Well, let me tell ya ’bout this here silicone brick thing, or whatever them fancy folks call it. I ain’t no expert, ya know, just an old woman who’s seen a thing or two.
Now, silicone, that stuff’s been around for ages. We used to use it for sealin’ up windows and doors, keepin’ the wind and rain out. It’s kinda like that squishy stuff, you know? You can poke it and it bounces back. My grandpappy used to say it was tougher than a boiled owl, but I ain’t never seen him boil an owl, so I can’t say for sure.
Types of Silicone
- The regular stuff, for sealin’ cracks.
- The fancy stuff, for makin’ them molds.
- The extra tough stuff, for buildin’ things, I guess.
But brick? Silicone brick? That’s somethin’ new. I heard tell they use it for makin’ walls and stuff. Like a regular brick, but softer, maybe? I reckon it’d be easier on the hands, that’s for sure. Layin’ them old clay bricks all day, that’ll give ya arthritis somethin’ fierce. This silicone brick might be the cat’s pajamas for them young fellers buildin’ houses.
Now, they say this silicone stuff can be soft or hard. Kinda like butter, when it’s cold it’s hard, but when it’s warm it gets all melty. I reckon they can make the silicone brick hard enough to stand up to the weather, but still soft enough to bend a little if the ground shifts. That’s what I heard, anyways. I ain’t never seen it myself, but I can imagine it’s like those rubbery toys they sell at the market, bendy but tough.
They use this silicone for more than just bricks, though. I heard tell they use it for seals, too. Keepin’ the water out, ya know. Like on them big buildin’s downtown. They put that silicone stuff all around the windows and doors to keep the rain from comin’ in. It’s like magic, I tell ya. Keeps everything dry as a bone.
Sealin’ Up Them Cracks
Sealin’ is important, ya know. You don’t want no drafts gettin’ in, especially in the wintertime. That’ll freeze ya to the bone. And in the summer, you don’t want them bugs crawlin’ in. Silicone’s good for that. It’s sticky and it stays put. Better than that old tar we used to use, that stuff would crack and fall off after a while.
I also heard that there are many different types of silicone. Some are for making molds, like them things they use for makin’ statues. And some are real strong, for stickin’ things together. It sounds like they’ve figured out how to make this silicone do just about anything.
Building Envelopes and Curtain Walls
And talkin’ about big buildings, like I said, they use silicone for all sorts of things on those, too. I’ve heard they even use it on these things they call “curtain walls.” I don’t rightly know what that means, but it sounds fancy. They say it’s been working great for over 40 years now, keeping them big buildings from fallin’ apart, I reckon. They use it to stick all kinds of things together and keep the weather out. That silicone, it’s strong stuff.
Weather-Proofing and Sealing
Now, when it comes to weather-proofin’, silicone is the bee’s knees. You can use it on windows, door frames, even those fancy vinyl tops they put on cars. It makes a tough seal, keeps the water and wind out. It’s like puttin’ a raincoat on your house.
They also make this silicone in different colors, too. I’ve seen red and black and all sorts of colors. I guess that’s for makin’ things look pretty, or maybe to match the color of the bricks. I don’t know nothin’ about that, though. I just like the stuff that keeps the water out.
High-Performance Sealants
And then there’s this high-performance silicone. They say it’s real strong and can stretch a lot. Like for those expansion joints on them fancy stone walls. When the ground moves, the silicone stretches so the wall don’t crack. It’s pretty clever, I have to say.
Interlocking Bricks: Another Thing Altogether
I heard someone talkin’ about “interlocking bricks” once. Sounded like a bunch of hooey to me, but they said it’s like these blocks that fit together like puzzle pieces. They make ’em from earth and sometimes they add stuff to make ’em stronger. I don’t know if they use silicone with them, but it sounds like they could. Maybe stick ’em together with silicone to make a real strong wall. That’d be somethin’, wouldn’t it?
So, that’s all I know ’bout this silicone brick and silicone sealants. It’s a wonder what they come up with these days. But hey, if it keeps the rain out and holds the house up, I ain’t complainin’. It’s a whole lot better than that old mud and straw we used to use, that’s for sure.
Seems like this silicone stuff is pretty useful for buildin’ and fixin’ things. And who knows, maybe in the future, all our houses will be made of this stuff. Only time will tell, I guess.
