Different types of Bricks and their prices in 2024

Bricks, one of the crucial components of the construction world, date back to 7,000 BC. They are also among the oldest known building materials used for advanced construction. Bricks bring better shapes, sturdiness, durability, and sound foundation for houses. Here's everything you need to know about different brick types and the average cost in 2024.

Types of bricks

Sun-dried bricks

These are unburnt bricks made of clay. They are moulded and left under the sun to dry.

Burnt clay bricks

Burnt clay bricks are made of clay and put into the kiln for burning. They are used for building walls, foundations, and columns, among others. There are four different types of burnt clay bricks:

• First class: Quality with excellent edges
• Second class: Ground moulded and a bit irregular in shape
• Third class: Rough-edged and ground moulded, used for temporary construction
• Fourth class: Over-burnt and highly irregular, dark in colour with no water resistance feature

Fly ash bricks

Also called self-cementing brick, these bricks contain Class F or Class C fly ash as a part of the formula. Fly ash is collected from the furnaces of industries where coal is burned. This ash has passed through 1,000 degrees Celsius heat and contains calcium oxide.

Concrete bricks

These bricks are made using solid concrete. The concrete is prepared using sand, coarse aggregates, water, and cement. The shape and size can be tailored according to specific requirements.

Engineering bricks

This type of brick offers high compressive strength. They are used for construction where low porosity, frost resistance, acid resistance, and strength are mandatory. Such bricks are generally applied for creating the basements of buildings.

Calcium silicate bricks

Also called sand lime bricks, they are made by mixing fly ash, lime, and sand. It is used for masonry and ornamental works in different construction projects.

Eco bricks

Porotherm hollow bricks are suitable walling solutions. They offer significant thermal insulation and make walls stronger. The perforations in them can be either horizontal or vertical.

Firebricks

Firebricks are made of fireclay containing silica and alumina, which can help the brick temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees. Additionally, the contents of the brick can hold up to rapid temperature changes and make it difficult to crack or break. These bricks are ideally used in chimneys, fireplaces and fire pits.

Cost of different types of bricks in India

Here is a list of the cost of bricks based on the average price range:

Types of bricks based on quality

First class bricks

Compared to other classes, first class bricks are of good quality. They are shaped by table-moulding and fired in large kilns. Thus, these bricks are standard in shape, have sharp edges, and have smooth surfaces. Their durability and strength are greater. They can be used to build permanent structures. Their good properties, however, make them more expensive than other classes.

Second class bricks

Bricks of the second class are of moderate quality and are molded using the ground-molding process. The bricks are burned in kilns. Nevertheless, they lack smooth surfaces and sharp edges due to ground moulding.  These bricks provide the best results in terms of strength and durability. However, the brick structures require smooth plastering.

Third class bricks

Third class brick is a low-quality brick that is used generally for temporary structures like unburnt bricks. It is not recommended for rainy areas. This type of brick is ground-moulded and burnt in clamps. These bricks have rough surfaces and unfair edges.

Fourth class bricks

Bricks of the fourth class are extremely poor quality and do not serve as bricks in a structure. Rather, concrete is manufactured by crushing these bricks and using them as aggregate. They are obtained by overheating which makes them brittle and unsuitable for construction.

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Types of bricks based on raw materials

Acidic bricks

It is a form of masonry brick that is chemically resistant and thermally durable. It is made from high silica shale and fired at higher temperatures than conventional bricks. Acidic bricks are sometimes baked for over a week by some manufacturers.  

Basic bricks

Magnesite bricks or basic bricks are among the most commonly used refractory bricks. They are made from non-fired basic refractory materials. Moreover, they are corrosion-resistant and thermal shock-resistant.

Neutral bricks

When separating acid and basic linings in furnaces, neutral bricks or neutral refractory bricks are the perfect material. These bricks are composed of spinal bricks, forsterite bricks, chromite bricks, and carborundum bricks. There is also a high percentage of chrome and magnesite in neutral refractory bricks.

Ganister bricks

Ganister bricks are acidic bricks made from a siliceous variety of ganister rock. This rock containing 85 percent of silica and 10 percent clay with an addition of two percent of lime is very hard, compact and rigid at a high temperature of 2,100 degree Celsius.

