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To: SuperChief who wrote (49195)	4/25/2009 6:01:49 PM
From: Elroy Jetson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 218447

Building for insulation R-value increases costs considerably over using cheap hollow brick construction. Brick by itself has a negligible r-value of 0.80 which is similar to a single sheet of plywood, 5/8' is 0.77 and 3/4" is 0.94. The familiar hollow gray 12" concrete block is slightly better at 1.28. So a single brick wall home is far less well insulated than a standard wood home without any insulation at all. Needless to say, this does not meet current building codes in most parts of the United States. By contrast a single inch of foil-faced polyisocyanurate has an r-value of 7.20 so some form of modern insulation is required. Foam filled bricks or pre-cast panels, shown below, still have insufficient r-value by themselves. As a result there are two ways to build insulation into a brick home. A less expensive brick construction method uses an exterior brick wall with an interior structure of steel or wood unattached to the inner brick wall, with the air-space filled with insulating foam-core and finished with gypsum board. Essentially you're building a wood home inside a brick home. Even though this is a solid brick exterior wall, it is called a veneer due to the construction method. Those desiring a custom home with a brick finish on the interior must laminate brick veneer on the interior or go to the expense of building an interior brick wall. The double brick wall method with a several inch air-space in between is the traditional construction method for hot climates. The resulting wall is at least one foot thick. Needless to say, this can nearly double the construction cost. Today, even this method requires interior insulation to meet code for insulation standards. If earthquake codes must be met, the home is built of wood with brick facing. If real brick must be used, the home is built of steel girders with metal or wood supports to which the brick wall is laminated as it is built. .