When designing your new home, exterior cladding is an important part of not only the street appeal but also the energy efficiency and maintenance needs. With so many options now available it is easy to overlook the classic brick, but you shouldn’t. Bricks are enduring and will not fade, low maintenance and capable of weathering harsh environmental conditions which makes them perfect for everything from your inner city family home to your ocean view beach house.
Our recommendation is a kiln fired clay brick from our good friends Midland brick. They have been a long term partner of Fowler Homes and we trust their product and service. You may be asking why a clay brick? What’s interesting about clay bricks is that no two are identical. This creates a really unique and natural look for your new home that won’t be the same as any other build, which helps a little extra wow factor.
Installation
The most common construction technique is to build the structure with resilient timber framing and use a facing brick to provide the lowest possible maintenance cladding.
Energy efficiency
A ventilation cavity created between the timber structure allows for natural convection air currents to ensure any moisture is dried and carried away. These currents also help keep condensation on windows away, which results in a warmer, dryer home.
The thermal mass of the brick cladding is an advantage when it comes to energy efficiency as heat from the sun is retained for release into the cooler hours.
Types of bricks
Gone are the days of the standard red brick being your only choice when it comes to bricks. With 11 different ranges and sub ranges, there is a variety of colours and sizes available to choose from to help you achieve your design.
Our favourite range at the moment is the Euro range by Midland. This range includes a variety of colours and sizes with contemporary colours and sharp, clean lines as seen below.
Mortar
Now that you have decided on your favourite style and colour of your brick, the next part is deciding on the mortar colour and joint. The colour options available now are almost endless but it is often overlooked when considering the design of your home. Take a look below at how the choice of white vs grey mortar with the same white brick can drastically change the look of a home.
The choice of mortar joint builds on top of the brick and mortar to finish the look. Flush joints can help give the brickwork a flatter and lighter overall look. Raked and struck joints can add depth and shadowing to the look of the wall. Lastly rolled joints can create a contemporary look and works well with most clay brick styles.
In choosing a brick cladding there are a lot of options and freedom to create a home built for your style of living. With the excellent range from Midland and an experienced local Fowler Homes team, you can be sure that you’ll get the very best outcome.
Tags: Fowler Homes NZ, Fowler Homes, New Build, House and Land Packages, Development, Cladding, New Home, Midland Brick, Brick, New Home Design
