Why Clay Bricks?
For centuries, clay brick is chosen as the most desirable building material, and it has shaped the dominant building styles and design trends popular at any given time. Its endurance is in large part due to its timeless aesthetic ability to blend effortlessly into any environmental landscape.
When considering construction materials, design professionals need to look at the product choices and ask themselves, will this offer optimal comfort, value and peace of mind in the long term? Is it a sustainable, environmentally sound and financially astute investment?
Clay Bricks Purpose
Investment Value
The valuation of brick homes is typically 6-10% more than other construction materials. It is easier to get a mortgage on a clay brick home, and it is more often accepted as collateral on a loan.
Energy Saving
Clay brick has the ability to absorb heat during the day and release it at night, thus reducing the need for artificial heating in winter and cooling in summer.
In South Africa’s warmer climate zones, energy is more often put towards air-conditioning and cooling rather than heating.
Air humidity is also regulated, creating an ideal climate that is close to the preferred human comfort zone in both the coolest and hottest months.
Everlasting Beauty
In colour, form, and texture, clay brick has an ageless ability to retain its original beauty – and lasts 100 years or more.
Even after decades of exposure to the sun, wind, hail, rain, and other environmental elements, they do not fade but complement the functional and aesthetic needs of an area.
Flexible Design
Available in an array of colours, shapes, sizes, and textures to suit any architectural design and building application, clay bricks’ natural aesthetics complement other organic materials such as stone and timber.
Combinations of bricks and construction methods can be used for creative expression, affording a clay brick structure to be as unique as your project.
Low Maintenance
A clay face home requires little maintenance to retain its enduring good looks and performance.
Clay brick structures require less maintenance by successive property owners and ensure that buildings will remain an asset, not a liability, to a community for decades to come.
Quality & Strength
Clay bricks’ structural integrity in the application is founded in their dimensional stability and high comprehensive strengths.
These properties also minimize the risk of cracking, ensuring that the structural integrity of buildings is maintained even when the bricks are plastered.
Fire Resistance
Clay brick is incombustible and cannot contribute to the start or spread of fires, or make them more intense.
Hence, clay brick walls achieve maximum fire ratings, and withstand fully developed fires longer than other building materials.
Noise Insulation
The density of clay means they resist the transmission of airborne sound waves, ensuring that the ever present noise of today’s bustling urban environment will remain outside the walls.
When built with clay brick, high density dwellings and homes that are close together like townhouses and apartments will not be subjected to excessive noise transmitted from adjoining buildings, or rooms.