Masonry Magazine March 2004 Page. 47
The color stains that are applied to concrete brick have come a long way in the last 10-15 years, and are much less prone to fading.
Simon Bates, Hanson Brick
Material Differences
THE MATERIAL DIFFERENCES between clay and concrete brick are as varying as the colors, shapes and sizes that are offered. Here are two of the differences that Acme Brick and Hanson Brick discussed.
Colors & Textures
WHILE BOTH OPTIONS come in a wide variety of colors, there are advantages of one over the other. Both parties agree that, while concrete brick is able to achieve many more of the lighter, pastel colors, clay brick is more capable of reaching the deeper reds and browns.
"Concrete brick is produced in some unique colors that can be used as an architectural accent to clay brick," says Simon Bates, Commercial President of Hanson Brick. "Clay brick also has a beautiful range of colors - especially old world heritage colors - that can't be found in a concrete product."
"Colorwise, you can't get the deep reds and deep browns with concrete brick, says Bill Seidel, Vice President of Marketing for Acme Brick Company. "And texture, too. You can put some beautiful texture on a clay brick because it's so pliable. You just can't get that texture on concrete brick. It's just a totally different product."
While concrete brick comes in a variety of colors not available in the clay variety, there's the age old question about concrete's color longevity.
"We really aren't aware of any pigment that's added to concrete that won't fade over time," explains Seidel. "We're in that business, so we know that. "With the clay product, the color is throughout the unit," he adds.
Bates feels that times and technologies have changed enough to dispel the idea that concrete can't hold its color.
"The color stains that are applied to concrete brick have come a long way in the last 10-15 years, and are much less prone to fading," states Bates. "At Hanson Brick, we're so confident in the color of our products - both clay and concrete - that we offer our Century Plus Warranty on both lines."
Shrinkage
"A BIG STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCE is that concrete products may shrink," says Seidel. "If the concrete products are shipped shortly after they are manufactured, they may shrink in the wall and you'll have a greater chance of water penetration. It's difficult for a builder or consumer to determine how long ago the brick were manufactured."
While this may be the case when concrete brick is immediately shipped after production, Hanson Brick and
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