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3 Reasons Brick is One of the Most Eco-Friendly Building Materials

Posted on November 9, 2022 3:34 PM

3 Reasons Brick is One of the Most Eco-Friendly Building Materials

As people grow more environmentally cautious, we’re seeing greater efforts to become eco-friendly in our day-to-day lives. Some developments are new, like electric cars and reusable straws. However, one invention has been around for thousands of years and can boast an eco-friendly status since the beginning.

That invention is brick.

Brick is a strong, environmentally beneficial way to build and is one of the longest lasting construction materials in history. Let’s look at three reasons brick remains an excellent eco-friendly building material for your next project.

Bricks Are Made From Natural Resources

Although a brick itself is not a natural resource, it is made primarily from naturally occurring materials. The five main brick types include:

Burnt clay

Sand lime

Engineering

Concrete 

Fly ash

At Cherokee Brick Company, we utilize the burnt clay method to manufacture various styles and colors.

What is Burnt Clay Brick?

Often referred to as a common brick, burnt clay is likely what comes to mind when you think “brick.” The simplest version utilizes clay and water which are mixed, molded, and fired to produce a hard, reddish-colored brick.

We manufacture our wide variety of unique, signature collections by incorporating additional raw ingredients in the mixing process. Our team thoughtfully combines materials to create the impressive colors, textures, and characteristics that Cherokee Brick is known to deliver.

Because we feature natural, raw, or reusable ingredients, our bricks remain one of the most eco-friendly construction materials available. 

Bricks Are Sustainable

By its nature, brick lasts a long time. Civilizations created and used sundried mudbrick as early as 7000 B.C., while fired bricks first appeared around 4000 B.C. Impressively, many ancient brick structures are still intact today.

Hardened clay is difficult to damage or destroy, making brick extremely durable. The expected lifespan of a brick house is over 100 years, and it can last more than hundreds of years when maintained properly.

The durability of brick means that it does not:

Rot

Rust

Corrode

Decay

Burn Up

As a result, bricks can withstand damage from fire, flood, heavy winds, and other natural disasters better than building materials like wood, vinyl, or Hardie board. Brick helps ensure a building will last, further proving its eco-friendly benefits for any construction project.

Bricks are Reusable and Recyclable

There are times when a structure experiences significant damage but leaves behind perfectly usable bricks. In these situations, you can salvage any remaining functional bricks and reuse them for a rebuild.

Do you have bricks with damaged quality or function? Don’t throw them out! Opt to recycle them instead. The recycling process involves crushing the damaged bricks into a powder and remixing it with additional materials to create new, healthy bricks.

Because of its reusability and recyclability, brick is a zero-waste product and a solid, eco-friendly material for any building project.

If you have an upcoming construction project, choose beneficial, eco-friendly bricks from Cherokee Brick Company.

Our bricks boast style, durability, value, and so much more. See our bricks at work and talk to us about your building needs today: 877-277-2745