Glazed bricks

Glazed bricks are clay masonry units with ceramic coatings fused to their exterior surfaces. The bricks are both attractive and durable, making them suitable for both exterior and interior use.

Bricks categorisation according to shape

Bricks are also categorised based on their shapes. These shapes help bricks to be used in a specific construction type. Here are some of the common brick shapes for construction you may find in the market:

Brick veneers

Brick veneer is a type of brick that is often used in the surroundings of windows and doors. These bricks are often used for surface cladding.

Airbricks

Airbricks have holes in the middle that help fresh air flow beneath the surface. These bricks are also used to reduce the suspended floors' weight and cavity walls.

Perforated bricks

Perforated bricks contain cylindrical holes and are light in weight. Additionally, these bricks require much less clay than other brick types for construction. These bricks come in various sizes and shapes and are most commonly used in constructing panels and lightweight structures.

Bullnose bricks

Bullnose bricks are the brick types that have rounded edges. These bricks are used for both aesthetics and protection. The most common use of these bricks is on the outer wall, where the edge is required to be smooth and not pointed. Additionally, these bricks are used around the doorway opening.

Paving bricks

Paving bricks are made with a fair amount of iron in their contents. These bricks are widely used in park floors, pavement construction and outdoor entrances. The high amount of iron in these bricks makes the floor less slippery and can withstand harsh traffic conditions and abrasive action.

Capping bricks

Capping bricks, also known as coping bricks, are installed at the outer layer of the roof to protect the walls from rainwaters. Additionally, these bricks are also used for better aesthetics.

Hollow bricks

Hollow bricks, often known as cavity or cellular bricks, are one of the lightest brick types used in construction. These bricks are widely used for partition walls built for minimum load bearing.

Identification of bricks quality at construction site

A good structure is built by observing the quality of the materials. We will discuss how to identify good bricks at construction sites here:

• Bricks should be bright and uniform in color
• It is important that they are well burned and have smooth surfaces and sharp edges
• Bricks should have low thermal conductivity and should be soundproof
• When placed in water, they shouldn't absorb more than 20 percent by weight
• A ringing sound should be produced when two bricks are struck together
• A uniform and homogeneous brick structure is ideal
• It is expected that the bricks will not break when dropped from a height of 1 meter
• A fingernail scratch should not leave a mark on the brick
• After soaking brick in water for 24 hours, there should be no white deposits

Properties of bricks

Here are some properties of bricks that illustrate their importance in construction:

• Hardness
• Compressive strength
• Absorption

Hardness of bricks

Bricks of good quality will be resistant to abrasion. Known as hardness, this property gives bricks a permanent nature. This property prevents bricks from being damaged by scraping.

Compressive strength of bricks

A brick's compressive strength or crushing strength signifies the amount of load it can carry per unit area. In accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), bricks should have a minimum compressive strength of 3.5 N/mm sq.

Absorption of Bricks

In general, bricks absorb water, but they have limits. Below is a table of the absorption limit percentage by weight for different classes of bricks:

Uses of different types of bricks

The construction industry uses bricks for a variety of purposes, including the following:

• Buildings, tunnels, pitching works, etc., are constructed with first and second class bricks
• For temporary structures, third class and unburnt bricks are used
• For making concrete fourth grade bricks are used as aggregate
• Bricks are also used architecturally to enhance the structure

Tips to select the right bricks for construction

Different types of bricks are used in different areas of construction. Hence, it is wise to know the type of brick will be used for a better understanding. Here are the tips to select the right bricks for your home construction as per:

Environment conditions

It is wise to select the bricks based on the environmental conditions of the construction sites to support the required water and thermal resistance.

Aesthetics

In recent years, the types of bricks have increased drastically to meet the needs. As a result, to bring better aesthetics, a range of bricks are available. You can consider using the bricks as per your interior and decoration requirements.

Budget and local availability

One should consider using bricks that meet the budget requirements and are readily available to reduce transportation costs.

Choosing the right type of brick is key to building a durable, efficient, and long-lasting structure that exceeds expectations.