Brick Veneer Insulation, Firebox Masonry Stoves and Growing Sassafras Trees

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Brick veneer will likely not increase your home's energy efficiency. We have the scoop on better options.
Brick veneer will likely not increase your home's energy efficiency. We have the scoop on better options.
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Try this technique if applying brick to your home.
Try this technique if applying brick to your home.

Is brick veneer considered appropriate for super-insulated houses? I’d like to brick my home, but I don’t want to decrease the energy efficiency of my dwelling.

Brick veneer adds significantly to the construction cost of a house but does little to increase (or decrease) the structure’s energy efficiency. In most cases, adding a brick wrap can be justified only by the resulting look. If you intend simply to cover the structure as it stands, using a whole-brick veneer, the drawing in the Image Gallery illustrates one technique that’s commonly used for ranch and split-level homes.

On the other hand, you might want to consider a product such as the exterior wall system put out by Pan-Brick, Inc. The Pan-Brick panels combine plywood sheathing, closed-cell polyurethane insulation, and a veneer of kiln-fired clay brick slices in one easy-to-install building component. In addition, the prefab panels boast an R value of 8.7 (compared with the R-1.2 of regular brick veneer) and are said to cost 20 percent less than a tier of full-dimension brick. Such a product can be especially attractive for retrofit applications in which a whole-brick wall isn’t necessary. If your local lumberyard isn’t familiar with this system, contact the folks at Pan-Brick, and they’ll put you in touch with the nearest distributor.

— Michael Scott

A Masonry Stove Insert

  • Published on Jul 1, 1984
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