Start a Mudbricks making Business

Start a Mudbricks making Business

  

Mudbricks are part of human history dating back throughout time to the earliest known dwellings.

Much can be said in regards to this form of building, and many have discussed the reasons for this type of dwelling and building style.Foremost in the minds of most mudbrick practitioners is the simplistic and basic energy required to achieve this wonderful building material.

Requirements for the making of mudbricks.

Soil is the fundamental requirement of any mud brick, it must be stressed that soil will vary in respect to its availability yet the soil of a mud brick should be made up of two major components, a soil of clay content and a soil of top soil quality.

Both these soils when blended together are compatible in the forming of a mudbrick. It is also a wise to have some form of aggregate such as small stones within this mix as well as straw. The process of making a puddled mudbrick can vary either in the fact of it being made from a commercial point of view or from the owner builder point of view. If the latter be the case then one needs firstly a mudbrick mould made from steel or wood.

Depending on the individual size of the mudbrick this can and may vary in size. To begin with an area within distance of the future building is of preference. The next step is to establish some type of pit area for the blending of mud and a minimal amount of straw. There are several ways of blending mud and straw and one of the easiest ways to achieve this is by putting on gumboots if you prefer not to do this barefooted. This is very much like making wine though you wont get drunk on this mixture.  The other alternative to manual mixing is to either use a garden rotary hoe or a tractor with a PTO attachment for a rotary hoe.

Molding, drying, stacking.

The process of making the bricks after one has fully soaked and mixed the mixture is to lay ones mold or molds on even ground which is clean of debris. Once the molds have been wetted out with water (some people like to use old engine oil every so often to stop the mud from sticking to the sides of the mold.) proceed with the filling of the mold so as to fill every cavity totally to stop the mud brick from being uneven.

The mold once lifted should produce an even shaped mud brick that should then be let to dry. After a period of several days this being dependent on climate and weather conditions the bricks should be turned on to their edges. Once the process of turning and drying is complete the stacking of your mudbricks should follow. The stacking should also be done with either the mud bricks laid on their edges or flats. When transporting they should always be laid on their edges, this prevents breakage.

Our mud bricks are made by mixing or "puddling" together selected clays, sand, aggregate and water then placing the mix into moulds to sun dry. A small amount of bitumen emulsion is included in the mix to improve the water resistance of the brick, enabling them to be used in exposed situations. The puddling process allows the materials to fully combine and the clay particles to realign and bond strongly together once dried. All our materials are screened prior to mixing to remove any rocks or debris. When the mud bricks have begun to dry the moulds are removed and the bricks tipped onto their side to fully dry. The mud bricks are then stacked onto hardwood pallets ready for transport. Fully recyclable shrink wrap is used to secure the bricks during transport. SPECIALITY MUD BRICKS     There are specialty mud bricks to enhance your mud brick home. Personalised Mud Bricks with hand or foot prints can be placed in mud brick walls to make your mud brick home really yours! The options are endless from hand and foot prints to paw prints, leaf prints and even face prints! The personalised bricks are layed upright in the mud brick wall as a feature. Different Sized Mud Bricks can be manufactured to suit your requirements. This may be corners for an octagonal home or special sizes for those wanting to do extensions to existing mud brick homes. PROPERTIES OF MUD BRICKSLongevity: Mud bricks are the world's oldest manufactured building material and they have stood the test of time. As testimony of mud bricks strength and durability, the Great Wall of China (210 BC) was built of both burned and sun-dried mud bricks. Proof that your mudbrick home will not only be enjoyed by you but by generations to come. Energy Efficient: Mud brick homes are very energy efficient being warm in winter and cool in summer. The thick, solid walls of a mudbrick home act as a buffer to extremes of weather during both winter and summer. To read more about the energy efficiency of mud brick homes. A mud brick home looks great! It blends with the environment and has a warm welcoming feel. The mud brick walls absorb sound and reduce echo, producing a home that is quiet and serene. Easy to Lay: Whether a professional brick layer or a novice, mudbricks are easy to lay. The bricks are the same material as the mortar and as a result they don't need to be laid perfectly. In fact the variations in a mud brick wall give it character. Environmentally Sound: Our mud bricks are an environmentally sound choice being made from natural materials and requiring very little energy to produce. They are sun dried and simply manufactured and therefore have a very low embodied energy. Fire Resistance: The recent Victorian Bushfires have highlighted the excellent fire rating of mud bricks. Typically earth walls are thick and slow to heat up. A standard 250mm thick mud brick wall has a 4 hour fire rating meaning that it takes 4 hours for the heat in an intense fire to transfer through the brick. The Australian requirement for buildings in fire prone areas is generally a 1.5 hour fire rating. This makes mud bricks highly suitable for building in bushfire prone areas and for the construction of fire rated walls within buildings.