When you plan to buy a commercial or residential property, you consider several things: the project’s location, prices, offers, the developer’s reputation, property permits, etc. You may look for an ultra-luxurious property or a move-in apartment. One of the key aspects you consider while purchasing, renovating, remodelling, or renting a space is its construction, durability, security, and safety.
Bricks are the most important element in construction and often form the basis of most structures. Today, several brick types and sizes are available in the market at a reasonable price, are sturdier than before, look more sophisticated and offer better stability and security.
Why Use Bricks For Construction?
Bricks are smart for designers and architects because of their low maintenance, natural insulation, cost-effectiveness, awesome variety, insect repellence, and flame retardance. To solve a problem in one area of brick construction, you don’t have to tear down and rebuild the whole structure. Various types of bricks bring flexibility and versatility to constructions and have several functional benefits:
Environmentally Sustainable
Brick is a common natural resource that can be reused and recycled. It is one of the world’s oldest “green” products, made from clay, slate, and water. Various types of bricks are popular for providing sustainability, longevity, and energy efficiency to structures. It can withstand high temperatures and does not require painting for environmental protection.
Sound Insulation
Looking for a sound-proof space where you don’t have to hear the disturbances of the outside world? Out of all other materials available, bricks are one of the most appropriate materials to keep the noise out.
Conservation of Energy
Various types of bricks will make you feel warm in the cold winters and cool in the scorching heat as they slowly absorb and release heat. These are natural insulators that can help to mitigate your energy bills.
Stylish
Bricks are available in various kinds, sizes, designs, colours, textures, and applications, offering a multidimensional and architectural splendour. Bricks look chic in living room accent walls, kitchen and bathroom backsplashes, foyer areas, entryways, wall coverings, and landscaping features.
Let us discuss the different brick types and sizes and how they can be used to build strong walls.
Different Types Of Bricks And Their Best-Use Scenarios
The Core Must Be Strong
It is true! While building or renovating your dream house, don’t ignore the value of bricks and the elegance they can offer your construction. Bricks are categorized differently, making them perfect for different needs.
Some are reinforced to provide more durability, while others are made purely for aesthetic reasons. Let us look at the different types of bricks and how they can be used!
Sun-Dried Bricks
Sun-dried bricks are unburnt stones that are sun-dried to harden. These are not very robust and are usually used in temporary or rural structures. These also work great for decorative purposes and for constructions that don’t need the several types of bricks to be water or fire-resistant.
These are made of modelled/baked/sub-dried clay and are great for home interiors – maybe a fancy living room designer wall, rather than having your house exteriors constructed with these sun-dried bricks.
Fire Bricks
Fire Bricks are also called refractory bricks and are created by a specially designed grounding process. These bricks can tolerate extremely high temperatures due to their flame-retardant properties when burned.
All this happens without compromising desires, shape, size, and strength. This makes it one of India’s most common brick types and sizes, especially in rural and dry areas. These are also best used for lining furnaces and fireplaces where temperatures are usually extremely high.
Burnt Bricks
The most common type of brick used in construction, earning it the name “common brick”. These work great for structuring robust columns, walls, and building foundations. They are mainly of four types of bricks:
- First Class Bricks: These are premium bricks made by mouldings on a table before being placed in a kiln. They are also strong and, therefore, more durable than all other types of bricks.
- Second Class Bricks: These have a basic shape and therefore do not have the perfect shape or texture. They are also fired in kilns, making them the second strongest type of brick.
- Third Class Bricks: These types of bricks look like unfired bricks and should only be used in temporary structures. Water can also easily damage them, and they are sanded and baked in brackets instead of kilns.
- Fourth Class Bricks: They are of poor quality; therefore, it is not recommended to use them for any robust construction. They are squashed and mixed with concrete before being used.
Concrete Bricks
These types of bricks are custom-made from various sizes of sand, water, cement, and coarse aggregate and can be produced on-site. Concrete blocks on bricks can easily be fabricated on a construction site, thus reducing the amount of mortar required. This is quite a popular brick category used in robust constructions.
Lime Bricks
These bricks are a visual delight and are often used to improve the visual aesthetics of a building or a space. These are made from sane and lime and can be used for various constructions. Some of its most used are creating sophisticated buildings, artistic works, decorative structures, and fancy home interiors.
These types of bricks are chemically reinforced bricks, which means the process is completed using elements of heat and pressure to speed up the chemical reaction. They have a smooth finish, sound insulation, and excellent fire resistance and are mainly used by artists to make their art shine.
Fly Ash Bricks
Often called the self-cementing brick, these bricks are made with fly ash and water. These consist of class C or class F fly ash, a by-product we get from burning coal mixed with water, which is then fired at 1000 degrees Celsius. These bricks are best for masonry and are more resistant to thaw and freeze cycles.
They are lighter but stronger and have less water penetration, making them excellent for insulation. Due to the high quantity of calcium oxide, class C fly ash is the best among the types of house bricks used in building pillars, foundations, and walls. Some of its key benefits are:
- High insulation against fire
- High resistance
- Uniform sizes for better grout and plaster
- Less water penetration.
