Current practice with brick veneer is that timber or metal frame is the structural wall and installed prior to bricks. We need to remember FBR don't want to change all processes but rather fit in. Yes you are right about there being no more need for structural timber if FBR provide the structural walls but I am looking at the current practice of brick veneer out of curiousity. I can't tell you if FBR will provide structural walls in areas similar to Vic on brick veneer homes. I am not certain of the costs involved in swapping the outer layer to the structural wall but current practice is that brick isn't the structural wall and there must be a reason for it? I am thinking cost. This very well might change in time.
Timber is cheaper so unless bricks become cheaper than timber they will likely stick to timber internal walls. Why change if you don't need to?
Completely agree about the windows, doors etc and I think this will expand into other areas. The brick as a structural wall for brick veneer homes I'm not sure either way what would be the better approach. If they did go brick I'm not sure what further costs and changes are required, this leads to more questions and possibilities.
Your second last paragraph is good. I don't think they will go double brick in the next 5-10 years in Vic but I will also be very happy if I am wrong. I am also not sure how the brick structural walls look on a brick veneer home in regards to the extra costs and processes, they could be minimal or a lot but that's a great question and I would be interested in the detail CDT could provide here? The answer is in the details, not the short sharp answer so we need to probe more with these guys.
Either way, I see how HX can work alongside each building method. But the challenge will be demonstrating this likely how they have had to build display homes in WA for builders to see first hand.
Regardless of all of this Vic isn't the market FBR seems to be heading for at the moment. So this conversation should be taken with a grain of salt. I am simply interested in it for future opportunities down the track and it is why I'm asking questions. I do not recall them advising us they are headed over to Vic or any mention of working with brick veneer homes. But if they do there is options and they have creative minds to work through my issues. But yeah I'm confident they can work with brick veneer should the time or interest come its just not priority number 1.
FBR Price at posting:
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