[Body]
Alright, so you wanna build a house, huh? A brick one, at that. My old man, he built our house, brick by brick, back in the day. Ain’t nothin’ fancy, but it stood strong, let me tell ya. So, you want plans and designs, eh? Well, I ain’t no fancy architect, but I seen enough houses in my time to tell ya a thing or two.
First off, you gotta figure out what kinda brick house you want. They got all sorts, you know. Like them Craftsman houses. Them’s the ones with all that fancy wood trim and fireplaces inside. Real cozy like. And they use all sorts of stuff on the outside – brick, stone, that stucco stuff… looks nice, but I tell ya, brick’s the best. Stands up to anything. Hot, cold, rain, snow… brick don’t care. It don’t rot or get all moldy like that wood does.
Then there’s them Colonial-style houses. Big and grand, like them fancy folks in town have. They got them big ol’ columns and all. Real showy. But you know, a brick house is a brick house, no matter how you dress it up. It’s all about how you put them bricks together. My old man always said, “It ain’t the brick, it’s the bricklayer.” He was a wise old fella, he was.
- Brick Choices: Now, about them bricks. You got your regular red bricks, and then you got them fancy colored ones. And different sizes too. You gotta think about what you like and what you can afford. My old man, he used whatever he could get his hands on. Sometimes they were a little mismatched, but it gave the house character, he said.
- House Size: How big you want this house to be? Just a little place for yourself, or you got a whole passel of kids? You gotta figure that out before you start drawing up any plans. More rooms mean more bricks, and more bricks mean more money. It’s simple as that.
- Layout: Now this is where it gets tricky. Where you gonna put the kitchen? The bedrooms? The bathroom? You gotta think about how you’re gonna live in this house. You want the kitchen close to the back door so you can carry in the groceries easy? You want the bedrooms away from the street so it’s quiet at night? Think about it, I say. Think about it.
- Roof Style: And don’t forget about the roof! You want a pointy roof? A flat roof? A slanted roof? There’s all sorts of roofs, and they all gotta keep the rain out. My old man always said, “A good roof is like a good hat, keeps you dry and warm.”
So, where do you find these plans and designs? Well, you can go to them fancy architects, but they’ll charge you an arm and a leg. Or you can look in them magazines. They got all sorts of house plans in there. Or you can just get yourself some graph paper and start drawing. That’s what my old man did. He wasn’t no artist, but he could draw a straight line, that’s for sure. He just drew what he wanted and then he started laying bricks. He knew what he was doing, that’s for sure.
And don’t forget about the foundation. That’s the most important part. If the foundation ain’t solid, the house ain’t gonna last. You gotta dig down deep and pour that concrete good and strong. My old man, he spent weeks digging that foundation. Back-breaking work, it was, but he knew it had to be done right. He always said, “A good house starts from the ground up.” He wasn’t wrong.
Now, you might be thinkin’ about getting all fancy with it, but I tell ya, keep it simple. The more fancy you get, the more things can go wrong. A simple brick house, well-built, that’ll last you a lifetime. And don’t go skimpin’ on the materials. Get good quality bricks, good quality mortar, good quality everything. It’ll pay off in the long run. My old man used to say, “You get what you pay for,” and that’s the truth, believe you me.
So, there you have it. Some things to think about when you’re plannin’ on building a brick house. It ain’t rocket science, but it ain’t easy neither. You gotta do your homework, you gotta plan it out, and you gotta be willing to put in the work. But in the end, you’ll have a house that’ll keep you safe and warm for years to come. Just like the one my old man built. It’s still standing, you know. Strong as ever. And that’s somethin’ to be proud of.
Building a house, it’s more than just bricks and mortar, it’s about building a home. A place where you can feel safe and comfortable, where you can raise your family and make memories. So take your time, do it right, and build yourself a home you can be proud of.
Remember, brick by brick, just like my old man always said. He wasn’t a fancy talker, but he knew how to build things, that’s for sure. And he built a good house, a strong house, a house that lasted. And that’s all that matters in the end.
Tags: [brick house, house plans, house designs, craftsman house, colonial house, brick choices, house size, layout, roof style, foundation]
