Breeze Blocks are patterned concrete/cement or porcelain blocks that resemble bricks. They are versatile solutions for a variety of walling needs.
At Armstone, we are very excited to introduce the Breeze Blocks, in both cement and porcelain designs for your screen and wall projects.
Breeze Blocks are patterned concrete/cement or porcelain blocks that resemble bricks. They are different to bricks in that a pattern is cut from the concrete or porcelain, allowing for ventilation and air to pass through the negative spaces. As such, Breeze Blocks are both functional and decorative, providing shade, circulation, protection, and privacy to your home as well as elegance and style.
How to use Breeze Blocks
Breeze Blocks are versatile and can be used for a variety of walling purposes. These include alfresco screens, outdoor seating, fence infill panels, stand-alone screens, indoor space separators, barbeque casing, garden screens, and even window infills. Your breeze wall or fence project is limited only by your imagination.
Though Breeze Blocks are not as old as traditional natural stone walling, they do have a rich architectural history originating from mid-century designs when they were very popular in both homes and commercial projects. Also known as screen blocks, these cement blocks were inspired by the screens in Asia that block and reduce sun exposure. Breeze Blocks first made their appearance as Cement Breeze Blocks in America in the 1930s and grew in popularity until the 1970s until they slowly fell out of style.
Breeze walls were especially popular in the warmer regions in America, like California and Florida. In California, Breeze Blocks were used to protect homes and commercial buildings from the hot desert sun. While in Florida, cement breeze blocks minimised the damage of strong storm winds.
Today, Breeze Blocks are making a come-back, with good reason. In hot, stormy, and varied climates like Australia, these designer cement blocks are an excellent and affordable solution for protecting you and your family from the harsh sun, providing ventilation on those equally hot days, all the while adding a modern and chic design for everyone to admire. Like seriously, is that a win-win-win, or what?
Additionally, Porcelain Breeze Blocks, designed and manufactured in Italy, are making a strong entrance into the market. Boasting sustainable and recycled production, inspired modern design and sleek aesthetics, Porcelain Breeze Blocks are a minimalist home designers dream and solution to separating spaces, decorating walls and creating functional spaces.
How to lay Breeze Blocks
From a constructive perspective, Breeze Blocks are typically laid in a stack bond pattern. So, in layman’s terms: these patterned cement or porcelain blocks are stacked on top of each other. This layout creates bold vertical vectors which in turn create an ideal design for non-structural veneers and architectural shade screens, garden screens, walling and more.
Cement Breeze Blocks can be adhered using “Brickies Mortar.” Our recommendation is the Allborg White brand which can be found here. It has a perfect colour match to Breeze Blocks. In saying that, we strongly do not recommend grey (natural) mortar by any means, especially for Cement Breeze Blocks. Porcelain Breeze Blocks require Portland cement mortar and fine sand for adhesion, as well as an 8mm joint between pieces and the use of spacers to ensure a more solid structure. While you can install DIY Breeze Blocks, as with all construction, we do recommend working with an experienced and licensed professional. Why? Well, you want the job done right and done once. It saves you time and money in the long term.
If you are working on a budget, with high hopes for your home and garden to look as beautiful as possible, we strongly recommend considering either Cement or Porcelain Breeze Blocks for your home build or renovation project. Cement Breeze Blocks are available in a variety of cut-out designs such as flower, leaf, star, connect, square, valley, astro, vline, sunstory, rubic, octagon, mountain, and the one-y. Porcelain Breeze Blocks are available in white, grey and clay colours in the Castello and Anthracite, Bordeaux, Sand and White colours, in the Piqué designs. So, whether you are going for something angular and modern, or floral and more flowy, there is a design to suit any style, taste and home. Most of the Breeze Blocks come in small and large sizes, accommodating for any area you choose to install them.
Now, what if you prefer a splash of colour instead of the traditional white that the cement Breeze Blocks come in? That can be easily arranged! Cement Breeze Blocks can be easily painted in any colour, adding a splash of brightness to your indoor or outdoor aesthetic.
