RSSWhy It Pays To Use Brick
Karen Cummings & Pamela Blythe of Design Directions. To contact either one of them, call (970) 778-2356
This house features several courses of brick that add variety and interest.
Averaged across the nation, notwithstanding cost, research indicates that 60 percent of homebuyers prefer brick homes. A tour through the Grand Valley neighborhoods would indicate otherwise.
The predominant building material on homes in the Grand Valley is stucco with accents of stone, brick and siding. Stucco usually prevails due to cost and is a generic term, because what you see in Grand Junction typically isn’t real stucco, it’s synthetic. A deeper look into the long term cost of stucco vs. brick reveals interesting facts.
When calculating the cost of insurance premiums and long term maintenance of brick and stucco, brick is actually cheaper in five years than stucco. The more fragile nature of stucco results in rising insurance premiums. Some policies exclude coverage of wet rot and termite damage, two prevailing problems caused by improper installation of stucco. Architects can’t obtain liability insurance for designs using stucco.
Brick also adds resale value to your home — on the average of 6 percent more. It’s virtually maintenance-free and never needs painting or staining. Brick won’t burn or rot, saving on insurance premiums. Energy efficient with the right insulation in the wall, brick keeps the home cool in summer and warm in winter.
Rows of brick are called courses. For architectural design enhancement, the brick can be turned on almost any edge to form interesting details. A brick is given a classification based on the face it will show when the brickwork is complete.
Stretcher: A brick laid flat with the long narrow side of the brick exposed.
Header: A brick laid flat with the short end of the brick exposed.
Soldier: A brick laid vertically with the long narrow side of the brick exposed.
Sailor: A brick laid vertically with the broad face of the brick exposed.
Rowlock: A brick laid on the long narrow side with the short end of the brick exposed.
Shiner: A brick laid on the long narrow side with the broad face of the brick exposed.
A brick home is a sound investment with overall savings. Over the life of a mortgage, brick can save thousands of dollars. If you’re designing a new home, get up to five bids each on stucco and brick. Ask a lot of questions. Base your bid on a specific brick so that your bids are equal.
Ask your contractor for suggestions on how to reduce cost. Your brick contractor is a valuable source of knowledge. As always, call us if we can help.
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