Is the brick industry in trouble?

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-09-25 07:53pm

I've been seeing ads lately for the Brick Industry, saying 'Real Homes Are Made of Brick'...is the brick industry in trouble? Are they failing? Are brick sales down? Why is the brick industry putting out ads?

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-09-25 07:57pm

I think brick homes have fallen in popularity, at least here. They are too expensive to build and not always a great idea in earthquake land.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-25 08:07pm

Brick houses take too long to build compared to a pure timber framed structure, and finding sufficient masons for any large development isn't easy.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-09-25 08:11pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Brick houses take too long to build compared to a pure timber framed structure, and finding sufficient masons for any large development isn't easy.

That is very true. We have pretty much run out of land for big developments where I live, but there is one with 5000 homes my friends bought in. That is a lot of masons.

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-09-25 08:14pm

There aren't a lot of brick houses aroudn where I live, but I wouldn't think that they'd really be very popular anywhere. It's pretty expensive, and it's not really as a strong as other materials, evn if it does look nice.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-25 08:15pm

I like the commercial....
Homes with vinyl siding, often have brick fireplaces....
Brick homes, however, Rarely have fireplaces made of vinyl.

real homes are made of brick...

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2003-09-25 08:24pm

Chardok wrote:I like the commercial....
Homes with vinyl siding, often have brick fireplaces....
Brick homes, however, Rarely have fireplaces made of vinyl.

real homes are made of brick...

God, that sounds stupid.

"Yes, look! What most people use to make one part of the house, we can use to make the entire house! We'll make windows made of Brick, not that pathetic glass shit. Have you ever heard of an entirely glass fireplace? I think not! We'll make your plumbing out of bricks, like the Roman Aqueducts! They were ancient, they MUST be smarter than we are! Follow us, people! We'll make you a world of bricks! Brick doors, brick couches, brick pillows and beds! We're even starting a line of brick marital aids, to help bring the excitement back into the bedroom! Your wife will love our new brick dildos and buttplugs, and you'll love our new "Brigina", for those nights your wife has a headache. And, coming soon, edible bricks, followed shortly after by shittable bricks. It's a brave new world!"

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2003-09-25 08:32pm

Hotfoot wrote: God, that sounds stupid.

"Yes, look! What most people use to make one part of the house, we can use to make the entire house! We'll make windows made of Brick, not that pathetic glass shit. Have you ever heard of an entirely glass fireplace? I think not! We'll make your plumbing out of bricks, like the Roman Aqueducts! They were ancient, they MUST be smarter than we are! Follow us, people! We'll make you a world of bricks! Brick doors, brick couches, brick pillows and beds! We're even starting a line of brick marital aids, to help bring the excitement back into the bedroom! Your wife will love our new brick dildos and buttplugs, and you'll love our new "Brigina", for those nights your wife has a headache. And, coming soon, edible bricks, followed shortly after by shittable bricks. It's a brave new world!"

Wow...that lends a whole new meaning to the phrase "Shit a brick"

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-09-25 08:41pm

Just use big rocks like they did with the Pyramids...

Gambler · Post by **Gambler** » 2003-09-25 09:04pm

Here in europe (maybe with exception of skandinavia) almost all houses are made of bricks. So you don't see ads like that here.
This reminds me of a children's story. Haven't you heard the story of the three pigs and the wolf? The one where every pig builds his house of a different material. Well in the end the only house that is strong enough to withstand the wolfs blow is the one build with bricks. There you have your proof, brick houses are better. You never know when a wolf will come and blow your house away

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-09-25 09:07pm

I've seen houses with one or two sides that would be brick, usually the front, while the others would be something else. From what I'm guessing, most people go for the brick look because it looks good, rather than durability. I wonder when the brick industry will start making ads saying that vandals prefer bricks to throw into a window.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-25 09:10pm

There is also a commercial...(Taking a bit of license here....)
"This 100 year old brick home is as beautiful today as it was when it was built. Now, Brick is not maintenance-free, it WILL need some work. In 75 or a hundred years.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2003-09-25 09:25pm

Chardok wrote:There is also a commercial...(Taking a bit of license here....)
"This 100 year old brick home is as beautiful today as it was when it was built. Now, Brick is not maintenance-free, it WILL need some work. In 75 or a hundred years.

"But, if your brick home looks like shit already, well, you're out of luck.

We've also got bricks in any color you want, so long as it's red."

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-09-25 09:29pm

Freemasons kept putting curses on the houses, so people stopped buying brick

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-09-25 10:32pm

Freemasons aren't real masons. And brick is prettier.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-09-25 10:58pm

Brick isn't the best material to build a house out of if you're living in some sunny area... Not very well ventilated either.

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2003-09-25 10:59pm

brick homes are still popular here in Texas, this is the first I have heard of this....

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-25 11:04pm

HemlockGrey wrote:I've been seeing ads lately for the Brick Industry, saying 'Real Homes Are Made of Brick'...is the brick industry in trouble? Are they failing? Are brick sales down? Why is the brick industry putting out ads?

Probably because the market's gotten soft for them. Brick is expensive both to buy and to put up. Masons with the experience to do it right are pretty expensive. With cost being a prime factor the market has naturally taken a hit.

It's not any more or less popular. People just can't afford it right now.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-09-25 11:05pm

Damn near everything in my area is brick, then again the houses are at least 30 years old or so. Strangely enough my home is built of reinforced concrete & brick for some reason, which means it can't burn down but it makes putting holes through the walls for vents & pipes next to impossible.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-09-25 11:14pm

aerius wrote:Damn near everything in my area is brick, then again the houses are at least 30 years old or so. Strangely enough my home is built of reinforced concrete & brick for some reason, which means it can't burn down but it makes putting holes through the walls for vents & pipes next to impossible.

Ah, why do you think railguns were invented?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-09-25 11:19pm

Brick houses are better. They look better and they're more solid. Yes, they're becoming more rare, but so are cars with perimeter frames. It's just a matter of economics.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-25 11:42pm

Darth Wong wrote:Brick houses are better. They look better and they're more solid. Yes, they're becoming more rare, but so are cars with perimeter frames. It's just a matter of economics.

I think it's got to be a regional thing. At least here in Michigan almost all nice homes have some brick element if not being entirely brick.

beyond hope · Post by **beyond hope** » 2003-09-25 11:47pm

It's all those walls of ignorance people keep building... they're using up the brick supply.

On a serious note, would climate make any difference in the decision to use brick?

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-09-26 12:12am

Darth Wong wrote:Brick houses are better. They look better and they're more solid. Yes, they're becoming more rare, but so are cars with perimeter frames. It's just a matter of economics.

Easier to defend a house made out of a 3 foot thick wall of brick from the black helicopters, too.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-26 12:24am

beyond hope wrote:It's all those walls of ignorance people keep building... they're using up the brick supply.

On a serious note, would climate make any difference in the decision to use brick?

Some what. It obviously isn't as smart a choice in hot climate as in a cool one.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Is the brick industry in trouble?

Is the brick industry in trouble?

Re: Is the brick industry in trouble?