Selecting Brick for Your Home
- Why does Yankee Hill sell brick from other suppliers?
- Does it matter if Yankee Hill does not make the brick I like?
- How does a builder's allowance work?
- Should I stay within my builder allowance?
- How many bricks do I need?
- Do you have matching solid brick?
- What color mortar should I use?
- What size brick should I pick?
- Will the brick I see in your showroom match what goes on my house?
- How can I get my brick shipped?
You can also have more questions answered by visiting the Brick Industry Association's FAQs page at http://www.bia.org/html/faqs2.html.
Why does Yankee Hill sell brick from other suppliers?
We purchase brick from others to supplement our manufactured color line and give our customers a wider range of colors from which to choose. We stock over fifty different brick, far more than our competitors. Because it is our policy to inventory the brick we show, you can count on prompt delivery of any of the brick you see in our showroom. The bottom line: You get a wider selection of in-stock brick from Yankee Hill.
Because of the breadth of our selection we cannot stock large quantities of every color. For some bricks where stock is limited, if you need more than 5,000 bricks please allow one week for delivery.
Does it matter if Yankee Hill does not make the brick I like? No. Yankee Hill is careful to sell only brick that meet the quality standards that apply to mid-west climate conditions. We purchase brick from reliable, trustworthy suppliers with our same standards. Therefore, you do not need to worry about where the brick were made. Select your brick based on the colors and textures that work best with your design and décor.
How does a builder's allowance work? Builders typically give their homebuyers allowances for the many options they have in selecting materials for their home. Brick are no exception. Normally, any amount exceeding the allowance is counted as an extra charge to the homebuyer.
Should I stay within my builder allowance? That depends on what you like and how particular you are. The price difference between various bricks is relatively small. For example: many of our bricks sell for $340 per thousand or $0.34 each. Some of our most expensive bricks cost $0.45 each. On a house with 1,000 brick that is a difference of only $110.
The bricks on your home are such an important part of its appearance and last for so long that you should carefully consider compromising. It is usually best to select the color and texture you like. The brick you select will be the most visually pleasing and long lasting element of your home's appearance. Our showroom professionals can help you make the right decision.
How many bricks do I need? In some cases, you may be buying bricks direct and need help with figuring out how many you need. As a rule of thumb, it takes seven modular-sized bricks to cover one square foot of wall area. One thousand modular bricks cover 143 square feet of wall.
Yankee Hill recommends you consult a masonry contractor if you need to figure exact quantities. We do not do "take-offs" from building plans. We will be happy to recommend a masonry contractor.
Do you have matching solid brick? Most brick have core holes that aid in the manufacturing process and improve bonding in the wall. When the mortar-bed side of brick will show such as in fireplace hearths, sills, wall-end caps, you will need a solid - a brick without the holes. It is important that the solids coordinate or match closely the cored brick. Because not all manufacturers choose to make coordinating solids, we have a recommended list of solids that can be used interchangeably with several colors. Consult our Solids Coordinating List to see which solids go with the cored brick you like.
What color mortar should I use? The mortar joints in a wall of brick occupy about 20% of the exposed area. So, mortar color is an important consideration. By far the most popular color of mortar is natural, easily 90%. However, when a particular look is important to you, colored mortar can help you achieve it. We have 26 mortar colors available and a handy mortar color sample kit to aid your selection.
Mortar color typically adds about $0.35 per square foot to the cost of a modular brick wall. Color is usually not included in the builder's allowance.
What size brick should I pick? The most popular size for home construction in and around Lincoln and Omaha is modular. Modular bricks are the norm. However, larger sized bricks are occasionally used. Our most popular "oversize" brick is called an engineer. It is 2-3/4 inches high instead of the traditional 2-1/4 inches and gives the wall a slightly blocky look. Our rustic looking Orleans Engineer is especially popular.
Will the brick I see in your showroom match what goes on my house? Our showroom samples are carefully selected to represent the range of color and quality you can expect. Since brick are made with naturally occurring clays and minerals, some variations are expected. The natural variation helps make brick look so good. No two are exactly alike and they create a pleasing blend of colors. You should expect minor variations from dye lot to dye lot.
Due to the limitations of artificial lighting and the small size of the display samples, we recommend you look at a home built with the same brick. We have an extensive database of homes and their brick and mortar color to help your selection. We call the database HomeTRAK. Ask our showroom person for a list of homes built with the brick you seek. Our HomeTRAK lists included hundreds of entries and are catalogued by street and zip code, making it easy to find a convenient example.
How can I get my brick shipped? Yankee Hill delivers brick. In the Lincoln and Omaha metro areas we have a three-zone delivery system. Inside zone 1 the brick price includes the shipping. In zones 2 and 3 there is a small additional charge from $6.00 to $8.00 per thousand. For orders smaller than 2,000 brick we charge an additional $25.00 for the stop. Within the three zones, we deliver by tomorrow any orders received by 10:00AM today.
Outside zone 3 the added delivery charge increases (for example: Seward is an additional $10.00 per thousand brick) and the stop charge increases to $50.00 per stop if your order is under 7,000 brick. We usually need 48 hours lead-time for delivery outside zone 3.
Ask our showroom people about the cost of delivery to your city.