When you are renovating or undertaking any form of building work, one of the choices you will need to make is between new bricks and reclaimed bricks.ย
In this blog, we will explore all the benefits of choosing reclaimed bricks and how they compare to new bricks. By the end of this article, you will understand the advantages of reclaimed bricks and know how to make the best decision for your project.
What is Meant by the Term “Reclaimed Bricks”?
Reclaimed bricks are bricks that have been previously used and salvaged from demolition work, renovations, or other old structures. Once they have been salvaged, they are cleaned, sorted, graded, and repurposed so they can be used again. Reclaimed bricks offer a more historic look and greater variation compared to new bricks, and more often than not, they have more character than brand-new units. At Consumer Advisory, we offer some of the finest reclaimed bricks, perfect for your renovations or building work.
Look, Texture, and Authenticity
Weathering โ Over time, bricks acquire slight staining, marks, and some wear. Many people describe reclaimed bricks as having character and believe they may look better for home renovations, as they do not appear too pristine compared to your existing home.
Colour Variation โ Part of the appeal of reclaimed bricks is that they may have richer colour blends and small imperfections, which make them more appealing to many people compared to new bricks, especially when it comes to extensions or renovations.
Matching โ If your existing house is older, reclaimed bricks are ideal. They offer you a better chance of blending in with your existing building, whereas new bricks would look out of place.
Longevity and Durability
The fact that reclaimed bricks have lasted many years and are still able to be reused proves that they are very reliable. Nowadays, many reclaimed bricks are harder and denser than some new bricks, making them more appealing.
The best reclaimed brick suppliers will sort out any cracked or degraded bricks and only supply you with the highest quality.
As reclaimed bricks are already weathered, any future weathering is less obvious and will not have much impact on their appearance compared to new bricks.
Economic Considerations
As reclaimed bricks skip the raw material processing stage, this avoids additional costs. Therefore, many demolition yards sell reclaimed bricks at a lower price compared to brand-new bricks, making them more affordable whilst still being very high quality.
Homes that use reclaimed bricks are often more appealing to potential future buyers. This is because the use of reclaimed bricks adds character and authenticity to your home and makes it stand out compared to properties with new bricks.
As reclaimed bricks have already been used and aged, they blend more naturally with existing buildings and require less work, such as painting or patching.
Reclaimed Bricks vs New Bricks
Reclaimed Bricks:
- High variation
- Historical character
- Reused, resulting in less waste
- Very good structural reliability when sorted, tested, and installed correctly
- Easy to blend in with the environment and other existing buildings
- Already weathered, so will blend in more naturally
- Typically cheaper and easier to obtain
- More appealing to some people due to their history
New Bricks:
- Very clean, which in some cases people dislike as they won’t match the surroundings
- Structural reliability is very predictable and highly engineered
- Risk of not matching the existing surroundings of buildings, making them look out of place and less appealing
- May have hidden costs
- May age unevenly, making them look less appealing
- Less variety compared to reclaimed bricks
Common Misconceptions
“Reclaimed bricks are too risky and may not live up to my expectations”
If you use a trustworthy supplier like Consumer Advisory, who tests all of the bricks before resupplying them to customers, they will perform just as well as new bricks. In some cases, reclaimed bricks are denser, making them better than new bricks at a reduced cost.
“Reclaimed bricks will cost more because of labour work”
Despite there being additional labour costs, new bricks also carry hidden costs, such as waste when over-ordering or bricks not matching and requiring replacement orders. These factors aren’t taken into consideration when people compare the price of new bricks to reclaimed bricks.
“The supply of reclaimed bricks is too unpredictable”
You need to ensure that you plan what you need in advance of when you want the work completed so that the supplier can find the best reclaimed bricks for you. Using an experienced supplier like Consumer Advisory will help alleviate any concerns you may have when it comes to choosing reclaimed bricks.
“New bricks are safer and more reliable”
New bricks do come with more predictability; however, that does not always outweigh the aesthetic, environmental, or heritage advantages of reclaimed bricks.
Conclusion
Overall, you need to balance practicality with the vision of your project. Reclaimed bricks from bring variation and history to any of your renovations or extensions. You need to plan ahead to give your supplier of reclaimed bricks time to source the right number of bricks and the best quality for your project.
In my opinion, I believe that reclaimed bricks help preserve the originality of a building and its surroundings.
If you are looking for a supplier of the finest reclaimed bricks, take into consideration everything in this article and remember the benefits they offer compared to new bricks.
If you wish to get in contact today, please visit our website,ย https://consumer-advisory.co.uk/services/reclaimed-bricks-tiles-slates-york-stone-sleepers-supply-quotation/, where we offer the highest quality reclaimed bricks.
