Today, people use different materials to build their homes. Some people prefer wood for their home construction whereas some prefer bricks. However, the materials that you are using for your home construction totally depend on geographical conditions. Today, the majority of people prefer bricks for their homes. Because bricks are considered the top-notch element for building durable structures.

But, in addition to many advantages, brick homes also have some downsides. In this blog, you will know about the significant pros and cons of brick homes and how brick contractors Toronto helps you in creating custom homes. So stick with us till the end to know more about brick homes.

What is Brick Made Of?

Bricks are usually made up of clay and shale which are found in abundance on the earth. For fired brick, clay, and shale are the raw ingredients. To form a brick, both raw elements are fired through a kiln at 2000 degrees. The clay particles fuse together during this process. For the manufacture of red bricks raw materials like lime clay or alumina, sand, iron oxide, and magnesia are used. Mostly, local sand is preferred for their preparation. 

The Advantages of Brick Homes

Brick homes are considered to be the most advantageous than any other type of home. They are strong and serve you and your family for a lifetime. Some significant advantages of brick homes are: 

1. Brick homes tend to be lower upkeep

Like wood homes, brick homes don’t need regular maintenance. They don’t even need painting after installation and can tolerate destructive storms with ease. If you have a wooden home, you have to replace wood siding and trim from time to time. These tasks are time taking. Also, there are multiple ways to protect your masonry home from cracks, but in case of woods, it becomes difficult  

2. Brick is more immune to fire and infestation

If you have a brick home, this means you are safe from fire because bricks are a good insulator. This property of bricks helps them to prevent the spread of fire. Brick is also resistant to pest infestation, which is very helpful for a hygienic home. But, if you have a wooden home, you will always have a threat of catching fire and pest infestation. 

3. Brick is eco-friendly

Nowadays, the trend of eco-friendly homes is increasing. As you know bricks are made up of the earth’s most abundant natural resources clay and shale, they are the best eco-friendly option for home construction. For homeowners who want to create eco-friendly and zero-energy homes, bricks are the way to go. 

4. Brick is energy efficient

Bricks are extremely helpful in stabilizing interior temperature. They have excellent thermal mass and a great ability to store heat, which aids in keeping your home nice and cool during the hottest summer months. And in winter, bricks radiate back the stored heat to you, so that you can stay warm. Apart from all these, brick homes can also help reduce your energy bills. 

5. Bricks home have better resale value

Brick homes can’t deteriorate easily, they maintain their value for a long time. That is why they have a better resale value. You can also increase property value by brick staining process or by repainting it. Whenever you think of the staining process or rejuvenation of your home, always hire reliable and experienced brick contractors in Toronto. 

The Downsides of Brick Homes

Apart from all these advantages, brick homes also have some demerits. Some of its disadvantages are: 

1. It’s more expensive

One of the major disadvantages of brick homes is that they are too expensive. For creating a brick home, you have to spend lots of money, which is not possible for extremely poor people. But, wooden homes are the opposite of it, you can create them at even low cost. The reason why the construction cost of brick homes is too high is that it needs a huge workforce and excellent skills.

2. There aren’t that many options       

When you create a brick home, you only have a few color options to choose from, which are either grey, brown, or red. Besides this, you have to repaint your home after every few years which proves to be expensive. This repainting process is necessary to keep brick exteriors from chipping and fading.

3. Repointing is sometimes necessary 

For connecting bricks mortar is used. Due to harsh weather conditions, the mortar of the brick gets deteriorate over time. To resolve this problem or to fill in the gaps the repointing or tuckpointing processes are applied, which result in the expense of money. 

4. Difficulty in making changes

One of the major problems with the brick home is that you can’t easily change the design of the home after installation. Doing so can prove to be expensive and can also weaken the integrity of the structure. So, it’s vital to be sure of what you want before construction begins.

Conclusion

Despite some disadvantages, brick homes are highly preferred in Toronto regions. People build homes once in their lifetime, so choosing the brick material for their home construction is not a bad option. Wooden homes are risky in areas prone to thunderstorms and tornadoes. Therefore brick homes are considered to be the most safest and durable ones. But, to construct a robust brick structure, you need to take the help of skilled and the most experienced brick contractors in Toronto. Call Masonry Group at +1 (416) 500-2228 or write to us at info@masonrygroup.com and we’ll connect back with you.