If you live in areas in Sydney that are more susceptible to bushfires, it’s important to consider fire safety with every chosen material. Cement Breeze Blocks, like all concrete blocks or bricks, are fire-resistant but not fire-proof. This is because the blocks comprise of both silica and sand – both of which are not combustible materials, making them resistant to fires but not fireproof. Porcelain Breeze Blocks, manufactured from clay that is heated at high temperatures, have a higher resistance to fires. However, if you are looking for something fireproof, we suggest you consider an alternative walling option.
As with most of the Armstone natural stone pavers range, we recommend sealing Cement Breeze Blocks. Sealing the cement blocks ensures that they are protected from the harsh elements and that they stand the test of time. Our recommended choice of sealers is Aqua Mix Sealers Choice Gold. Browse our range of sealers here. On the other hand, Porcelain Breeze Blocks are made from clay and have zero water absorption, which means they do not require sealing.
In addition to Breeze Blocks, our outdoor product options include stone capping, stone pavers and porcelain pavers, stepping stones, pedestals, pool tiles, cobblestones and much more. In addition to quality and eye-catching appearance, we also ensure that our materials adhere to the highest industry safety standards.
Browse our Cement and Porcelain Breeze Blocks online today or visit our beautiful display home showroom in Glebe, Sydney. Here you will be able to see (and touch) many of our products in a real-world environment and envision how they will enhance your own project. Need help? Contact us today to find out more!
Breeze Blocks are patterned concrete or porcelain blocks that resemble bricks. The cut-out pattern allows for protection against the sun and wind, while also providing ventilation on hot days. These white cement blocks are available in a variety of designs such as flower, leaf, star, connect, square, valley, astro, vline, sunstory, rubic, octagon, mountain, and the one-y. Porcelain Breeze Blocks are available in white, grey and clay colours in the Castello and Anthracite, Bordeaux, Sand and White colours, in the Piqué designs. So, whether you have a looking for something angular and modern, or floral and more flowy, there is a design to suit any style and home.
Breeze Blocks are versatile and can be used for a variety of walling purposes. These include alfresco screens, outdoor seating, fence infill panels, stand-alone screens, barbeque casing, garden screens, and even window infills. You can also use Breeze Blocks indoors as space separators, seating, walls, partitioning and even in kitchens. Your designer cement or porcelain wall is limited only by your imagination.
Yes and no. As best practice, we recommend sealing Cement Breeze Blocks. Our recommended brand is Aqua Mix Sealers Choice Gold. Porcelain Breeze Blocks, however, do not require sealing.
Yes, Cement Breeze Blocks are concrete and can be easily painted any colour of your choosing. So, if you prefer to add a splash of colour to your indoor or outdoor aesthetic, instead of using the traditionally white Breeze Blocks, it’s totally doable. Porcelain Breeze Blocks are available in white, grey and clay colours in the Castello and Anthracite, Bordeaux, Sand and White colours, in the Piqué designs. They can also be painted.
Breeze Blocks, like all concrete blocks or bricks, are fire-resistant but not fire-proof. The blocks comprise of both silica and sand – both of which are not combustible materials making them resistant to fire but not fireproof. Porcelain Breeze Blocks, made from clay, have a higher tolerance to heat. However, if you need a fire-proof wall, we recommend considering an alternative natural stone walling material.
Breeze Blocks are typically laid in a stack bond pattern. So, in layman’s terms: these patterned cement blocks are stacked on top of each other and adhered using “Brickies Mortar.” Our recommendation is the Allborg White brand which can be found here. It has a perfect colour match to Breeze Blocks. In saying that, we strongly do not recommend grey (natural) mortar by any means, especially for Cement Breeze Blocks. Porcelain Breeze Blocks require Portland cement mortar and fine sand for adhesion, as well as an 8mm joint between pieces and the use of spacers to ensure a more solid structure.
