Bricks for beginners
Bricks for beginners – getting to grips with bricks
I thought I ‘d share with you a bricks for beginners blog talking you through the benefits and history of bricks, the different types of bricks available and signposting you in the direction of some useful tutorials. I love to encourage my readers to have a go at DIY but I know from my own experience that initially this can be really overwhelming. Let’s simplify and demystify bricks!
A short history of bricks
Bricks are actually one of the very oldest building materials and have been used for building purposes for thousands of years. Bricks actually date back to 7000 BC. It is believed that The Egyptians were the first to invent mortar using the gypsum as a base. The Romans (as they did with many things) took this idea and advanced it using a mixture of lime, water and sand. Amazingly this process is still used today. Pompeii was actually built using bricks and mortar – isn’t that just incredible. Despite our amazing advances in technology bricks remain a favoured building material due to their fabulous properties.
The amazing properties of bricks
Bricks are just amazing and there are many reasons why we use them in our building projects. They have great properties for construction including the following features
- They are durable and strong,
- They have a high thermal mass,
- Bricks have good load-bearing properties
- They require little or no maintenance.
Pretty impressive credentials, right? No wonder we have been using them for so long!
Different types of bricks for beginners
There are a myriad of bricks on the market. C & W Berry sell them all from contemporary to traditional. Let’s have a look at the different types of brick there are and what they might be used for.
Air Bricks
Air bricks are some times also called air vents. They are vented to let air to pass through into the cavity beneath floorboards and circulate. This helps prevent moisture build-up which is, of course, a great help in preventing damp and mould.
Coursing bricks
Coursing bricksThese are aerated blocks used for bonding and infill,.Coursing bricks are lightweight robust and durable They are ideal for locations where the surface will not be seen such as plastered or rendered areas.
Facing bricks
Facing bricks are the most popular type of brick – these are primarily used for exterior walls and can be seen everywhere in the UK! They are manufactured to be visible so their appearance is important and they come in a wide range of colours and textures these days. Available in colours such as
Engineering bricks
Engineering bricks or concrete bricks are used for damp courses or other situations that call for strength, low water porosity or acid resistance.
So there you go, a little look at the different varieties of bricks available on the market for different projects around the home.
Bricks for beginners and DIY
As my regular readers will know I am a rather huge fan of upcycling and DIY craft projects. Bricks lend themselves so well to upcycling projects Do pop and have a look at this post with 20 creative ways to use old bricks
In terms of building with bricks and having a go at any Brick DIY, I would say don’t be scared but do get some practice in first! Heres a little tutorial on how to lay bricks
I do hope you have found this post on bricks for beginners to be useful
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You might also like my post on Is DIY dangerous?
