Why so many brick homes?

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by drjones96

What part of MO? I'm from the Bootheel. I have to say that there are brick houses there but nothing like here in TX. I'd say in the town I grew up in that probably less than half were brick. And they were either very old homes, very small homes or....



...yep...they're weathy.

FYI: Our good friend and fellow C-D'er, MoMark passed away earlier this year
May his family find peace during the holidays w/ the passing of a VERY DEAR loved one that was loved by many including all of his C-D friends.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by drjones96

It seems that here even some of the cheapest homes are made of brick. So do not conclude anything about a house here just because it's brick. It means nothing.

Want to know what drives me completely nuts? These houses that are almost completely made of brick but there will be a sided panel on the side of the house. OMG! You took the money to brick the house but you're not going to cover that 8'X8' section???? That just sends me right over the edge.

1. The reason just about every new or newer home in Texas is made of brick or some kind of masonry no matter the price is because just about every city/town has a building ordinance requiring a majority brick/masonry. The average is the home must be 75-80% brick.

2. In a "cookie cutter" neighborhood with tract home builders the buyer can not have the builder just go ahead and brick the rest of the house even if it is just a small portion. This is when the city requires a home be 80% masonry/brick and the builder cuts corners by leaving off that extra 20% of brick and just using siding.

[GayleTX]

My guess is that the subdivison that required stucco/rock but "no brick" did so to create a unified, community look to that one subdivsiion, just as other developers/subdivisons require "all Cape Cod" architecture or "all Austin Stone" construction. It has nothing to do with 'cheap'....it has to do with style and cohesiveness of the development. Brick homes are still the norm in this area for good homes.

[jcp123]

I'm a stucco/stone fan myself, but brick isn't bad...it just gets old seeing it all the time. I'd have to say that the hail is the determining factor in making brick popular here, although up North they get hail just like us and they use siding. I'd always considered siding to be cheap and nasty looking until I saw some of the nicer houses in Illinois...

[blueskies49]

I personally like brick better. It just seems more substantial and "classy" to me. Anyway, the brick stand up better to hail and tornadoes, not that tornadoes can't level brick homes, they do, but brick also stands up better to the high straight-line winds that we have here.

[eddiebrock71]

Building materials will have different cost, depending on the area you are from. In a fictional place where you have access to everything in equal amounts and in general quality and price go in this order:
1. Stone (natural)
2. Brick
3. Brick/stone siding
4. Stucco
5. Siding

I did not mention wood as different varietys have different prices, but the durability would be at the bottom.
Real stone is expensive, so most people are not going to use it, you also need to find a custom builder to do it for you.
There are two kinds of brick houses; 1) masonary and 2) veneer. Masonary is actually multiple layers of brick built to support the house. I do not think anybody builds like this anymore, unless you have some serious cash, and you would need a custom builder. the brick veneer house, uses real bricks. It just is a type of siding really, but almost no maitenance. It does not support the house. All houses are made with wood frames that give it support.

Stone is the most durable followed by brick. They do not crack and chip like stucco, or need to be painted. YOu can paint them if you wish, after proper prepping.

Hit a brick or stone house with a hammer, you may get a chip or splinter from the siding. Now try that on stucco. YOu could have some serious cracks or chips in need of repairing. and stucco requires painting, etc.

Why does insurance cost less on stone and brick? Simple more durable and fire resistant.

Stucco homes can be beautiful, but take a comparison with no maitenance of a brick, stone, and stucco house, for 6-8 years, in an environment with all four seasons, and you will agree the brick and stone looks nicer.

Home building is a business, and builders want to make money. Remember when you buy a house, how much money is it going to cost for upkeep. But buy what you like. But do not believe the lie that stucco is as good as brick or stone. Brick and stone are the best. They may not look good to some people, but if you are into durability it is the way to go.

As for the cookie cutter home builders, unless you are very wealthy you are stuck looking just like your neighbor, unless you hire someone to upgrade your home after you build it. And for those of you who want all brick, with the slow real estate market, some builders may let you upgrade to all brick to make the sale. I have been looking at homes, and builders are dropping prices $5-15k on homes under $150k, and $20k plus for homes on the $200k range. They do not like paying taxes on finished homes. With the outrageous cost of houses in some areas, and the awful cookie cutter syndrome, there are deals to be found.