Can't decide on brick or render? It's a common conundrum. Bricks are traditional and hold timeless appeal, while render is undeniably modern and a popular way to instantly transform a home.
Whether you're building from scratch, planning an extension, or looking to freshen up your facade, deciding between brick or render can be a difficult decision. Both serve their function of protecting a home from the elements with equally strong fire resistance, sound insulation and pest protection.
We've outlined some pros and cons that might make your decision a little easier - and if (when!) you decide to go with brick, our team is standing by to help...
Contact the teamUsing bricks
Bricks are one of the oldest building materials, with a history that dates to almost 7,000 BC. There are a variety of different types that serve distinct purposes - from common burnt clay bricks used in external masonry walls to sand lime bricks for hidden walls and engineering bricks built specially for load bearing.
Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of brick for ornamental facades:
The pros
⦿ Versatile Thanks to advances in manufacturing, the humble brick is now available in a vast variety of colours, textures, and finishes. You can opt for the classical elegance of traditional red bricks or the modern sophistication of a glazed symmetrical design. If you're looking for a high-impact contemporary home, you can also push the boundaries with striking patterns and textures.
⦿ Low maintenance Brick is one of the lowest maintenance building materials on the market. Bricks don't need paint or sealant to maintain their appearance, durability and weather resistance. Even after 50 years, a well-made masonry wall will remain strong and relatively maintenance free.
⦿ Secure investment While bricks can be expensive, as the world's most sought after and trustworthy construction material, they are a secure investment with consistently high re-sale value. Bricks not only pay for themselves in the long run, they also provide returns in the short term as they're low maintenance and energy efficient.
⦿ Eco-friendly Made from minerals and naturally abundant clay, bricks are a sustainable building material with a long life. Unlike rendered walls, bricks are highly recyclable. Clay bricks are often reclaimed after a building is demolished and re-used as bricks or crushed up for roof tiles, paths, and road surfaces.
⦿ Timeless As bricks have been around for hundreds of years, their aesthetic appeal has lasted for all this time. This means less risk of your property being valued lower in future due to the changing trends of other cladding materials.
The cons
⦿ Spalling Although not prone to cracks like rendered walls, masonry on rare occasions is vulnerable to water damage. When moisture from rainfall, melting snow or even soil enters bricks, it can freeze and thaw causing spalling. Spalling starts off as small cracks that grow into bigger cracks and eventually lead to crumbling. Luckily, spalling is preventable with a high-quality drainage system and breathable sealants. It's also easily repaired. An experienced mason can address the issue by removing the damaged bricks and replacing them with well-matched bricks and mortar.
⦿ Expensive Bricks are manufactured throughout the UK and available at competitive prices, particularly through our own Brick Quotation service. However, building with bricks is generally considered more expensive due to the need for more building materials. Concrete blocks used in rendering are larger than clay bricks, therefore for each concrete block used, you typically need six bricks.
⦿ Insulation Unless built using double-brick walls, masonry homes don't quite provide as much insulation as rendered walls. As concrete blocks are bigger than regular clay bricks, they have a hollow core, which improves their insulation capacity. The thermal resistance is further strengthened by the render.
⦿ Matching bricks Trying to find an exact match for an existing brick used to prove difficult. However, mismatched bricks are becoming a problem of the past. Whether you need to repair an existing wall or you're planning an extension, we will quickly find a perfect match for a seamless finish; the exact brick where possible or the perfect solution where not.
Brick is one of the lowest maintenance building materials on the market. Even after 50 years, a well-made masonry wall will remain strong and relatively maintenance free
Using render
Venture down any street in the UK and you'll likely notice that every other house has a rendered facade - from smooth white Victorian terraces to Tudor-style pebbledash. Rendering involves the application of cement to a brick or concrete wall and has been popular throughout Europe for centuries; think colonial Spanish architecture and gleaming white villas in Greece.
While external wall rendering is admired by many, there are some clear reasons why it's not everyone's cup of tea. Just like any big commitment related to your home, it's important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of rendering:
The pros
⦿ Versatile Many homeowners choose to render their entire home, or specific feature areas, for aesthetic purposes. Render is available in a wide range of colours and designs, making it an effective way to quickly freshen up your home. Depending on the look you're after, the finish can be textured or smooth, fine or course, natural or coloured, and pigmented or painted.
⦿ Prevents damp Render provides an additional layer of protection against penetrating damp, which is particularly important in old properties with solid walls. If moisture penetrates a solid wall, your home will be exposed to a whole host of problems from rotting skirting boards and stained plaster to mould-ridden carpets. But be warned, applying render over existing damp will only make the matter worse. Most new properties have cavity walls, which are less vulnerable to this issue.
⦿ Improves thermal protection Render, especially when painted a light colour, provides an extra layer of insulation that improves the thermal performance of your home. Also, if you're considering installing external insulation on your property, rendering at the same time can be cost effective.
The cons
⦿ Expensive Using concrete blocks and render is generally considered less expensive than traditional brick, particularly for new builds. However, rendering an existing home can prove quite costly - and don't forget to consider the additional costs of professional application, painting and maintenance. If your house doesn't already have external wall insulation, there's an additional cost to factor into the equation with render there too.
⦿ Profitability If you're planning to sell your home or it's an investment property, then you really need to consider whether render is a wise choice. Will it add value to the property? If so, is the outlay worth the return? A local estate agent may be able to suggest more profitable ways to increase the value of your home while ensuring it appeals to a wider market. For example, painting your trim or tidying up your garden may give your brick home the street appeal it needs to attract a higher selling price.
⦿ High maintenance Rendered walls are more vulnerable to weathering, which over time causes fading and stains. To keep your external walls looking fresh, you'll need to re-paint every 10-15 years. It also must be said that rendered walls in public places, particularly commercial buildings, are prime targets for graffiti.
⦿ Cracking The strength of your render will vary according to the type of render used and the method of application. However, all render (silicone, acrylic, and mineral) tends to develop hairline cracks, particularly when the underlying brickwork is old or was damp at the time of application. Moisture can penetrate the walls, freeze and expand, blowing out the render surface and exposing patches of brick beneath.
⦿ Planning permission Depending on the location of your property and type of building, you may require planning permission before rendering interior or exterior walls. If you live in a listed building, it's an absolute certainty. Likewise, if your property falls within a conservation area, National Park or area of outstanding natural beauty, you must apply for permission before rendering the exterior of your house. Outside of these areas, rendering is permitted without prior permission, provided the materials are similar in appearance to those used in the original construction and won't clash with neighbouring properties.
We're here for you
If you've decided rendering isn't for you, the next step is to source the perfect brick for your project - and we have a range of services tailored to help you achieve successful brickwork, whatever the shape of your build or the size of your ambition.
Our expert Brick Advisors are standing by to help you match, customise and calculate the exact amount of bricks you need, then source them and find the best price - we'll even arrange delivery too.
Simply let us know what you need, and our team will do the rest!
