Should I choose brick veneer or double brick for my new Sydney home build?
A question I am asked all too often is,
‘Should I build with brick veneer construction or double brick construction?’
There is no right or wrong answer to this question, rather there are pros and cons to both construction methods. And before you decide on which to choose, it’s best to run through the advantages and disadvantages of both so you can decide which of those two options best fits into your expectations of budget, project duration, durability, thermal transmission as well as viability to your build location.
From the 14th Century, homes in Europe were built with solid stone or solid brick, however this method would not always be effective in keeping out all moisture as these didn’t contain cavities and were single skin walls much thicker than today’s walls. Cavity walls provide better sound and thermal insulation but more importantly are best for damp prevention as they create a barrier in a way, preventing dampness from percolating or penetrating into the house which is why it is so crucial that builders ensure cavities are kept clean and are inspected during construction to prevent any maintenance issues which can lay dormant, arising months or even years later. Usually, it’s those 1 in 10 year intense storms which brings those maintenance issues to surface. I personally spent many years attending to maintenance issues on homes built by low experienced owner builders or non-reputable builders, mainly water ingress issues and found that simple measures such as inspecting and cleaning cavities during construction would have prevented most of those cases. Sometimes it was cement mortar which had fallen into the cavity during construction, bridging the external and internal skin allowing cavity moisture to make its way inside. Other times it was after handover alterations such as a television aerial cable penetrating the wall and drawn downwards rather than upwards into the house, allowing rainwater to gravity flow along it right to the TV point inside.
In Australia, it wasn’t until the late 1800’s where double brick construction had begun to be used and spanned up until the mid-1900’s but after that time, speed of construction and cost effectiveness lead to the dawn and increased use of brick veneer as the more commonly used practice in the Australian residential house industry.
Brick veneer Double brick
From the outside, both types of construction methods appear the same however there are many aspects of the make up which set the two apart. Both methods consist of an external and internal perimeter wall with a cavity in between however what sets the two apart is brick veneer construction is a single skin of brickwork to the external perimeter wall with a timber or steel framed internal perimeter wall, whereas double brick construction consists of brickwork to both the external and internal perimeter wall.
With double brick construction the brick walls are the structural supports bearing the load of the roof structure as opposed to brick veneer, the timber framed walls bear the load of the roof structure, and the external skin of brickwork is non-structural, non-load bearing and is a veneer.
Advantages of Brick Veneer
Brick veneer is generally less expensive than double brick
Faster construction turnaround
Provides the same appearance as double brick externally
Is lighter than brickwork thereby reducing the cost of structural foundation requirements
Easier to make alterations and renovations to internal walls
Walls don’t need to be chased for services reducing costs to install electrical or plumbing services
Disadvantages of Brick Veneer
Not as durable as full brick
Thermal performance - Thermal transmission is higher
Termite attack - Higher chance of termite attack. Some build locations have a higher probability of termite attack than other areas
Acoustically performs lower than full brick
Not as stable than full brick in the case of natural disasters. Timber stud walls can be permanently damaged during floods impacting structural adequacy
Advantages of Double Brick
Extremely durable requiring little maintenance
Better thermal qualities with a lower heat transmission through external walls keeping your home cooler during summer thus lower energy costs with Air conditioning
Better acoustic qualities keeping noise out
Much more stable structure in the case of natural disasters - in the case of water ingress, the walls structural integrity usually wont be compromised
There is no timber to the structural walls therefore less likely of termite attack
Disadvantages of Double Brick
Generally more expensive than brick veneer
Slower construction turnaround as is more labour intensive to construct
Difficult to make alterations and renovations to internal walls
Walls need to be chased for services increasing costs to install electrical or plumbing services
Sites with tight access and minimal onsite storage area, make it difficult for bricklayers to stack bricks to perimeter of build ready for laying, requiring material handling costs