How Do I Choose the Best Decorative Brick?

Brick is a great building material that is long-lasting, rugged, and durable, but it can also be quite expensive and difficult to work with during construction. If you are trying to choose the best decorative brick for your home or other space, the first determination you should make is how you intend to use the brick and whether true brick is absolutely necessary. Concrete pavers, for example, can be made to look like decorative brick, and are neither as strong nor as expensive as brick. Real brick pavers are also available, and they are a good choice if a full brick is not necessary.

Brick pavers are a type of decorative brick that is essentially a thinner version of a real brick. Pavers are usually used to create walkways or other flat surfaces such as patios. They can be made of clay and kiln baked like real brick, or they can be made in the style of real brick from concrete. Concrete is cheap and easy to install, but it will not be as durable as real brick. True brick pavers will be more durable and they will look consistently better than concrete, but you should expect to pay extra for this type of decorative brick.

If you are building a load-bearing structure, you will need to invest in real brick. The tone of the brick can change, however, so you will need to decide what kind of aesthetic you are going for. Traditional brick is a deep reddish brown color, though as time passes, the tone of the brick can change. Aside from the color, it is important to keep in mind that real brick will be prone to moss build-up, so if you live in an especially damp area, keep this in mind. Working with decorative brick can also be difficult, not only because bricklaying is tricky, but also because brick can be exceptionally difficult to cut.

You will also need to choose between decorative brick for interiors and that for exteriors. Exterior brick is usually designed to withstand constant exposure to sunlight, rain, snow, or other elements. Interior brick can be less expensive because it is usually not designed to withstand the same elements as exterior brick. Exterior brick should be chamfered, which means the edges of the brick will not come to 90 degree angles. This is done for added rigidity and resistance to damage from impacts.