Know your bricks and when to use them.
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Hi guys, this week I will tell you about the various types of brick and when to use them. If you are looking to build a house and require assistance, then this blog will help you. The type of brick used is not important yet, using the right type will make a world of a difference to your residence. There are various factors like cost of the construction, purpose of the brick, strength and compactness of the brick required and so on. First, lets look at the good old clay brick.
a. Clay brick
The different grades of brick available are first class, second class and third-class bricks. The strength of these grades is in descending order and second-class bricks are mostly used in construction today. Here is how a second-class brick looks along with the masonry.
Next is the third-class brick. A third-class brick is not recommended for construction and is rather used for temporary sheds and non-load bearing independent rooms. Here is an image of the third-class brick and masonry.
Next are First grade bricks. First grade bricks are the most premium and are made of the highest grade of clay called Plastic clay. It is high in Silica and aluminum. It is in fact structurally strong and can hold its form to high stress applied on any part of it. It is even capable to construct load bearing single storied houses on it. It is also useful in building raw brick masonry walls and is resistant to weather and chippings. They are very expensive but durable. Here is an image of first-class brick and its masonry.
b. Fly ash Brick
Fly ash bricks have come up in recent times and are considered to be strong, cost effective and considerably climate friendly and energy efficient as compared to clay bricks. They are lighter than clay bricks and eliminate the need for lime plaster. They are also good at keeping a room cool. However please note that they are at a nascent stage of development and are structurally permeable, so they can cause wall leakages and structural damage. These bricks have been used in recent times and even townships have been built with these bricks but, due to its cons have been replaced by cement bricks.
b. Cement Brick
Cement bricks are made from Portland cement and are available in few different forms. Portland bricks have a property of being 2 to 3 times more moisture absorbent than conventional clay bricks. This means they can keep the temperature down by quite a bit and in warmer areas, will also help the house keep cool. So, these are the pros and for the cons, it is not recommended for colder climates. Another important and surprising con is it is less strong and has a smaller shelf life than clay bricks but are enough for a lifetime. Here are some types of cement bricks.
c. Sunlight dried bricks
Sunlight dried bricks are eco bricks and save the use of kiln and the impact it has on environment. They are still clay bricks and are a good option to use in dry areas. If you are building a single storied or a double storied house, this brick type is a good option.
d. Miscellaneous and purpose specific bricks
Sometimes bricks are required for very specific purposes like no wall chips while wiring, extra insulation in bricks, larger/smaller brick sizes, interlocking bricks of a specific pattern. These are very situation dependent and not regular in construction.
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