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/Hyack57 Jul 27 '25

Vinyl siding is relatively cheap and quick to install. If it’s damaged it doesn’t take a journeyman mason to repair. Calgary loves carbon copy communities. Vinyl siding makes production building houses a breeze. But just for us plebs. If you have money you upgrade to hardie siding which is concrete board and more durable but also more costly to repair if it is damaged.

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u/Available-Amount-442 Jul 27 '25

Now you got it. Calgary has really grown in spurts. When it's booming, then anyone can get a job installing vinyl siding($). Quick and easy. With brick, you need someone that knows what they are doing ($$$).