Protection From Natural Disasters
Fire, Storm and Wind Protection
Brick homes and buildings have been providing the best protection against the elements for hundreds of years, with many brick structures still standing tall today. Clay brick is the best way to keep your family, home, and belongings safe during natural disasters. Learn how brick provides superior protection against the elements.
Unbeatable Fire Protection!
Clay brick is made to take the heat. The primary ingredient in brick is clay, which is fired to around 2000°F during the manufacturing process, which is why brick is classified as a non-combustible material. It is free of volatile compounds and won't burn, melt, or combust. Even without the heat of a fire, vinyl siding has commonly melted, bubbled or curled from too much sun exposure or even reflections from windows! If the sun is melting your siding, you can bet it won't put up much of a fight during a fire.
Why Firefighters Choose Brick
Time is of the essence when it comes to a fire. Firefighters say clay brick provides an average of 1.5 hours of protection before a fire breaches your home, whereas vinyl and fiber cement siding won't withstand 30 minutes. Even brick veneer, or thin brick, provides an extra hour of protection both on the interior and exterior, which means less property damage and more lives saved.
Clay brick helps to slow down the spread of the fire, which allows firefighters at least twice as much time to do their job safely and to save your family, your home, and your possessions. There have been countless stories about fiber cement and vinyl homes going up in flames so fast that firefighters are put in danger. Check out this article written by retired fire chief, Gary Bowker, detailing a test that demonstrates the speed at which a fire can move from ground level up into the attic of homes.
Shelter From Severe Storms:
"The Three Little Pigs” were right: Brick provides superior shelter in ways other cladding materials can’t match in terms of durability, fire prevention, protection from wind-borne debris, and more. Clay brick is built to withstand the elements, whereas other building products - like fiber cement and vinyl - may talk a big game, but no material delivers like brick in so many different types of severe weather events.
There have been countless news stories of vinyl and fiber cement homes that are damaged by severe storms. Check out some of the news stories below to hear what happened to homes that weren't built with brick during natural disasters.
Protection From Wind-Blown Debris
The Wind Science and Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University showed that homes built with brick offer dramatically more protection from wind-blown debris than homes built with vinyl or fiber-cement siding. In fact, the tests found that homes made with brick exceed the 34 mph impact resistance requirement for high velocity hurricane zones in the Florida building code. Brick also exceeds Florida’s impact resistance requirements for essential facilities in hurricane areas. The other building products? Not even close!
Some say a picture is worth a thousand words. To demonstrate how durable brick is to withstand the elements compared to other building materials, BIA put together the following videos showing the strength and resilience of brick walls to serve as an example of how durable brick is to withstand flying debris during a storm.
Moisture Protection From Hurricanes And Flooding
According to a nationally renowned, independent, building-products research laboratory, brick veneer wall assemblies control moisture better than wall systems clad with other exterior materials. Therefore, brick veneer wall systems help minimize mold growth, wood rot and infestation by insects, and corrosion of fasteners embedded in wood better than other wall assemblies.