Basalt Bricks

Written by George Sanders

In the Spring the amount of rain ruined wood structures around Etonia to the point they rarely last more than one or two years. There is not a lot of sand on the beaches of the Bay of Claws either. To create cost effective stone buildings ground basalt replaced sand and clay. Adopting basalt had several advantages such as higher sound insulation, lighter weight, good toughness, and lower water absorption rate. The basalt bricks compressed more than clay bricks so buildings were rarely more than two stories. However, the Aluminium Oxide in basalt also functioned as a fire retardant so the benefits outweighed the cost of importing bricks from the South.
Bricks were make in series of charcoal kilns set up North of Etonia. Basalt was collected from the bay and also the cliffs of the Anhult Rise. It was plentiful enough, especially along the base of the Rise, that a quarry has not been set up yet. In addition to bricks, a stone wool insulation can be made by mixing the power with fibers.
Buildings were made with wooden supports and the basalt bricks were used as a external cladding. The stone wool filled in the spaces between the supports and an interior wall was made of more basalt bricks. This kept the buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Even with running the kilns for the bricks the city used significantly less wood for heating that cities further South.
While slate roof tiles were also made, basalt roof tiles have also gained popularity.
Large granite blocks mined from the Rise were used to make the core of the walls around Etonia and like on the homes and shops basalt brings were used as cladding, giving the city a uniform and refined look.