may offer lower installed

cost, but none can deliver total life-cycle value like reliable, time-honored brick. Compared with vinyl siding, for example, brick gives a home sturdy beauty that will last decades—plus superior resistance to fire, moisture, and even outdoor noise. Take time to consider the long term.

Vinyl Siding $2.41/sq.ft.   |   Fiber Cement Siding: $4.97/sq.ft.

Fiber cement siding might be more pleasing than vinyl and easy to install, but its wood pulp makes it vulnerable to weather. Like vinyl, it needs to be repainted and recaulked, so it can’t compare to the consistent color and easy maintenance of brick.

Synthetic Stucco $6.62/sq.ft.

At nearly the same cost as brick, its cracks and susceptibility to insects and moisture over time make it a poor match for the value of brick as the years go by. Insurers know, and their rates reflect the difference.

Wood Siding $5.52/sq.ft.   |   Wood Shingles $4.22/sq.ft.

Wood siding or shingles offer pleasing contrasts to brick, but character and variety in styles and colors come with tiring

annual maintenance, exposure to water damage, and all the warping, cracking, and fading that time will bring. Better brick and be done.

Cultured Stone $21.18/sq.ft.

Even trying to out-quality brick with cultured stone, the question is: will the multiple in cost ever be recovered? Or will UV fading only widen the value gap? Start smart with brick: the long-term life-cycle beautiful choice.

Choose Wisely for Uniquely Appealing Lifetime Value.