Brick

Like wood, brick attracts home buyers for its aesthetic, low maintenance, and resale value.

Clay brick, which makes up 90% to 95% of the market, says Shelley Ross, director of marketing at Boral Bricks, combines the natural materials of clay, shale, and water. Raw material extraction, manufacturing, and distribution are commonly very local. In most cases, she says, the clay is mined within a mile or two of the brick plant and then sold locally, an important consideration because the material is heavy in transport.

Brick is fired at 2,000 degrees F for several days, equating to high embodied energy in manufacture. Still, manufacturers argue that brick’s long life—with expectancies of 100 to 200 years or more—makes up for the energy used in manufacturing. It’s also durable, impervious to rot and mold, and requires no painting or staining and little maintenance.

And new options are emerging. CalStar, for example, offers bricks in which fly ash, water, and sand are vibro-compacted and then cured at lower temperatures and for less time than traditional brick.

Upon teardown, bricks typically can be re-sold and re-used. They also can be ground up for road base or landscaping, or used as clean fill.

Manufactured Stone

Made with ground concrete aggregate and water, manufactured stone is a lightweight, lower-cost alternative to natural stone. The products also are durable, offering warranties similar to that of fiber cement.

Like other cement-based products, manufactured stone does have higher embodied energy in production.

Some manufacturers are incorporating recycled content and earning third-party certifications. Cultured Stone, for example, is Greenguard certified and has minimum recycled content of 35%.

At end of life, manufactured stone can be ground up for roadways and sidewalks.