When it comes to picking an apartment or home, you have options. You have options in terms of style, location and even building material. Whether you’re looking for a largescale studio loft or a beautiful old brownstone, every option comes with its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages.
Below is a breakdown of the basics of living in a brick building. From common questions to maintenance expectations to safety features, price and everything in between, this article should cover any issues you encounter and help you decide if a brick building is right for you.
Brick suits all styles
Whether you’re a minimalist who wants nothing more than pristine white walls and clean sight lines or you’re more of a traditionalist with your eye on something overflowing with elegance and class, brick is versatile enough to not only fit your desired aesthetic but to enhance it, as well.
Brick is striking when it’s raw and untouched. Brick is beautiful when painted in a bright white or bold, deep black. It even looks good in small sections of the wall to add a little texture to the picture.
Natural light complements brick and warms up a dark and uninviting room. Long story short, brick can do it all. Use your creativity to unluck its full potential.
Brick is timeless
The first human-made bricks date back to 7000 BC. It doesn’t take an anthropologist to realize that appeal of brick is so much more than initially meets the eye. Brick has protected the human population from the elements for centuries. While the bricks of today are not the same as the bricks of yesteryear, there’s still something innate in the human psyche that connects to the brick aesthetic and finds a primal comfort in it.
In a more practical sense, brick is great for resale value. So, if you’re looking to sell your home or condo and buy yourself a new one, brick is always a good investment, regardless of the kind of abode you’re looking to buy.
Is building with brick eco-friendly?
Short answer, yes.
While bricks are not a natural resource, they’re made from natural materials. The primary of which is clay. Clay is abundant on Earth and, as of now, is in no danger of falling into a shortage anytime soon.
While the brick-making process does require the use of heavy machinery in a few steps, it’s still a process that’s widely considered eco-friendly in the building industry. That said, there are also a number of companies that have emerged over the past couple of decades that specialize in the creation of recycled bricks. These bricks are often made of a combination of sand and recycled plastics and can last as long as traditional bricks.
Brick is great at keeping the inside temperature separate from the outside. That means, if it’s hot outside, brick is going to hold your cool A/C air in and keep the hot summer air out. The same goes for cold weather, brick will hold the heat in your home more effectively than other materials while not allowing the cool air to seep in, either.
Are brick buildings fireproof?
Brick buildings are not fireproof. While bricks on their own are extremely fire resistant, when they’re combined together with mortar, they become less so. So, a brick building can still catch on fire and it can still burn. However, it will do so much more slowly than houses made of wood or other building materials.
In addition to being more resistant to fire than other building materials, brick also holds up better than much of its competition against severe weather. While brick does absorb some water during storm weather, it’s near-impossible for severe storm winds and rain to actually penetrate into the brick in any significant or damaging way.
While unexpected fires and city-stopping severe weather events are not overly common occurrences, they do still happen. Living in a brick building is a great way to curb your risk of being affected by something entirely out of your control.
How do termites and pests fare against brick?
Like fire and severe weather, brick is also great at protecting against pests like termites and even rodents. Termites can’t do damage to brick or concrete and, while they can slip through any cracks and get into the more vulnerable areas of your apartment, it’s much more difficult for them to do so than it would be in a wood-built apartment or home.
The same goes for rodents and other pests. Sure, if there’s a crack and they stumble upon it, they’ll get in. But, a solid brick build will prevent unwanted guests from creating their own entry to your home and inviting their friends to join in.
Is brick more expensive?
Does brick improve the value of your apartment or home? Yes. Does it also make the apartment or home cost more? Also, yes.
Brick, like other things in life, costs more than its lesser counterparts. So, while you’re paying more upfront to live in a brick apartment or home, you also save money down the line thanks to brick’s eco-friendly attributes and stronger overall structure than other building materials.
Does brick ever need repair?
On occasion, brick may need repair or, as the brick and mortar people say, “repointed.” “Pointing” is the outside section of mortar in between bricks. This is the most vulnerable section of a brick wall and, as such, will be the first place to show significant wear and tear.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that, on average, repointing is something that only needs doing every 25 to 30 years. So, if the brick in the apartment or home you’re looking at appears in good condition, odds are you’ll never have to worry about repointing or repair unless your moving in for the (very) long haul.
How can I hang pictures on my brick walls?
Along with being stronger and more difficult for predators to penetrate, brick is also more difficult for nails and screws to penetrate than the average interior wall. One way to get your pictures up and properly displayed on your exposed brick wall is to break out the power tools and drill directly into the brick. While this is effective, it can also call into question the structural integrity of the bricks and provide more opportunities for pests to infiltrate your walls.
Thankfully, we live in the modern world and every problem has a solution. And you can find that solution on the Internet. If you’re having a tough time finding an easy way to display your things on your brick walls, fear not. Simply look up “brick clips” and find the one that’s right for you. These cheap little gadgets make hanging pictures on brick walls a breeze and they don’t damage your bricks as much as nails or screws.
There’s real beauty in brick
Living in a brick home or building comes with its fair share of pros and cons. That said, the pros undeniably outweigh the cons overall. So, if you’re renting a home right now and deciding between that brownstone in the burbs and the cookie-cutter apartment downtown, we stay stick with the brick. But hey, it’s up to you.
Source: rent.com