San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-07
NEW WAYS TO USE
BRICK INCREASING
.1. ITS POPULARITY
Common Brick Dealers Pre-.
dict Increased Ac-
tiuity for 1924.


the use of common brick. Common
brick is the low-priced local-made
brick, TO be found in almost every
part of the United States. Common
brick docs not necessarily mean
common product. 1t is the natural
brick produced by burning convenient
ly-shaped units of clay. These bricks
take on in the burning variety of
color and texture. which produces
beautiful effects in the wall, and it
is the discovery by leading architects
of new and unusual ways to use this
brick that has brought the material
into prominence that it never before
has enjoyed.
The adoption Of common brick
seems to have occurred almost stimuli
taneously in several parts of the
country. For a long time the archi-
tects in New England have produced
some of their most worthy creations
by the use of their own local-made
common brick, but more recently in
Chicago and Los Angeles particularly
have the architects picked up this
commodity and injected their art into
it with results that are remarkable.
The movement is Spreading. In
nearly every active building center in
America today will be found fine,
pretentious homes employing this IA
tive material.
The development is particularly
marked in the North Shore suburbs
of Chicago where today there are
actually scores of houses under con-
struction, designed and supervised by
leading architects and being built
for discriminating and well-to-do own
ers, where Chicago common brick is
the only material used in the walls.
BY staggering of the brick, by unusual
patterns, and with uncut mortar
joints, are marvellous effects produced.
These examples of architecture stand
out strongly in these beautiful wood
ed communities north of Chicago and
are attracting much favorable atten-
ton. Architects long have held that
any native material, properly studied
and handled. suitable for their
building needs. A remarkable rise
in the prestige Of common brick is a
striking proof of the truth Of their
contention. Thus, by putting com
mon brick in the beauty class and
adding this feature to its well-known
advantages of strength. fireproofness
and almost everlasting durability,
brick becomes n stronger competitor
of the less enduring materials than
it ever has been before. Any com.
petent mason contractor will verify
thissstatement that house built with
common brick walls will cost little
| If any, more than the same hous,
built with combustible materials.
In this new use of common bricl
may be found the reason for the ia
vorable report which comes from
nearly all parts of the country o.
the past 80 days performance in tn,
industry. While the trend which be
came apparent in midsummer, slack
ing off from the high peak of produc
ton and consumption of the first hal
of the year, still continues, yet larg,
volume of brick is being produce,
and sold. There has been slight
decrease in the orders on the books
during the past 30 days. with a cor
responding increase of stocks on
hand, since there has been practical
ly no Stacking of production. Thu
brick manufacturers, especially in I'll,
northern half of the country, are no
adverse to stocking some brick n
this time Of the year. The manufac
turers apparently are moved by Oh,
belief that 1924 will be another bis
building year. They are going to b,
prepared at the beginning of the next
season to take care of large volum,
of business.