Brick Masonry Veneer

Long associated with durability, low maintenance and low life cycle costs, today's brick veneer construction provides beauty that endures the tests of time. Brick is an excellent fire resistant material and properly constructed, allows for water and condensed moisture to escape from the walls, greatly reducing the possibility of interior mildew. Brick veneer construction using today's modern building codes provides safety from all of the elements.

There are many types of brick construction used today including double-wythe load bearing brick walls, brick veneer over steel or wood studs and thin, adhered brick veneer. Your structural engineer can determine the type of brick construction most suitable for your project, including the combination of all three types where beneficial.

Since the early 70's, thin brick adhered to the building substrate has grown in popularity for its ease of installation as well as scheduling around other trades. It can be adhered to cement plaster over studs, over Concrete block or tilt up, or applied to code approved masonry back-up board type systems that are themselves attached to the studs. Thin brick veneer contributes no significant weight load or combustion to the structure and in most cases can provide a one-hour fire rating to your project.

When used in multi-story construction, full size, anchored brick veneer can often be used on lower floors while matching thin brick can be used at higher elevations where it may reduce engineering requirements, thus resulting in lower overall construction costs. And brick is still the most versatile construction material. Laid one at a time, brick can solve issues in design through flexibility and craftsmanship. Whether constructing delicate arches, radius features, lentils or columns, brick has been the architectural material of choice for delivering creativity from the design room to the field.

Brick offers additional flexibility to the designer through color selection. Design features in construction often include the use of accents and blends of colors. Today, brick can be found in almost every color imaginable. It's no wonder that brick is still as popular today as it was thousands of years ago. Unlike many of the other popular materials, brick buildings will last many, many generations and provide warmth, shelter and beauty that will truly stand the test of time.