They do not need to be tempered before being used in construction. Hence, fly ash bricks are one of the best types of house bricks used in India.
Jhama Bricks
Jhama bricks are also called “overfired bricks” or “vitrified bricks” because they are fired at high temperatures and for longer than traditional bricks.
These bricks are often found in distorted shapes and sizes but are highly popular because of their great absorbency and supreme strength, much greater than or equal to a premium brick. It is commonly used in constructing floors and beams with concrete where it does not normally encounter water.
Engineering Bricks
Engineering bricks are the most durable and strong category of bricks. These are designed to enhance their strength and resistance to harmful internal and external elements such as fire, mould, dust, and water. They are especially ideal for basements or other areas with a lot of moisture.
Engineering bricks are mainly used for their solidity and resistance to cold and fire. Most commonly used for their low porosity, these bricks work great on sturdy constructions and structures.
Porotherm Smart Bricks
These are a category of Hollow bricks, often called “eco-bricks,” a smart way to use natural clay to create hollow bricks. These hollow bricks can be perforated vertically or horizontally. Perforation of bricks means that they are generally pierced to create one or multiple holes in them.
These bricks are used in various residential and commercial projects as they are modern bricks. A few reasons that make this brick the best among the different types of house bricks used are the fact that it is a high strength, has thermal insulation, and is 100% eco-friendly in nature. What’s more, is that all these benefits are provided at a lower-than-normal cost.
Hollow Bricks
These are lightweight bricks, and as the name suggests come with a hollow or a hole pierced in the brick. Hollow bricks are also called cavity bricks or cellular bricks.
They can be used in partitions in the structures and laid much faster than the others. Thus, the primary use of these bricks is to fasten work and create robust yet decorative walls and structures.
The Best Brick Wall Designs for Home Interiors
Bricks are no more a commodity for the outsides and extremes. A fancy brick wall inside your bedroom or living room makes a statement and reflects your suave style of taste and personality. Here are some tips to adorn your walls with brick, so get ready to be seduced by the allure of some trending brick wall designs:
The Sultry Red Brick Wall Design
You cannot deny the sheer royalty and luxurious look of the red brick wall that brings texture to any space. Create a focal point with an environment-friendly accent wall with a mix of brick and mortar. You can create this look in your living room or bedroom to give your space a rustic yet lush interior decoration.
The Magnificent White Brick Wall Design
White cricks carry an exquisite appeal and aren’t as rough or earthy as the red bricks. It brings about elegance and refinement to your interior space. The white brick walls work beautifully as an accent wall behind TVs and paintings.
Glamorous Grey Brick Wall Design
Grey isn’t too earthy or minimal and is a perfect fit as a thoughtful living room interior design. These bricks add classiness to your ultra-modern home interiors.
Using mortar makes a grey brick wall design an attractive alternative to a red brick wall design. You even have the option to go for a contrast or a mix-n-match of different colours to add some zest to your space.
Brick Backsplash Design
Adding a backsplash brick wall design can give your kitchen or bathroom an organic look. These bricks create a good culinary atmosphere in the kitchen and give your bathroom a unique look.
Brick wall designs are so tempting that people are rushing toward brick-designed wallpapers. Of course, the sturdiness and durability of real bricks are unmatched, and of which we highly recommend an original brick backsplash design as it is one of a kind.
Conclusion
Rustic, earthy, and authentic bricks are never going out of trend. From texture to character, people prefer brick wall designs for the charm they bring home. Whether traditional or modern houses, brick wall designs are a sight to behold and can render functionality, durability, and longevity to buildings, structures, and walls. You can choose from the several kinds of bricks discussed here for your living room interior design or home exteriors.
HomeLane provides expert and professional assistance, guidance, and availability of various kinds of bricks. We help you with the market trends and strive to provide the best brick options for your home walls. You can visit the HomeLane website for more details on the types of bricks, budgets, designs, and functionalities of various kinds of bricks.
FAQs
1. How many types of house bricks are there?
There are 10 main categories of bricks used for construction:
- Sun-dried bricks
- Fire Bricks
- Burnt bricks
- Jhama Bricks
- Porotherm Smart Bricks
- Engineering bricks
- Concrete bricks
- Fly ash bricks
- Lime bricks
- Hollow Bricks
2. What is the most resistant and strongest type of brick?
A-class or first-class engineering bricks are considered the strongest. However, class B is the most used. Engineering bricks are sturdy and used to construct tough buildings and structures. They come in a colour range from red to blue.
3. Which bricks are best for the wall?
Clay brick is a type of brick that provides an inexpensive and durable wall option. These also need little or no maintenance. Wire-cut clay brick can be a good choice for a smoother finish.
4. What is the standard brick size?
The standard dimensions of a brick is 225mm (length) x 112.5mm(depth) x 75mm (height). This includes the 10mm mortar joints, making the standard size for a brick itself 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm.
5. Which types of bricks are the cheapest?
The most inexpensive types of bricks are machine-made bricks that come in various colours and finishes. Avoid hand-made bricks, which can cost you 4 times as much as machine-made bricks.
