ᐅ Choosing Facing Bricks – Which Ones Are Cost-Effective?

Hello, we are planning to build. The building permit / planning permission has been submitted. Now we need to choose the materials. We would like a smooth red facing brick and an anthracite-colored roof. The windows should not be white (concerned about insect dirt that cannot be removed and might get baked in). Which window color would you choose? What should we pay attention to when selecting the facing bricks? Which are the most affordable but still good quality options?

Heidi1965 schrieb:

Building permit application has been submitted.

What is the wall construction? Are you using full facing bricks or brick slips? What format does the building permit specify?

Heidi1965 schrieb:

We want a smooth red facing brick and a dark gray (anthracite) roof.

Does the development plan support this design?

Heidi1965 schrieb:

The windows should not be white (worried about fly dirt that won’t come off and burns in). Which window color would you choose?

I’m notoriously bad at cleaning windows and have white plastic windows of average DIY store quality that are at least 15 years old. I’ve never noticed this issue, neither on the sunny nor on the weather-exposed side. Except for Gealan, plastic windows are usually foil-coated if they are not white, so with white windows, you’re basically dealing with the original surface.

Heidi1965 schrieb:

What should you watch out for with facing bricks? Which are the cheapest but still good quality?

Even economy-facing bricks are wasted if they are laid by unskilled helpers and pointed by “floor screed Ahmeds.” That means the overall high-quality look can be easily ruined. Also, red and smooth does not guarantee that the surface color matches the core color, and coatings may flake off quickly.

My general wall-building mantra applies here too: don’t let the supplier use anything they are working with for the first time.

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There are no requirements regarding the appearance of the masonry. The neighbor on the left has white plaster, while the neighbor on the right has yellow brick cladding.

The current house has white uPVC windows from the late 1970s or early 1980s. Since it is a rural area with many insects, fly and spider debris have become especially ingrained over the years on the sunny side. Perhaps this will not happen with new windows.

The construction will be carried out by a local building company; I assume they have qualified staff.

I think it’s all a matter of personal taste and also depends on the type of house (rustic country house or modern).
Especially with brick veneer, it’s important to look at the actual surface of the brick, and the appearance of the mortar joints can also have a significant impact.
By the time you reach the house planning stage, you’ve usually already selected quite a few ideas on Pinterest and similar sites, and maybe even visited some houses in person...
And if I remember correctly, the window color usually has to be submitted with the building permit / planning permission application. But if everything is allowed in your case... I’d probably go for light gray or black.

Red smooth bricks are available from all manufacturers and are inexpensive. For the windows, choose a light gray or boldly go for royal blue.