Why most Environmentally-Friendly Home Building Materials are still Brick and Stone
Monday Jul 16th, 2018
Home builders or those seeking to complete renovations on their home are oftentimes seeking the most inexpensive, environmentally-friendly home building materials in the marketplace. Despite all the advancements that have been made in technology and home building materials treatment, brick and stone are still among the top eco-friendly choices.
Masonry construction materials like brick and stone are classics. Despite their age, against far more modern counterparts, brick and stone hold their own. In fact, oftentimes, they exceed expectation when it comes to environmental sustainability. There’s often local sources of brick and stone to buy from, the material can be reused in application, and the energy costs in manufacturing this type of product is less than other building materials. Needless to say, in manufacturing and recycling, there are no toxins, no landfills, and no hazardous waste associated with brick, stone, and similar masonry home building materials.
Now when it comes to using brick and stone as home building materials, their performance over time is impressive. When building the average Canadian home, figuring out what to do about moisture is a big challenge. A builder needs to find a way to let a home’s moisture escape from the inside, while subsequently keeping liquid outside from penetrating inside. A residential home’s exterior wall frames are usually the perfect gathering place for moisture in the winter as they struggle between the warm indoors and the cool outside. That said, when you add brick in the mix, it doesn’t do that. In this application, brick works exceptionally well as it keeps the rain out while also providing the chance for trapped moisture to escape.
There’s been a lot of home building trends that have come and gone over the years yet brick and stone remain a favourite of so many Canadian homeowners. Setting aside the environmentally sustainability of brick, it just plain looks great. It’s a very reliable home building material that’s bound to add significant value to your property while also ensuring the home’s infrastructure is kept strong.
Another great thing about brick is that there’s no shortage of it. Brick is natural and found in abundance thanks to the many manufacturers that span Canada. Though the upfront cost may at times be higher when compared with less eco-friendly building materials, in the long-term, brick works well for homeowners seeking a return on their investment. Brick is also recyclable and extremely durable, even in the face of Canada’s worst weather. For these reasons among others, brick is considered today to be one of the most sought after building materials in the home building industry.
There’s no telling what’s around the corner in terms of what new home building materials may hit the market in the next few decades. For what we can see though, brick, stone, and masonry are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
As home builders and renovators continue to seek to use brick or stone in the home, their environmentally sustainability will hopefully be better understood in the years to come. Brick and stone lasts decades, and helps homes in keeping dry which is especially key during Canada’s winters. They look great and boost property values in the short- and long-term. For anyone looking to go eco-friendly with their home building or renovation, it’s worth considering going classic with some brick!
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