Frequently Asked Questions

We sell to the general public through a North American distributor network as well as to builders and contractors. We also service Colorado directly and the southern portion of Wyoming directly, selling to masons, builders, homeowners and the general public.

We have many other products that will enhance the beauty of your home such as pavers, natural stone, manufactured stone, structural glazed brick, and masonry supplies. Please contact your local sales representative for more information.

They are priced per 1,000 pieces, although they are packaged in smaller quantities due to the weight of the brick. When we issue a quote, it will be based upon a price per thousand. An example quote would be $340/M, meaning $340.00 per thousand brick (or $0.34 each). If you need a square foot price, they are easy to calculate and your sales representative can assist you.

The amount of bricks needed for a job depends on the size of brick you want to use on the job, as well as the size of the project itself. We suggest having a qualified mason or architect assist you with determining your quantities. We do not provide take-off estimates but will be more than happy to help get you going in the right direction.

Nothing else can match the classic beauty and elegance of a brick home. Building with brick says, "You have arrived." But there's more to brick than just looks. Brick offers lasting value. It can enhance the resale value of your home by as much as 6 percent. Brick is virtually maintenance free. It doesn't rot, dent, or need to be painted and it won't mold or be eaten by termites. Brick is also energy efficient, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In short, brick offers you a combination of advantages not found in any other siding material. The world's most beautiful and most practical homes are built with brick.

• Genuine clay brick is made from natural materials
• Authentic, brick has been proven for centuries
• Genuine clay brick offers superior protection over other wall cladding materials
• Fire protection
• High wind protection
• Superior moisture control
• Brick looks better, for far longer and with less maintenance, than other building materials
• Brick is naturally energy-efficient
• Brick is the most, sustainable, green building material made
• Inherently Natural Ingredients shale, which are among the most abundant materials available on earth
• Countless Recycling Options such as salvaged brick, crushed brick for sub-base materials, chipped brick for permanent landscaping mulch - all for the brick product itself
• Minimal Waste because virtually all of the mined clay is used in the manufacturing process making the recycling and waste containment unequalled by any other building material
• Brick is the first masonry material that can attain a “Certificate of Environmental Claims” from a third party source.
• Environmentally Friendly Manufacturing Processes. Near zero waste from manufacturing.
• Low Embodied Energy to Manufacture Brick

Brick costs slightly more than some other commonly used siding materials because brick is a premium product, but it's not nearly as expensive as you might think. In many parts of the country, a new brick home will cost you only a small percentage more than a comparable vinyl-sided home. Other products, such as artificial stucco, cost about the same as brick, but are far less durable and require much greater maintenance and upkeep.

Brick can be added to an existing home. This can be done by adding a nominal three- or four-inch thick brick in front of the wall and supporting it by either the existing footing or on an angle fastened to the existing concrete or block foundation wall. It is important to properly detail the wall by providing flashing and weep holes at all points of support. The area beneath the angle at or below the ground level should have gravel at least six-inches deep to provide good drainage. The brick should also have at least a one-inch air space between itself and the existing siding. Building paper should cover the existing siding unless it is already provided behind the existing siding. Corrosion-resistant metal anchors should tie the brick to the studs in the existing wall. The joint between the brickwork and all doors and windows should be closed with silicone caulk. Insulation may also be added to increase the total thermal value of the wall.

Another alternative is to use thin brick in panels and attach them directly to wall studs. This may mean removing the existing siding in order to attach the thin brick. Insulation may also be added if desired.

There are different forms of staining that can happen to brick. The most common is called “efflorescence,” and is caused by water in the wall dissolving mineral salts in the brick or mortar. It can also be caused by poor drainage or improper detailing. When this leaches to the surface, the water evaporates, leaving a whitish mineral-salt residue. Most efflorescence is water soluble, so this is a great way to test if it is efflorescence. Get a small amount of water and see if the white stain disappears when wet. If it does, then you have efflorescence. If not, you have some other form of mineral deposit such as calcite. Since efflorescence is water soluble, it can usually be removed by washing with plain water when the weather and the wall are warm and dry. This helps keep the cleaning water from causing additional efflorescence.

The only long-term cure for this condition is to stop water from entering the wall by ensuring that any flashing or caulking is correctly installed and defect free.

Products are available for removing mud, scum, algae, etc. Please consult your Summit Brick Company representative or your masonry-supply dealer for further information.

CAUTION: Do not use muriatic acid. Do not use any type of liquid to clean light-colored sand-faced brick. Do not use high-pressure washers.

No. Summit Brick Company does not employ masons that work directly for us. Check your local listings for information.

The short answer is “no.” Plants that grow on brick walls force root tendrils into mortar joints. Moisture can then penetrate deeply into the wall, and the freeze-thaw cycle, as well as the mechanical action of the roots, can cause serious damage to the mortar and even the bricks. This can dramatically shorten the life of a brick wall.

The issue becomes more complex when plants have grown on a brick wall for a long time. Without great care, removing old growth can cause further damage to the wall. Consult with a professional mason before removing extensive old growth.

Depending on if a brick color and size is in stock, then it is usually about a week turn-around. If it is not, then we have to schedule the manufacturing of the product, which takes up to 10 business days and then lead times vary upon production availability. Minimum quantities exist if production is required.

Brick is an extremely green product. The ingredients are inherently natural, there takes a relatively low amount of embodied energy to manufacture brick, and it is the first masonry material that can attain a “Certificate of Environmental Claims” from a third party source. Brick is also recycled and reused in the manufacturing process of new brick. All of our brick have at a minimum 10% recycled material and some brick colors have as much as 60%.

Stop by one of our distribution show rooms or plant locations and ask an associate to show you a range of colors that you are interested in selecting. From there you can choose which ones you would like to take samples for selecting the right color for your project. In the selection of a brick color, we highly recommend viewing the sample in the environment that the brick with be applied to give you a true aesthetic feel for the end result. If a sample is not available, they can place a sample order and we will get samples made and send out to you.

Brick is a natural product and has an inherent subtle variation due to the fact that it is from the earth. Range refers to the amount of variation present within a production run of brick. It is very difficult for a brick manufacturer to achieve a monochromatic look that simulated a painted wall. We do have an acceptable color variance that we allow to be entered into packaging of the material, and this gives us our “range”. We have blending processes that disperse the range throughout the production run so the projects don’t have any splotching effects. Range may vary from color to color and also from run to run do to unforeseen environmental factors and changes in raw materials in the mining process. This is why is it so critical to make sure that the production run gets sampled and approved before brick are shipped and installed. We provide a 4’x4’ mock wall for any commercial job upon request. This ensures that you are satisfied with the end product and that the range meets your expectations.

Although some masonry walls require protective coatings to impart color and help in resisting rain penetration, clay masonry requires no painting or surface treatment. Brick are generally selected because, among other characteristics, they have integral and durable color and, when properly constructed, are resistant to rain penetration.

Clay masonry walls may be painted to increase light reflection or for decorative purposes. Most paint authorities agree that, once painted, exterior masonry will require repainting every three to five years.

Check the following link for more information: www.gobrick.com