Why is brick so expensive to use?
Question:Just wanted to know why everyone is using the ugly siding in homes today. Why is brick so expensive??
Answers:
Bricks are not like stones which are cut from a quarry and delivered to the place of building. A brick have to be manufactured and is a mixture of various materials mixed with cement and put in a form depending on the size it is needed. That's how it is where I live. Then it has to be covered
by a mixture of sand and others to have a fine finish and also to be good against rain water.
It takes a lot of work and equipment to make and heat treat brick. Brick is heavy and requires a lot of energy to transport and deliver. The people who lay brich have to install expensive scaffolding to support themselves while they work. nearly all bricklayers are union at premium pay+ the pay for the steward, who does nothing. In many areas the union has priced themselves out of work, so you have to import a crew. Two men can frame and side a house in two days with just the tools they can carrry in their car.
My guess is the weight of the material, which is expensive to ship, and the cost of the skilled labor required to install it.
Other building materials, like wood or metal framing or siding, is much faster to install, doesn't require as heavy a foundation, and doesn't require the skills of a experienced mason.
I know it is kind of a pain in the butt--but you might be lucky and find somebody doing a demolition. Yeah-a little work,but usually a big savings. You might find the brick / or block? at a building salvage outlet / yard too. Lots of people with their eyes on well crafted old materials. Stone is beautiful too-especially when taken off the native property..
Because it's labor intensive. Bricks are heavy, slow to put up, in need of someone who knows what they're doing to use, and are expensive to transport (because most truckers charge for their loads- by the pound...) . Didn't you ever wonder why so many wealthy people live in brick houses? -It's because they're the ONLY ones who can afford them! :)
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