Nowadays, the outer walls of homes must be not only functional but also energetically reasonable. They must prevent undue heat losses, provide protection against noise and fire and, above all else, meet aesthetic expectations.

While it is, of course, the building owner who decides between highly thermally insulative monolithic masonry, two-shell masonry with facing bricks or clinkers, and external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) with rendering or cladding, the planning consultant, too, can do a lot to sway the decision. For one and the same quality of thermal insulation, ETIC systems are less expensive than two-shell masonry walls with outer shells. Nevertheless, clinker-brick façades are superior to rendered façades in many ways. They require no maintenance and only minimal upkeep, and they are resistant to frost and heat, driving rain and hail, impact and scratching. Clinkered façades are suitable for passive-house construction, and they provide both high-quality sound attenuation and fire protection. Facing bricks and clinker bricks are made of natural fired materials, and their vivid colours derive solely from different blends of clay and variant firing techniques.

Dr. Dieter Figge, Fachverband Ziegelindustrie Nordwest e.V.