brick veneer or hardiplank

[Anonymous]

Just would like to ask everyone's thoughts about brick veneer or hardiplank.

I am buying a new home from builder. They offer 4 sides brick for additional $15,000. The one I pick was brick front plus brick all around the first floor. This is 3 story above the ground detached house, which mean I will have hardiplank siding on the top two story on 3 sides (brick front included).

I check hardiplank. It looks nice and durable. You do not paint for at least 15 years. It won't peel and crack, but with additional $15,000 to get brick all around. Do you guys think is it worth it?

I know normally people will not ask for brick all around house when come to shop the house. It only nice to have it, but it is not must. When come to resale I more than sure you will not get your $15000 back for all bricks house in compare to my case.

[Anonymous]

We have a house with hardiplank and it is chipping, contrary to their claims.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a house with hardiplank and it is chipping, contrary to their claims.

so do you regret not buying all bricks house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a house with hardiplank and it is chipping, contrary to their claims.

They will send out an inspector to see what is wrong with it and will replace it if it failed. chances are it was the person who installed it.

[Anonymous]

at least it is not expected fault. They must replace it for free.

[Anonymous]

I am not a fan of the look of brick.

[Anonymous]

Fiber cement siding is certainly a great investment. That said, it depends where you are building; if you are popping up on a lot in a neighborhood of all brick houses, then it's better to keep with the aesthetic. However, if it doesn't matter, then I'd go hardiplank hands down (we are putting it on a house we are building too). I don't know what PP means by chipping (was it installed properly?). Our builder has used it for several houses and it holds up really well.

With brick, I know for sure that you have to re-point the grout so it doesn't leak (I've lived in an old all-brick building) and if you paint it, then that will require some upkeep as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fiber cement siding is certainly a great investment. That said, it depends where you are building; if you are popping up on a lot in a neighborhood of all brick houses, then it's better to keep with the aesthetic.

This is a new development community. The way builder do is whatever they call high visibility lot get 4 sides bricks(e.g end lot), other than those lot you only get brick front, but for overall looks from the front the house. They are all bricks.

[Anonymous]

All brick is a much more classic choice. It looks much better than any siding or similar product. I disagree with OP when she says that no one looks for brick on 4 sides when buying. I would never consider a brick-front or 3 sided brick house. That just looks like a cheap mass builder house. I always assume that if the builder doesn't spring for all brick, they must have made other short cuts throughout.

[Anonymous]

Brick everywhere would be well-worth the $15k investment to me - house would look seamless, considerably less maintenance, classic building material, protects well again wind.
Generally, Hardiplank is a great substitute for painted wood, but not for brick exteriors, unless it's a personal taste/look thing or budget.

I just hope the all-Hardi plank house won't look "dated" in 15 or 20 years... We get a lot of funny comments from our NY, CA and Chicago friends when they visit here. It is not yet a "classic" building material as it really picked up in the 2000s housing boom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All brick is a much more classic choice. It looks much better than any siding or similar product. I disagree with OP when she says that no one looks for brick on 4 sides when buying. I would never consider a brick-front or 3 sided brick house. That just looks like a cheap mass builder house. I always assume that if the builder doesn't spring for all brick, they must have made other short cuts throughout.

I did agree brick looks nicer than the siding, but it also cost you more to get it. If they cost the same price, no one will never choose siding.

In this area, you selections will be far less than anybody else if you only buy the house with 4 side bricks.

[Anonymous]

My British husband needed several years to get over the fact that U.S. houses are not all masonry and brick. Ugh.

If your house is in a pricey area I'd go with all-brick, especially if $15,000 is a very low % of the total house price. If other neighbors have half siding and $15,000 is looking off market for the square footage to cover, do the planks.

[Anonymous]

I would either get all brick or all hardi-plank. Personally, I hate the brick front, vinyl or hp sided homes that are so everywhere. Looks so tract home, mass produced. Yuck. Actually, this is one of my pet peeves, if you couldn't tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All brick is a much more classic choice. It looks much better than any siding or similar product. I disagree with OP when she says that no one looks for brick on 4 sides when buying. I would never consider a brick-front or 3 sided brick house. That just looks like a cheap mass builder house. I always assume that if the builder doesn't spring for all brick, they must have made other short cuts throughout.

I like all-brick houses, but some neighborhoods of all-brick houses look like Williamburg wanna-be's. Too much of the same thing can be monotonous, even when it's "classic."

Local builders are making nice use of both brick and hardi-plank these days, regardless of whether the latter appeals to those who dislike 95% of post-WW II homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My British husband needed several years to get over the fact that U.S. houses are not all masonry and brick. Ugh.

If your house is in a pricey area I'd go with all-brick, especially if $15,000 is a very low % of the total house price. If other neighbors have half siding and $15,000 is looking off market for the square footage to cover, do the planks.

May I ask if the $600,000 consider pricey or not? This is in Montgomery co.