Open Your Eyes to the Possibilities of Brick and Stone

by Matt Goering

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Regardless of the nature of your home improvement project, it's pretty likely that brick and stone, in one form or another, should be a part of it. From decorative veneers to structural walls, brick and stone offers homeowners an almost limitless number of choices when it comes to making improvements to their residence. Talk to a stone mason, bricklayer, or general contractor about what it's going to take to get any brick and stone projects you have in mind up and running.

Materials That Last a Lifetime
By far the biggest draw to brick and stone as home improvement materials is their longevity. Stone takes the cake, of course, since it's already been around for a few million years and figures to be around for a few million more. But brick is no slouch, either. The current boom in the antique and recycled brick industry is a testament to the longevity of brick as a building material. Either way you know you're getting a building material that is going to last you a lifetime.

Uses for Brick
Brick has been around as long as people have been building houses, and it's a wonderful material for use all around your property. Here's some popular uses of brick to get you thinking about the possibilities available to you.

  • Brick pavers make for wonderful patios, driveways, and walkways. You can purchase new, interlocking pavers, or you might choose to use recycled, antique brick street pavers instead. As municipalities tear up old brick streets and roads for maintenance reasons, an entire industry has built up around recycling them and selling them to homeowners who enjoy their classic look and down-home feel.

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  • Brick siding is one of the best siding materials you'll ever find. It's nearly indestructible in the face of hail, high winds, and other damaging weather events. Furthermore, it naturally insulates your home and it looks great. Add to that the fact that it's basically maintenance free, and you can see why brick siding has remained one of the most popular choices for homeowners for years on end.

  • Recycled brick is fast becoming a popular choice for building patios, brick walls, walkways, and arches. Because bricks made at the turn of the 19th century, and before, were often made by hand, they have a texture and variation in color that new brick simply can't match.

    and as For Stone . . .
    Where brick gives you a more refined look, stone brings with it a rustic, natural feel. Here's some popular uses of stone that you can use as a springboard for designing your own stone projects.

  • Stone landscaping is one of the more popular uses of stone by today's homeowners. Boulders, river rock, rock gardens, rock walls, and stone lined ponds and waterfalls, are all beautiful examples of stone being used to enhance your overall landscape design.

  • Stone patios, walkways, and pool decks are guaranteed to turn heads every time. Whether you're looking for a flagstone patio, slate pool deck, or just want some stepping stone paths through the garden, the natural tones and timeless durability of stone make it perfect for a number of outdoor uses.

  • Stone veneer siding is making a splash as a decorative home siding material. It's actually made out of pre-cast concrete, but once you get it up nobody will be able to tell the difference. It will look like you hired out stone masons for years of backbreaking labor to get the final product.

    Talk to the Pros
    Working with brick and stone is hard, grueling work. It takes a strong back, a good set of muscles, and a surprising amount of skill to get it laid down right. For all these reasons, it's probably a good idea to talk to a contractor who specializes in stone or brick if you're interested in adding the timelessness and beauty of brick and stone to your home.

    Matt Goering, formerly a carpenter and house painter, is a freelance writer for the home improvement industry who has published over 600 articles.
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