Homebuyers can choose a variety of colors and textures. Best of all, local builders say, brick requires little maintenance. On average, brick adds 4 to 7 percent to the price of a wood framed home with conventional wood siding, according to builders who regularly work with brick. But, they point out, when the added cost is spread out over the life of a mortgage and the cost of painting and maintenance for an all-wood structure is thrown in, the prices are nearly even. We had no maintenance costs.
Buyers have no questions when they buy a brick home.
On a wood-framed house with brick veneer, the added cost comes from the need to build walls four inches wider to hold the brick veneer and to widen the ledger for the brick to stand on. To withstand earthquakes, the brick is tied to the wall with nail strapping, and a rod is passed through the strapping to secure the brick. A one-inch air gap between the brick and wall, which is covered with waterproof paper, allows any rain that might get through to travel to the bottom of the wall and escape through weep holes drilled in the bottom of the brick. An all-brick home is reinforced with steel rebar running horizontally and vertically through the bricks. In addition, every brick core is filled with grouting to give it added strength.