Natural Brick Co handcrafts Wood Stone masonry bricks and blocks

Wood Stone, by the Natural Brick Co, are handcrafted sustainable masonry bricks and blocks made from recycled wood chip, glass and rice hulls that would’ve been destined for landfill. These non-toxic waste streams are recycled into masonry products that allow people to build energy-efficient homes without the carbon footprint created by traditional masonry. To make the bricks, the recycled materials are combined with sand and cement and are hand poured into moulds where they dry naturally.

Traditionally, our homes are uncomfortable throughout a big part of the year and they cost us a lot to heat and cool. Having a home that is comfortable, with vastly improved thermal performance, is a vital component to the function of all homes. Too hot and it’s difficult to sleep on summer nights, too cold and you can’t wear enough jumpers to keep warm. Wood Stone works to regulate temperature change in households to stop big swings in the indoor temperate, keeping homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer. This saves money on heating and cooling, which is a major contributor to household energy bills.

The Wood Stone bricks and blocks help improve the thermal performance of a home by reducing the amount of heat passing through it and by providing thermal mass qualities. Also, because Wood Stone is made partly with recycled cellulose materials, it has sound insulation properties too, which is unique for a masonry product.

Because of Wood Stone’s ability to balance thermal mass, insulation and conductivity, it provides really useful options for passive solar, passivhaus and other sustainable design strategies.

Despite being made from recycled timber, Wood Stone is a non-combustible material that surpassed the requirements for structural adequacy, integrity and insulation. Wood Stone easily fulfilled the CSIRO’s FRL testing which means Wood Stone is a solid option for Bushfire Attack Level – Flame Zone (BAL-FZ).

As a sustainable solution for masonry, they focus on reducing carbon emissions throughout the entire manufacturing process. Locally sourced materials and innovative manufacturing processes work to bury carbon by absorbing multiple streams of waste and producing long lasting and durable materials. This carbon consciousness continues into the curing stage where they utilise natural curing to avoid the high carbon cost of artificial curing.

The sustainable masonry bricks are so beautiful that you don’t need to apply anything over them on either the exterior or interior of your home, which will save you time and money. All that is needed to keep the walls looking great is a low VOC sealer, which helps repel water while allowing the bricks or blocks to ‘breathe’. The sealer also allows you to easily clean it down without the need for a water-wasting high pressure hose.

Through the nature of using recycled materials, there are gentle variations in each colour range, which adds to the charm of the bricks and blocks. Spanning from the lightest colours called Artic and Limestone through to Charcoals and Bluestone, there is also a showstopping Blush range, would instantly provide warmth and wow to any home. Along with the soft mottled texture, which you just want to touch, the colour variations help create a wall which is full of life and interest and variety.

For more information, and to view their collections, visit Natural Brick Co

Sustainability specs:

– Made using non-toxic waste products, wood chip, glass and rice hulls, that would’ve been destined for landfill
– Naturally cured (left to dry naturally)
– Low carbon processes and techniques lower the embodied energy of the products
– Made by hand in Australia
– Handcrafted Wood Stone products are a cost-effective solution for both structural and feature walls, while providing affordable options for bushfire construction.
– The unique balance of thermal mass and insulation allows Macquarie blocks to store and release energy efficiently, stabilising internal temperatures.
– Wood Stone Macquarie blocks have the highest bushfire rating for masonry units, far exceeding the requirements for BAL-FZ construction.
– The Wood Stone material is wood-like in workability. The ability to fix directly to the blockwork without predrilling or plugging saves both time and money onsite.
– Suitable to be finished with low VOC sealer
– Sustainable masonry bricks