Clay brick vs Concrete brick?

Question

I am building a new house and have a choice to make between using clay or concrete brick, can anyone please tell me the main pros and cons to consider. One of my main concerns is the white residue seen on some brick walls, does this only occur with clay brick??

Answer 1

The white residue is salt in the materials, you will get this any way...

Answer 2

Concrete Bricks Vs Clay Bricks

Answer 3

When I sold my parent's house, I was told that it had a concrete brick chimney, which was supposed to be a cheap substitute for clay. But, even though it was perpetually waterlogged (due to minimal rain protection), it seemed to be in better shape at age 60 than many of the clay brick chimneys I've seen. If you use concrete, get the kind with pink aggregate, not the ugly dyed type. The key thing for either type of brick is to keep the water away from it as much as possible.

PS: I've always wondered if concrete brick could serve a structural function in a brick&block building, since, unlike clay, it expands and shrinks at the same rate as concrete blocks. But I don't know if anyone has tried this; I assume it would violate many local codes, even if it worked well.

Answer 4

i have never seen a house laid up in cement brick, that is uglier than i can imagine. yes you may get effloressence on your brickwork but steps can be taken to help prevent this. a good vapor barrier between your sheeting and the masonry will help. it is moisture passing from the backside of the brick to the face that causes this. there are small plastic vents that can be put in the head joints that will help keep backside of wall dry. effloressence can occur on cement brick and block as well. hire a reputable mason but effloressence has been a bane and a much discussed topic forever. i have seen brand new buildings covered in white shortly after they were built and some a hundred years old without a speck...

Answer 5

first they don't make concrete bricks to build houses .clay brick do some times give out effervescent salts ..but only if they get wet soon after laying .. they can normally be washed off ..don't use acid ..but they don't last forever and will disappear in time and there are lots of bricks on the market that never salt .

Answer 6

Will it be in a flood plain or an area of seismic activity? Will it be subject to threat from forest fire or mountain earth slippages? Your choice of materials should take into consideration these possibilities. Check the construction of nearby houses. The salts you have observed are a side-effect of the manufacturing process with some bricks. In London there is the Building Centre. They can advise.

Answer 7

Brick is not concrete,brick is brick. Concrete is block.
If you are talking about true red brick, that is the way to go. You will never have to paint it.
Concrete blocks will forever need cleaning then painting.
Take it from someone who has built 3 houses.

Answer 8

white residue will show up on both but can be cleaned off. red brick is traditional but will show up residue more than a lighter brick of clay or concrete.

Answer 9

The London Brick Co.

Answer 10

CLAY. BECAUSE IT IS BAKED AND TENDS TO LAST LONGER THE CEMENT...adobe....