Importance of building and living in a brick house

When it comes to building construction, there are many building materials that have stood out in enhancing thermal comfort (that condition of mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment where thermal environment are considered
together with other factors such as air quality, light and noise level E.t.c) and contribute to building sustainability and its occupants good health. Out of these building materials is BRICK which has proven to be distinctly efficient in making a building sustainable and more livable. 

In this article, we will be discussing about why it is important to build with bricks and why you might be considering making your next house fully brick house or partially brick house.

Though building with bricks is very costly but the benefits that comes with it is worthwhile as it will not only help in making a house sustainable and thermally comfortable , it will also help in saving maintenance costs at the long run.

Here are some reasons why it is advisable to build with bricks...

(1) Bricks have THERMAL MASS - meaning that it absorbs heat and slows down its transfer. This means in summer (hot season) brick gradually absorbs heat from the sun and keeps the building cooler during hottest time of the day while in winter (rainy season) bricks hold the heat longer thus keeps building occupants warmer.

(2) Bricks require minimal maintenance and reduce environmental impacts from other materials – Due to global warming effect; the need to reduce negative impacts of building on the environment is of utmost consideration thus building with sustainable materials like brick is of the essence.

(3) It can be re-used or recycled.  Brick has a life cycle design property, it cannot be wasted either during construction of new building or renovation of old buildings as it can be easily reused again or  Recycled to form materials for making new brick unit. During manufacturing process for brick, very little clay is wasted since unfired waste clay are simply used again and less than perfect fired bricks are crushed and used as aggregates in other parts of the building.

(4) Brick wall contributes to increase indoor air quality by eliminating need for paints which may be very high in V. O. C (Volatile Organic Compound) and also any means of mould growth in the building.

(5)  Bricks are energy efficient - By using bricks in conjunction with other solar system installation, home owners can easily have a house that requires no artificial heating or cooling especially in most cold region thus reducing energy consumption level of a building.

(6)  Bricks are good in sound insulation – The level of noise around us affect us in one way or the other, it can stressed us up or make us fall sick especially when it is higher than the normal decibel. Home Acoustics help in reducing noise level and as far as acoustic insulation is concerned, brick wall provides good sound insulation. For example, a very small air hole in a brick wall can reduce noise from 50 decibels to as low as 20 decibels. If you want a house that will enjoy freedom from noise pollution, you might need to consider building with bricks and installing other acoustic panels.

(7) Because brick is one of the heavier materials it is a better choice to build when in high risk storm areas. Brick homes usually receive fewer damages during storm compared to most building materials. Therefore building with bricks is of great benefits especially in areas prone to high storm.

With these few reasons, I hope you might consider building your next house with bricks. Feel free to comment on this article and share it. Thanks. 

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Categories: ARCHITECTURE, architecture students guide about bricks, importance of brick as a building material