Well now, if you ever walked ’round any old neighborhood and looked at them houses, you might’ve noticed some of them had a kinda funny-lookin’ brick on the sides. Not real brick, mind ya, but somethin’ that looked like it. That there thing is called Insulbrick. Ain’t too many folks talkin’ ’bout it these days, but back in the day, it was all the rage. Let me tell ya what I know ’bout it.
Now, Insulbrick, or some folks call it Inselbrick—same thing—was real popular for coverin’ the outsides of houses. It wasn’t real brick, no sir. It was more like them asphalt shingles they put on roofs, but instead of puttin’ ’em on top, they slapped it on the sides of houses. It was a cheap and easy way to make a house look fancy-like, without spendin’ a fortune. The good thing ’bout it, it looked like brick from a distance, so folks thought it was mighty special. But it wasn’t, not really.
Back in the day, when Insulbrick first showed up, it was the best thing since sliced bread, so to speak. Folks loved it ‘cause it was quick to put up, real easy, and didn’t cost much. They put it on the sides of houses, mostly on the back and side walls. It made the place look like it was built outta real brick, but without all the heavy work and big price tag that came with real brick. Now, there ain’t too many folks usin’ it no more, but it did the trick for a long while.
Insulbrick wasn’t just a way to make your house look good, it was also sorta useful in protectin’ the walls from the weather. It gave a bit of insulation, though not much, and kept the house from takin’ too much damage from rain and snow. It was real popular back in the 1920s to the 1950s, and you’ll find it on a lotta houses built during that time.
What happened to Insulbrick?
Well, as time went on, folks started lookin’ for somethin’ better. See, that Insulbrick stuff, while it looked nice at first, didn’t last forever. After a few years, it started to get all weathered and cracked. And then the vinyl sidin’ came ’round, followed by aluminum sidin’, and folks stopped puttin’ up Insulbrick. It wasn’t as durable as other materials, and after a while, it just wasn’t worth the trouble.
Now, there’s houses out there that still got some Insulbrick on ‘em, but most of ’em got a good layer of fiber cement or somethin’ on top to keep the weather out. The old Insulbrick ain’t so pretty no more, what with all them cracks and wearin’ down over time. Some houses still got it on the back or hidden away behind the newer sidin’, but it ain’t what it used to be.
Why was Insulbrick so special?
Well, let me tell ya, Insulbrick was somethin’ for the folks back then. You see, they didn’t have all them fancy materials we got now, like them fiber cement boards or metal sidin’. So when Insulbrick came out, it was like a godsend for folks who wanted their house to look a little fancier without breakin’ the bank. It was quick to put up, real easy, and looked like real brick. But that’s all it really was—just lookin’ like brick.
There was a time when the houses that had Insulbrick were the talk of the town. You know, the ones with them nice brick-like walls. It made folks feel like they’d made it, like they had somethin’ real fancy. But after a few decades, that fancy look started to fade, and people started switchin’ to better materials. Nowadays, you won’t see much of it, but back then, it had its moment in the sun.
What to do if you got Insulbrick on your house?
Well, if you’re livin’ in a house that still got some Insulbrick on it, don’t you worry too much. It ain’t the end of the world. You could leave it be if it’s in good shape, but if it’s lookin’ a little worse for wear, you might wanna think ’bout gettin’ it fixed up. Some folks go ahead and slap a new layer of sidin’ over the top of it, like vinyl or fiber cement, to make sure the house stays warm and dry. Or, if you’re up for it, you could take the whole thing down and put up somethin’ newer. But, if you ask me, it’s a lotta work for nothin’. Just keep an eye on it, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
In the end, Insulbrick had its day
So there ya have it. Insulbrick was a big deal back in the day, but it didn’t last forever. It’s still out there on a lotta old houses, but it ain’t the star of the show no more. If you’re lookin’ for somethin’ that’ll last longer and hold up better in the long run, there’s plenty of other sidin’ options to choose from. But don’t let anyone tell ya that ol’ Insulbrick wasn’t special in its time. It was, just like all the things we used to do that ain’t around no more.
Tags：[Insulbrick, Insulbrick siding, asphalt shingles, vertical wall siding, insulation, fiber cement siding, historical building materials, affordable siding options, 20th century construction, brick look-alike siding]
