April 05, 2008 10:00 AM CDT

You can Huff and Puff... It Won't Help You

By Jennifer Morrell

Remember the Big Bad Wolf? The only place those three little pigs could seek any refuge was behind a wall of bricks. As a kid, I was thankful the pigs had a safe place to retreat from that mean, hairy wolf.

Today, I am a big fan of bricks, and it's not just because my dad distributes them for a living at his company in southwest Georgia. When compared with nearly every other exterior finish you can apply to a building, bricks just look better. Bricks offer clean lines, a regal appearance, a broad color selection and — let's face it — they last forever.

From differently sized brick to unique brick pavers, the family of brick masonry can usually meet most any need for a project. It's the plight of the Brick Industry Association, brick manufacturers nationwide and Masonry magazine to remind contractors, architects, engineers and designers just how versatile brick really is.

And the strength of those fired clay rectangles? Get oudda here... it's unsurpassed!

I can tell you, as someone who's lived in everything from a brick house to an apartment with wood siding and a brick-and-stone high-rise, I'd rather be in a brick structure than anywhere else when the weather turns nasty and dangerous. And, aesthetically, I don't think there's a prettier place to be, either.

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About the Author

Jennifer Morrell is the editor of Masonry magazine. She has several years of experience in the publishing industry as a writer and editor, covering such topics as real estate and development, health care, relationships and sports. A graduate of The University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in magazines and is an award-winning columnist.