Brick Floors: Could This Durable Material Work for Your Home?

Pros of Brick Flooring

• Design flexibility. As with tile, brick’s modular nature lends itself to an infinite variety of patterns. Running bond (staggered), basket weave, herringbone and others are classics, but you can create a custom motif or a mosaic-style treatment. Brick also lends itself well to paint or epoxy, if you’d like a dramatically different colour than the usual earth tones.

• Sturdiness. Remember the Three Little Pigs? There are good reasons brick has been a construction stalwart for centuries: It’s tough to destroy, it doesn’t rot. and it won’t require painting or refinishing. Brick withstands extreme conditions and weathers heavy foot traffic with ease, and it’s also heatproof. Individual bricks may crack or chip over time, but they are relatively easy to pry out and replace.

• Affordability. Because brick used for interior applications is generally in paver or tile form, it’s thinner and less costly than exterior brick.

• Sustainability. Clay brick is made mostly of natural materials, such as shale, kaolin and minerals. In addition, bricks from old or demolished structures can be salvaged for new applications — particularly nice if you’re aiming for a vintage effect.

• Slip resistance. Left unfinished, brick has a slightly rough, textured surface that provides traction underfoot. However, if you seal it with a slick or waxy coating, you’ll have to take other steps to prevent falls.

• Aesthetic appeal. One of the reasons people love brick is its inherent traditional warmth, which few other materials can replicate. It evokes a sense of the past and feels like a strong, reassuring holdover from bygone days. Natural variations in its colouring give it a beautifully nuanced palette.

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Cons of Brick Flooring

• Hardness. Durability comes with a price: Brick is unyielding beneath the feet. If you're using it in a kitchen or another space where you spend long periods of time standing, consider adding a cushioned mat or a thick rug to ease the strain on your legs and back.

• Unevenness. Even the best-laid brick floors aren't 100 percent level, so you may need to compensate by sliding shims under furniture or pads beneath precarious breakables.

• Weight. As you'd imagine, bricks are heavy, even in paver form. As a result, they're often impractical for a home's second or third story; it's very hard to reinforce the floor enough to support all that weight.