L lime Improvement
How Brick Stacks Up
When it comes to your home's exterior, brick is a good choice.
he latest comparisons on brick home
exteriors debunk common myths for
home buyers and remodelers shop-
ping the latest options: genuine clay brick,
vinyl siding, concrete masonry, manufac-
tured stone, fiber cement siding (faux wood
alternative) and Exterior Insulation and
Finish System (EIFS), commonly known as
synthetic stucco.
While other exterior options may cost
less initially, genuine clay brick pays back
through its superior durability with low to
no maintenance, higher resale value, greater
comfort and savings on home energy costs
through its natural thermal properties, en-
during curb appeal with
color and design flex-
ibility, and superior per-
formance in extreme
weather conditions.
"As a versatile build-
ing material made
from abundant natural
resources, there is no
substitute for fired
clay brick," said Gregg
Borchelt, president and
CEO of the Brick Industry Association (BIA).
Several common comparisons include:
T
Initial Cost: If cost is the sole criterion for
material selection, vinyl siding and fiber ce-
ment siding generally cost less at first; fiber
cement has lifetime costs for painting and
joint replacement for about the same cost
as manufactured stone; low mortgage rates
and a variety of financing terms and options
make genuine clay brick competitive with
vinyl siding.
Longevity/Durability: Brick has a 100-year
life span, with no annual cleaning required;
vinyl siding offers a 25- to 50-year life
span with recommended annual cleaning;
repainting is recommended every 5-7 years
for fiber cement siding, and its life span
is unproven; EIFS and vinyl siding can be
damaged with common items such as hail,
golf balls and baseballs; EIFS can crack from
expanding and contracting; PVC vinyl siding
can burn or melt when exposed to a signifi-
cant heat source.
Severe Weather Resistance: Brick resists
penetration of a wind-blown wooden 2 by 4
up to 80 mph; a wind-blown wooden 2 by 4
penetrates siding when traveling at 34 mph
and at 25 mph for fiber cement siding.
Safety/Fire Resistance: Brick provides a
minimum one-hour fire resistance rating by
itself and is noncombustible; neither vinyl
siding nor fiber cement siding can provide
a one-hour fire resistance by themselves;
manufactured stone generally does not
provide a one-hour fire rating; and EIFS is
considered to be a "combustible material."
Energy Efficiency: Homes clad with brick
use 1 to 2 percent less energy than vinyl
siding and 2 to 7 percent less energy than
homes clad with fiber cement siding.
Thermal Mass: Brick walls benefit from the
energy efficiency of thermal
mass — something lacking
in thinner, lighter simulated
masonry units.
5
Moisture: Brick offers supe-
;ci, nor
• water penetration re-
) a'sistance; moisture intrusion
causes EIFS to rot from in-
evitable water penetration,
0 and is subject to termite
infestation; water absorbed
by manufactured stone in a rainstorm is
held against a framed wall — a construction
method without a means to remove water
that may result in moisture damage.
Green Benefits/Sustainability: Raw material
is on average 15 miles away from the brick
plant and many materials can be incorpo-
rated as recycled content with minimum
packaging; brick manufacturing facilities are
located in 38 states and within 500 miles of
49 of the top 50 U.S. metro areas; polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), the chief raw material in
vinyl siding, is primarily made at facilities
near coastal refineries; brick buildings can
be refurbished, and reuse is allowed by the
International Building Code; vinyl siding can-
not be reused and is difficult to recycle due
to contaminants.
For more information, home buyers may
contact their local brick distributor or visit
BIA's website at www.gobrick.com for a
list of distributors and manufacturers in
their state, photo galleries and continually
updated homeowner information.
■
Courtesy of Home Improvement News and Infor-
mation Center
Slam The Door
On High
E
rmergv Rill
perts at Therma-Tru remind homeown-
rs to check their doors at least once a
ear to ensure units are not leaking air,
which can increase heating and cooling bills.
"Start by inspecting the weather strip
around all sides of every door in your home
to make sure it has not worn out," says Derek
Fielding, director of product management
for Therma-Tru Corp. "Stand inside near your
doors on a bright day and look for daylight
coming in through the door's perimeter. If
you see light, that means external air and
possibly moisture is coming into your home,
reducing the energy efficiency of the door.
"This can be a simple fix if your foam-
filled weatherstrip has lost some of its com-
pression, flattened out or cracked. If you're
seeing large gaps, or if the door itself feels
hot or cold on the inside, then it may be
time to upgrade to a more energy-efficient
entry door."
Fielding recommends seeking out
fiberglass entry doors that are thermally
broken, meaning they insulate against both
cold and heat. Steel doors can be thermally
conductive and result in the transfer of
temperatures quickly from the interior to
the exterior and vice versa.
"Ideally, you're looking for a fiberglass
door system with components that are en-
gineered to work together to help maximize
the seal between the door and the frame,"
says Fielding. "We follow this principle when
creating our Therma-Tru fiberglass doors so
that the systems help keep heating and air
conditioning inside the house to help boost
the energy efficiency of the home."
For more information on energy efficiency
and doors, visit www.thermatru.com , www.
energystar.gov and www.nfrc.org .
■
Courtesy of Home Improvement News and Infor-
mation Center
November 2013 •
Floor Space Magazine
15