Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1506758
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 | 39 Masonry P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y T H E B EL D EN B R I C K CO M PA N Y Brick Company in Canton, Ohio. "Overall, Canadians have been more likely than Americans to try new styles and push us to innovate, so it's no surprise that in 2023 we continue to enjoy great relationships with our distributors in the north and strong demand for our product, even though high interest rates threaten to slow the residential market." Emerging from Belden's five production plants yearly are up to 180 million bricks ranging in size and type from face, thin, oversize, and structural to spe- cial shapes, moulded, and more. "We're small but mighty and aided greatly by a robust research and development process," Belden says. "We've also dipped our toes in the coatings market with ceramic based coatings; we also automated one of our plants so we could dry our bricks prior to firing them in a kiln, in order to coat them and achieve a better, more resilient bond." As Belden discusses trends ("we're working on multi-colours on the same brick, but that product offering is still in the future"), he stresses the importance of developers appreciating the strong thermal performance of brick walls. "We've done a lot of work with organizations such as the National Brick Research Center [NBRC] and proven that brick walls carry heat into the night and cool- ness into hot days," he says. Testing with fixed temperature conditions conducted by the NBRC confirms that heat takes two to three times as long to go through a brick wall assembly than it does others. The brick wall's heat storage capacity is twice the storage capacity of the brick alone. An NBRC test with varying temperature conditions proves that brick walls reduce heat energy movement by 60 percent over the closest competing wall assembly. Additionally, a brick veneer wall assembly combined with continuous insula- tion is especially beneficial in cooler climates. Increasing the size of the air space allows continuous insulation to supplement the insulation between the studs, and the NBRC has found that a minor increase in the width of the foundation wall will permit including continuous insulation with no change to the build- ing's interior space or the exterior appearance. A Custom Blend of Ashberry, Black Diamond, and Sienna Blend Velour brickwork, René-Guénette Elementary School Montreal, QC. Commodore Clear Velour brickwork, Element AI offices, Montreal, QC. Looking for past digital issues? Click on the folder icon in the task bar anytime you're viewing the current issue on your computer or mobile device. Other inquiries? Publisher | Dan Chapman 604.473.0316