Brick or building block? Building materials for your new home

If you're about to build a new home, you're likely to be faced with the question of whether to use brick or building block. In order to work out which product will best suit your needs, it makes sense to do some research and to think about what you want out of your product.

"The options for bricks are endless, depending on the style of house and individual preferences," says Kylie Johnson from C&M Brick. Indeed, bricks have come a long way in recent decades – we've certainly moved far beyond the standard red or cream varieties of old.

Building brick styles

Bricks are now available in a variety of colours and textures; among the more popular types are shot-blasted, split-face (bricks that have a rough, stone-like texture) and honed, 'smooth-face' bricks. For the more adventurous, there are even glazed metallic bricks.

The versatile building block

Blocks tend to be more versatile than bricks, and the range is even bigger. "With blocks you have all the options of a brick, but there is also the advantage of having different sizes and shapes with which you can create architectural highlights," says Kylie. "By playing around with the sizes and textures of blocks, you can create different aspects to the residence.

Eco-friendly bricks or blocks

Some masonry companies are beginning to look into more environmentally friendly ways of producing bricks. For example, there are lightweight, structural masonry products currently being made that blend industrial co-products with bonding agents, and which are starting to gain acceptance in the building community. Also available are new mortarless concrete block construction systems that allow the blocks to be laid extremely quickly.

Affecting brick and block choices are issues regarding the kind of environment you want to live in – or are obliged to live in. For example, what sort of energy rating do the bricks or blocks have? Will your home comply with Australian standards? Will your choice of bricks or blocks fit in with your home's natural surroundings and with the streetscape? What about acoustics – how efficient will the bricks or blocks be at keeping sound out or in?

Is there much maintenance required to keep the bricks or blocks looking good? Are there any council covenants over your property?

All these questions must be taken intro account when choosing a product.

"And then there's the most important thing," says Kylie, "which is that you love what you finally choose as your exterior facade."

See the kind of building block or brick available by contacting a supplier in your area today: