Brick: The Ideal Building Block     

When it comes to selecting a building material, a clay brick is difficult to beat. A brick is a 100 percent inorganic, inert material. It does not contain carbon-based materials nor does it contain toxic compounds. And with a projected service life of 100 years or more, it is regarded as one of the strongest and longest lasting building material in the world. 

Properly designed and constructed brickwork requires minimal maintenance and will not need to be painted or coated in order to manage moisture.

Drainage Wall 

Today, most brickwork in the United States is installed as a drainage wall with an anchored veneer in front of a structural backing. In a drainage wall, the brick veneer provides the majority of protection against moisture. Any small amount of water penetrating the veneer is directed downward by an air space to the flashing below and out of the veneer through weep holes. A water-resistant barrier over the surface of the structural backing keeps moisture out of the substrate.

Brick Veneer 

Many manufacturers are now creating brick veneer units that are lighter, thinner or both. Such units use fewer raw materials, conserving resources and requiring less energy to fire, and their lighter weight reduces transportation costs.

Recycled Brick 

The demand for reused/reclaimed bricks is high. The fact that bricks made more than a century ago can often be used again is a testimony to their superior durability. Bricks salvaged from buildings constructed more than 60 years ago were typically laid with a mortar made of lime and sand with minimal, if any, portland cement content. This type of mortar was not as strong as contemporary mortars made with portland cement. As a result, when older bricks surrounded with this mortar are extracted from an existing wall, most of the mortar residue can be removed easily during cleaning.

During the manufacturing process, any raw bricks, fired bricks, or scraps are recycled back into the production stream. Scrap bricks and bricks from demolition can be crushed and formed into new bricks, or used as brick chips for landscaping or other applications. Recycled bricks also can be used as sub-base material for pavements, on quarry roads, or even as aggregate for concrete.