What are the different types and uses of bricks available? In Canada, we often see bricks everywhere – on and inside houses and buildings, patios, in gardens, and more. Though you may be familiar with bricks, how much do you really know about them? In this article we’ll take a look at some of the most common types of bricks and outline # awesome uses for bricks – some you may have never thought of before! To learn more about bricks and masonry projects for your home, contact the experts at Royal Masonry now!

Common Types Of Bricks

Not sure what type of brick your house was made of, or what type of brick you should choose for your next home renovation or masonry project? These five common types of bricks will most likely be the types you will have to choose from.

Common Burnt Clay Bricks

Common burnt clay bricks are an extremely popular choice and have been used in construction for a very long time.

They are often used for building homes – it’s likely that you have lived in or seen a house that was built using common burnt clay bricks.

These bricks are made by pressing clay and other materials in a mould – so all of your bricks will look the same. They are red-brown in colour unless painted.

Sand-Lime Bricks

Sand-lime bricks are made out of sand, water, and lime without anything else added. Sand-lime bricks provide good acoustic insulation and are highly fire resistant.

Because sand-lime bricks are are so strong, they are often used when building load-bearing walls.

Like common burnt clay bricks, they are also moulded. Unlike burnt clay bricks, sand-lime bricks are white-grey in colour.

Engineering Bricks

Engineering bricks actually include multiple types of bricks that have been formed using extremely high temperatures.

Engineering bricks were typically used for civil engineering projects, however, they are gaining in popularity and now may be used for more expansive building projects (source).

This manufacturing process allows the bricks to be stronger and limits water absorption (source). Depending on the type of engineering brick, some are red in colour (similar to burnt clay) and others are blue.

Concrete Bricks

Concrete bricks (sometimes called ‘cinder blocks’) are very common and often used when building homes, especially for load-bearing walls, or fences or barriers (such as sound walls).

Concrete bricks often have a hallow centre, which improves insulation and reduces weight. Concrete bricks are versatile and used in many different types of construction projects, including home and commercial building. They are especially popular when building retaining walls.

Concrete bricks are usually grey in colour but can be manufactured to have different colourations and pigments.

Fly Ash Clay Bricks

Fly ash clay bricks are made from combining fly ash with water, clay, or other various elements.

Fly ash is tiny particles of burned fuel, and is a byproduct made “from burning pulverized coal in electric power generating plants” (source).

Fly ash clay bricks are lighter yet stronger than regular clay bricks. They are often used to help keep fire insulate buildings and offer a wide variety of other benefits.

Manufacturing bricks with fly ash is a great way to create environmental sustainability, as fly ash can cause serious problems to the atmosphere and create land fertility issues when dumped instead of recycled. Fly ash clay bricks are usually grey in colour.