Bricks, the quintessential material required for any construction have been here since centuries. They are the most used material and yet most often ignored. People give little attention on what type of brick could be used in building a house. Worst still, many are not even aware of different kinds of bricks available in the market live alone the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

There are various types of bricks such as Common Burnt Clay Bricks, Sand Lime Bricks (Calcium Silicate Bricks), Concrete Bricks, Fly ash Clay Bricks, Fire Clay Bricks and the Hollow Brick, the latest technology in bricks segment.

Porotherm HP (Horizontally Perforated) bricks are 60% less weighted than concrete solid block. There are even more advanced hollow bricks packed with special insulating material (Rock wool) called Porotherm Thermo Brick. The bricks have been manufactured by an Austrian-based multinational brand Wienerberger, considered to be the World’s  biggest brick manufacturer with over 215 production units across 30 countries, including India.

Studies show that hollow bricks or blocks have greater advantages than the solid bricks. Both clay hollow bricks and concrete hollow bricks have enough proven benefits but the former having much more than the later.

Why have hollow bricks?

Hollow bricks can be used to build load bearing as well as non-load bearing walls depending upon the compressive strengths of the material used. Some of the reasons to use hollow bricks are-

1. Green living- Hollow bricks are eco-friendly since they are manufactured by using recycled/waste material/natural substitutes like coal ash, rice husk, granite slurry, fly ash, etc.
2. Energy conservation- Hollow bricks can reduce the use of cooling and heating devices as per the seasonal requirements due to their thermal insulation property. This reduces the energy consumption thus saving the resources and your pockets.
3. Thermal and sound insulation- The air present in the hollow area of these bricks make them thermal insulators. They keep the interiors cool in summer and warm in winter especially the ‘clay hollow bricks’. They also provide more sound insulation as compared to solid bricks.
4. Better usage and strength- Hollow bricks display good compressive strength making them suitable to install heavy wall compartments, cabinets, geysers, etc. The presence of hollow space makes it easier to pass the electrical and plumbing fixtures as compared to solid bricks where you need to chisel adding to the labor, damage and cost.
5. Cost-effective and low maintenance- Hollow bricks are much lighter compared to solid bricks. This brings down the overall structural cost. Masons are able to work faster and thereby cutting man-hours further reducing labor costs. Low maintenance costs due to little or no efflorescence on the surface of hollow bricks as against solid ones. Using hollow bricks also cuts on cost by reducing number of joints to be filled. That means less mortar is required since the hollow bricks are larger in size. And as mentioned before, the thermal insulation aspect helps to keep indoor natural cool all year down bringing down your energy costs substantially throughout the lifespan of the building.

Hollow bricks add to the architectural aesthetics and gives a better view as compared to solid bricks. They are also fire resistant and hence are much safer.

With your house constructed with hollow bricks you have the gift ready to pass on to generations. It’s a good idea to explore the options available and choose the one that offers long-lasting durability and at the same time prove to be cost-effective in the long run.

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Additional resource 1: 2 minutes video on ‘Things you should know about Porotherm Hollow Bricks’ 

Additional resource 2: A short video on ‘Using clay hollow bricks while constructing your house?’

Additional resource 2: To Know more about Porotherm VP Bricks Click Here

Authored by Building Experts from Wienerberger India

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