Double brick

For those of you not familiar with double brick properties, allow me to rave about their good qualities

* Solid and firm- these properties are not likely to have wall bending problems or suffer from noise carrying issues due to the thickness of the walls

*Insulation - warm in winter and cool in summer applies here. The more thermal mass the better

*Ability to add a second storey due to the strength capacity.

I've inspected quite a few of these beauties in my travels and really admire the 1950-1960's era of double brick homes built in Sydney; with the added benefit of high ceilings they really are well constructed homes.
What a pity so many of the recently built McMansion type houses lack the qualities of earlier eras.

 

I would love to disagree !!
Perth has a love affair with double brick and I have to say I feel its outdated technology.
Thermal mass is great in winter, but really bad in summer.
These houses heat up during the day, and then stay hot at night.
The air cavity between the double brick is not a good insulator of heat.

Adding a second storey will only be allowed if the foundation were originally designed to take the extra load, else you need to re engineer the foundations ( add to them)

I have spoken to a number of builders and asked the 'why is it so ??" question.
Why perservere with dbl brick, when there are other methods and materials that can be use ?
Answers have varied from, its cheaper, its accepted, cladded of framed houses are perceived as being cheap, etc.

I believe the better method would be to have the brick or block wall on the interior, the gap in the middle should be properly insulated ( for both noise and thermal) and the exterior should be clad with your choice of finish, but not something that is a heat sink.

Having said all that, the 50s' and 60s' house you describe are in a different category, and they certainly do not build them like they used to.

Kevin

 

Well they have a better chance in a cyclone

 

Double brick houses cheaper??????????? Cheaper than what?

They are expensive, as is the labour.

At least with double brick, if they are layed correctly with flashing, you should not have water issues unlike with concrete blocks.

Concrete blockwork has a higher tendancy to crack, which can look very bad particularly when rendered.

Double brick can be used for load bearing walls (that are not required to be concrete filled) like concrete blocks. I personally believe their insulation, particularly in warmer climates is excellent.

As any valuer what will value higher, weatherboard, brick vineer, concrete blocks or double brick.

Double brick will win every day.

Interested in other peoples thoughts re the subject.

Bundy

 

One thing though...regardless of the truth about its benefits....if its been built in Perth and isn't double brick, buyers think they're getting an inferior product. It seems that changing the culture of what is acceptable in Perth is taking forever.

 

I'd love to see more double brick houses over here in Brissie - they're pretty rare - the ol' brick veneer is the construction of choice post-Queensland era - beyond me why when the whiteants want to eat everything except the bricks ! Well, its not really beyond me, 'cos of course its because its a cheap way to build. We use treated timber frames but I'm still not convinced the termites wouldn't eat them if they were hungry enough !

Up around the northern beaches of Cairns in the older detached places the '13 blocks high' besser block and bagged/rendered houses seem to be popular - and they always seem quite cool. I reckon besser block is underrated for how useful it can be and still prettied up - and tough as guts for tenants