render vs brick (new build)

gazzabboi

I am buying a new build, on the sam development they have the same house design in both render and brick. Anyway, I chose the render because I like the look of it. I have visited the building site and it looks like they are building them differently. The brick builds are using bricks for the exterior layer, and my render house appears that they are building the outside layer from blocks. I'm thinking that this must affect the insulation properties or something. When I first reserved it, I assumed they would just build the house the same, then finish it with render. Appears not. Maybe its just easier to render blocks.
The builder says they will be using a flexible coloured render so it won't crack.

Can anybody explain any advantages/disadvantages of both methods?

Cheers

Seabee42

I am no expert but having just had a damp survey on a house with rendering one of the problems with render that this highlighted is that if the render does not have a bridge over the damp course it acts as a bridge and invalidates the damp course.

So my assumption is it would be to do with that element.

princeofpounds

It's much cheaper and quicker to build with blocks. If it's going to be covered with render, you aren't going to know (unless you visit in the middle of construction!)

ian103

After a bad experience with a new house and render panels - never again. Todays builders can make a hash of brickwork but they clearly didn't (built 2000) understand movement and how to minimise cracks. Had a major fall out with the builder when they suggested they were going to use exterior polyfiller to cover the cracks.

SailorSam

If you were there a long time you may have to paint the render to brighten it up, so bare in mind how big a job that could be.
I'm decorating out in my porch at the moment and one of things that need doing is the render there's a few big cracks in it. That has been done 20yrs though so it does last.

sirmosh

Around here most developers appear to build the affordable housing in their developments with breeze blocks with rendering or weather boarding over the top and the privately owned houses in brick. For that reason I'd be massively put off although obviously that varies by developer and area.

Davesnave

It's not an inferior building method, but it's easy for weather and incompetence to conspire to make render less robust and likely to crack. The cracks also show more than any which may form in brickwork.

Around here, coloured render is the vernacular style and brick isn't, so many builders bear that in mind. It has little to do with whether the houses are 'affordable,' or not.

Missme

Bricks and brickwork are expensive compared to block and render. Bricks are generally intended to provide a weatherproof finish, blocks are not, hence the rendering.

Some blocks have a better/comparable U value to cavity construction and with (man, I cannot think of the right word!!!!) plasterboard creating a cavity, there's no need for the double skin structural construction.

The developer should be able to provide energy performance details for both types of construction

gazzabboi

I doubt the costs are much difference, the houses are priced the same. Its all a private development, so that makes no odds. Its a coloured render. There's defo 2 skins of blocks they are using (durox.). Only difference I can see is that in 20 years time the render may need re doing, or the bricks re pointing.

Missme

Labour alone is more costly for brick work without considering production costs. But who cares. Most blocks are not intended to provide a finished exterior - and they are generally not laid to look 'pretty' either.

There is little point in rendering brick unless it's old and failing or the customer has money to burn.

If "Only difference I can see is that in 20 years time the render may need re doing, or the bricks re pointing" is your only issue..you don't have an issue really do you?

I_have_spoken

Here in Scotland, the weather is so bad that bricks won't last. Roughcast cement render is needed.