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Study shows 78% of Ontario new homebuyers list energy efficiency as a top priority

The idea that opting for a masonry exterior is vastly more expensive is a myth potential homebuyers should see past, says MasonryWorx president Dante Di Giovanni. “Building your new house out of brick versus vinyl, for example, adds only 2 to 4% to the cost of the house,” he claims.

A computer simulation by the National Association of Homebuilders found that masonry buildings are 12-17% more energy efficient than other traditional building materials, even when the R-value of the building is 30% higher than industry standards.

“These are the tangible costs. What the numbers don’t show are the additional quality of life benefits of building with masonry–less street noise from neighbours combined with the greater peace of mind that comes with improved fire resistance,” said Di Giovanni. “With small lot sizes and houses being built closer together than ever before these benefits cannot be overlooked.”

According to Manny Brilant, senior design manager at Greenpark Design and Project Management, the majority of his purchasers have “continually shown their preference for brick and stone because it is available in a broad range of colours, easy to install, relatively maintenance-free and durable. Also, because brick and stone tend to hold their value well, the home is easier to re-sell.”

The new homebuyers survey, commissioned MasonryWorx, was conducted by Redfern Research and Pollara Strategic Insights to gauge consumer attitudes and awareness of masonry products. The study was conducted using The Pollara Townhall, Pollara’s online panel of more than 250,000 Canadians, recruited entirely from random-digit-dial telephone surveys.