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BRICK
Brick is fundamental to our society. It is found all over the world and has only recently been overshadowed by steel and concrete as the world's most popular building material. Brick's role is more refined in today's society. Brick is manufactured and sold for it's beauty and not so much for it's strength.
The brick facade you see on a contemporary house is not holding up the house. The wood or metal frame of the exterior wall does that job. The brick facade just protects the home from the elements. Believe it or not, the house is actually holding up the brick!
Brick isn't limited to building exteriors. Brick looks great on retaining walls, fireplaces, mailboxes, water features, driveways and walkways, chimneys, and more. The following are a few examples of brick's role in our world today.
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| This brick veneer encircles a woodframed chimney. When done correctly, brick ties, angle irons, and concrete footers properly distribute the heavy weight. There are thousands of details and designs that anyone can incorporate into any brick veneer. |
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| Brick retaining walls are everywhere. Most retaining walls are block walls with concrete footers with a brick facade and a brick cap. Click here to see more pictures. |
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Driveways can be a perfect canvas for brick. This driveway had cracks that were cut out, and brick was installed with a concrete footer underneath. |
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There are dozens of companies that manufacture hundreds of styles of brick. Keep in mind that a few sample bricks do not always represent the whole batch. Brick that is red and white up close looks pink from far away.
When laying brick on patios, driveways, entrances, aprons, and details on brick facades, you can choose to use different patterns. See these examples below:
The most common are running bond, followed by herringbone, basketweave, and the rest. There are three common sizes of brick: modular, queen, and king size. 90% of homes have modular size brick.
Use the Links below to see real examples of modern manufactured brick:
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