The brick is not load bearing. It's merely there for show. As a result, brick is sometimes less expensive than other veneers. The actual rationale for framed housing is that plumbing and electricity are far more easily installed in wood framing than in any other sort of masonary. Brick or stone walls can be added to or changed at will without disturbing what's under them. They're durable and attractive.
Framed houses are more expensive because they require special tools for construction and do not come with pre-cut windows or doors. In addition, the quality of workmanship varies from poor to very good, so prices tend to be higher for framed homes. However, brick or stone walls can be added to or changed at will without disturbing what's under them.
The main advantage of a framed house is that the interior can be completely renovated while the exterior remains the same. This is not possible with most other types of housing. If you want your home to look new for as long as possible, get it refaced. The old surface can be taken off and a new one put up in its place. This keeps down maintenance costs too!
Framing houses also allows for greater design flexibility than other housing types. You can have different shapes on each floor of your house, for example, rather than having to make everything square or rectangular.
Because brick structures do not require inner walls, they are mostly employed in industries and warehouses where big open areas are advantageous. There is no framing or sill in a brick structure. The joists are suspended over large cross beams that are tenoned directly into the masonry. The spaces between the bricks are filled with insulation. Ceiling heights are usually low because there is no need for support.
Brick has been used for buildings since Roman times when it was first used as an exterior wall material. Over time, builders began using interior framing members made of wood or steel to support the roof and floorboards. By the late 19th century, when brick became available in standardized sizes, it became the material of choice for building frameworks.
In other words, a frame house needs wooden beams or rods on which to stand. These serve as the foundation for the roof and walls. Originally, the wood used in frame houses was harvested locally by skilled craftsmen who worked under the supervision of an architect. As cities grew and improved transportation systems were developed, more mass-produced items came onto the market. These materials included lath and plaster for the inside surface of the walls, and linchpins and king posts for the outside surface. The products were easy to use and provided fairly uniform results. However, they lacked the quality design elements found in custom-made construction projects.
Brick veneer has the following drawbacks:
Even though concrete is inexpensive, it is still significantly more expensive than wood in the United States, and masonry brick is even more so. Wood is a simple material to deal with. It's more forgiving than concrete or masonry, and putting up a wood-framed wall is quicker and faster, all of which equals a more economical dwelling.
The main reason why American houses are built so cheaply is because the government subsidies for home ownership provide an incentive for builders to use cheap materials. Concrete is used largely because it's easy to work with and doesn't need any special treatment before it sets. Masonry bricks are used because they're cheaper than other types of building materials, and they don't require as much effort to install on the site.
The government subsidies that I mentioned earlier are called "Federal Housing Administration" or FHA loans. These are mortgage loans provided by federal agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD. The idea behind these loans is to allow people to be able to afford homes who otherwise could not due to cost. For example, if you make $50,000 a year and want to be able to afford a 20% down payment on a house, an FHA loan would be appropriate for you. The benefit for you as a borrower is that the government will guarantee that if you default on your loan, the bank cannot repossess your house.