Got bricks? Study looks at costs
The brick industry is promoting a study that compares the cost of fired-clay brick to six common home exteriors and declaring a winner in the lifetime ownership category.
The study — developed for the Brick Industry Association — comes from RSMeans. It showed that for a 2,700-square-foot, two story house, the national average for brick is $9.45.
That’s way less than $19.34 for adhered manufactured stone, but more than the average cost for stucco, $8.96; horizontal wood siding, $7.61; wood shingle, $6.10; fiber cement, $6.24 or vinyl siding, $3.24.
According to the BIA, these numbers don’t take into account lifetime ownership costs.
“Brick exteriors are a smart, sustainable home choice that provides superior protection from hail and windblown debris, higher resale values, virtually no maintenance costs and is 100 percent recyclable,” said Ray Leonhard, BIA’s president and CEO. “Other exterior options cannot match the many advantages of brick, and need to be painted or likely replaced every 10 years from regular wear and storm damage.”
The BIA has another concept that it is promoting eagerly: Fired-clay brick, it says, saves on energy costs through its dense thermal mass, superior durability and moisture resistance, lower insurance premiums, a minimum one-hour fire rating by itself (without additional backing materials and installation labor) and a 100-year lifespan.
