Wrapping It Up
Brick veneer and energy costs; using a fireplace insert as the firebox for a masonry stove; saving the red sassafras tree in Indiana.
July/August 1984
By the Mother Earth News editors
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PHOTO COURTESY OF PAN BRICK INC.
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Is brick veneer considered appropriate for super-insulated houses? I'd like to brick my home, but I don't want to decrease the energy efficiency of my dwelling.
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Brick veneer adds significantly to the construc. tion cost of a house but does little to increase (or decrease) the structure's energy efficiency. In most cases, adding a brick wrap can be justified only by the resulting look. If you intend simply to cover the structure as it stands, us. ing a wholebrick veneer, the accompanying drawing illustrates one technique that's comm only used for ranch and split-level homes.
On the other hand, you might want to consider a product such as the exterior wall system put out by Pan-Brick Inc. (610 Henderson Dr., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4N 5X3). The PanBrick panels combine plywood sheathing, closed-cell polyurethane insulation, and a veneer of kiln-fired clay brick slices in one easy-to-install building component. In addition, the prefab panels boast an R val ue of 8.7 (compared to the R1.2 of regular brick veneer) and are said to cost 20% less than a tier of full-dimension brick. Such a product can be especially attractive for retrofit applications in which a whole-brick wall isn't necessary. If your local lumberyard isn't fa. miliar with this system, contact the folks at PanBrick, and they'll put you in touch with the nearest distributor.
—Michael Scott.
Superinsulation pioneer Michael Scott has recently finished a new book, Superinsulation Design and Construction. For more information, send a selfaddressed, stamped envelope with your inquiry to Superinsulation Ltd., RR 3, Box 18, Northfield, MN 55057.
A Masonry
Stove "Insert"
I'm wondering if I could use a fireplace insert as the firebox for a masonry stove. I'd build channels for convection and provide ample mass for radiant heat storage.
