WHY BRICK?
Before concrete became widely available in the late 1890s, brick was the major paving material in U.S. cities. Brick is long lasting. Its a testament for the longevity of brick that you can still find brick roads in excellent condition constructed almost a century ago around Pittsburgh and in parts of Ohio.
As techniques for mixing and laying concrete were refined, concrete became the preferred material for paving roads. It is smoother, cheaper and faster to install.
However, at some point, many cities without much analysis decided concrete was better for sidewalks. Over the last century, in addition to using concrete for new sidewalks, those municipalities have also been replacing perfectly good brick sidewalks with concrete. This was ill-advised because while the initial cost to install brick is greater, brick costs less over time due to durability and low maintenance cost. These facts favor brick over concrete for new sidewalks and, given that, it certainly makes no sense to rip out serviceable brick sidewalks to install concrete. In addition, brick has greater aesthetic appeal and charm and is easier to repair than concrete.
Before concrete became widely available in the late 1890s, brick was the major paving material in U.S. cities. Brick is long lasting. Its a testament for the longevity of brick that you can still find brick roads in excellent condition constructed almost a century ago around Pittsburgh and in parts of Ohio.
As techniques for mixing and laying concrete were refined, concrete became the preferred material for paving roads. It is smoother, cheaper and faster to install.
However, at some point, many cities without much analysis decided concrete was better for sidewalks. Over the last century, in addition to using concrete for new sidewalks, those municipalities have also been replacing perfectly good brick sidewalks with concrete. This was ill-advised because while the initial cost to install brick is greater, brick costs less over time due to durability and low maintenance cost. These facts favor brick over concrete for new sidewalks and, given that, it certainly makes no sense to rip out serviceable brick sidewalks to install concrete. In addition, brick has greater aesthetic appeal and charm and is easier to repair than concrete.