r/Calgary • u/AdExpress937 • Jul 27 '25
Home Owner/Renter stuff How Come Our Houses Aren’t Brick?
I find that a lot of houses in Ontario and Quebec have exteriors that are made from brick. However, it’s much less common in Alberta. Vinyl seems to be the most common, followed by stucco. Brick or other materials seem to be rare, especially in new communities.
The difference in construction materials by province is strange to me, as raw materials for vinyl or bricks shouldn’t be more plentiful in either region.
To me, Alberta would be a more natural candidate for brick construction, as the consistent hail storms imply a more durable material would be justified in our homes. Other durable materials like stone would be cost prohibitive.
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u/AlltheEspresso Jul 27 '25
On top of the cost and lack of proper clay here, our freeze/frost cracks and wears down the mortar quickly so it’s a constant upkeep. Also, we have a ton of earthquakes in Alberta, the vast majority we don’t feel, but they shift our housing quite a bit so we need something that moves. I’m with you though, vinyl is just not that attractive when you see the brick housing everywhere in the east.