Why This Secondhand Building Material Is About More Than Saving Money

Are you looking for some unique building materials for your new project? Whether you want to build an extension, a garage, or you want to add a patio or a paved path, using secondhand or recycled building materials is a good option for a variety of reasons. While some secondhand materials may cost more than new ones, their use is about so much more than merely their price. For example, reclaimed bricks are more expensive than new ones due to the work involved in preparing them for reuse, such as cleaning and removing old mortar.

However, there are plenty of good reasons as to why you may want to spend a little extra to get a building material that has a history. For starters, reclaimed bricks have a lovely aged appearance that you won't see in new ones. This adds a bit more charm and character to your building project. Of course, you'll also be saving those lovely old bricks from ending up as rubble in landfills, like all that other construction waste. That's why reclaimed bricks are the eco-friendly alternative to give your driveway or other house projects a historic touch. Add to that another environmental benefit — the reduction of raw materials needed to manufacture new bricks, plus the energy savings that would have been spent on their production and transport. This essentially means that by using reclaimed bricks, you may be significantly reducing the carbon footprint of your building project.

Depending on the age of the reclaimed bricks, they're likely to have been made using high-quality clay. In fact, you'll find that buildings made from bricks in the 1700s, like the Independence Hall in Philadelphia (1753), are still standing today. This leads to the fact that reclaimed bricks have also withstood the rigors of demolition without being significantly damaged. With this knowledge, you can rest assured that the bricks themselves are strong and durable and will likely withstand whatever conditions they're exposed to.

You'll also find that reclaimed bricks require very little maintenance because they've already spent a lot of time undergoing the weathering process, making them tough and not easily degraded. Plus, thanks to their dense construction, they can also have better thermal qualities than brand-new materials. 

If you can find out where the reclaimed bricks come from, you may be able to trace their history — this could be reason enough to preserve them, along with their story. By preserving the historical elements of these building materials, you're taking part in the conservation of an area's heritage for generations that follow. If you do want to save a bit of money though, you may want to learn how to easily clean and remove mortar, so you can reuse old bricks you may find locally.