Concrete facing bricks Vs clay bricks for house?

[Ruggers]

I have seen two nice facing bricks to use for the outer leaf of a house build.
One is clay, the other is concrete. The concrete one is the preferred choice but I wonder how it scores against clay over time, any differences or both suitable?

Both are around 8% moisture resistant,
Clay has a U value of 0.7 Wm2K
Concrete has a U value of 1.15Wm2K, is this noticeable or minimal in a block built new-build with 100m cavity wall insulation?

 

[stuart45]

I prefer clay bricks. I think they look better, and don't have any shrinkage problems.

 

[^woody^]

Concrete may be more prone to moss, algae and dirt (traffic soot) than clay - not excessively but more so, but this could be a bonus if you don't like the look of a new building for the first 30 years or so.

Otherwise, as long as the recommended mortar and build guides are followed, there should be no difference in performance

 

[Ruggers]

It has a lot of trees around so algae could be an issue, not sure how much vs clay but it will probably be an issue either way, i wanted to check the frost damage wasnt a big issue or anything i dont know about because the price is quite a bit cheaper than some clay bricks.

I prefer them to remain clean looking if im honest, not sure if that U value difference will be noticable at all..

 

[^woody^]

You'll need to check the overall wall u-value, and compensate with the insulation or blockwork as necessary.

Does the supplier have any reference projects that you can see and which have been up a few years? Ask the manufacturers local rep

 

[Ruggers]

I prefer clay bricks. I think they look better, and don't have any shrinkage problems.

How noticeable is this shrinkage & expansion in concrete, does it cause cracking in mortar or other issues?

You'll need to check the overall wall u-value, and compensate with the insulation or blockwork as necessary.

Does the supplier have any reference projects that you can see and which have been up a few years? Ask the manufacturers local rep

I will have to check because this brick is one that you order to be made and not stocked. I would like some project pictures or samples when they next do a batch. Many samples I've received aren't per picture, they are much darker or lighter, some don't resemble the picture at all.

 

[^woody^]

Is that a disadvantage then, in that no batch will be like any other, so if you need some more for say under-ordering, extension, repairs or whatever, they wont ever match?

As for shrinkage you just need to be mindful of that in the design (movement joints?) and the quality of build (mortar mix type).

 

[Ruggers]

I've had a drive done years ago with some one off bricks and just made sure i had spares so not too much of an issue. Unless you build within a few years later, I've found most bricks seem to be discontinued anyway unless it's really common. I'll discuss with the builder regarding shrinkage and their experience. I was hoping to add some lime to the mortar just to lighten up the standard grey without going down the expensive route of pre-coloured mortars.

I've requested some project photos.