My five year old asked me why bricks have holes in them and I didn't have a good answer

I was cleaning up after a job in Denver last week, and my kid was watching me unload the truck. He pointed at a pallet of standard bricks and just asked, 'Daddy, why do they have holes?' I gave him the basic line about them being lighter and using less clay, which is what I always thought. But then he looked at me and said, 'But if they're lighter, why aren't they easier to break? The holes are like in my cheese.' That simple kid logic actually stumped me for a second. I had to go look it up later. Turns out, the holes are mostly for the kiln process so heat gets through evenly, and the mortar locks into them for a better bond. I've been laying these things for fifteen years and never really questioned it past the weight thing. It's funny how a simple question from a little guy can make you realize you just accept the basics of your own trade. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where you had to explain something you do every day and realized you didn't know the full 'why'?

3 comments

3 Comments

holly_henderson861mo ago

My nephew asked me last year why we put tape on drywall seams. I said it was to hide the cracks, but he kept asking why tape works better than just more mud. I had to call my old foreman to get the real answer about paper fibers and cracking. Kids make you double-check stuff you do on autopilot.

umamartin1mo ago

Honestly makes you realize how much we just do without thinking.

joelwells1mo ago

Yeah, kids have a way of exposing the gaps in our own knowledge. I once had to explain why you need to let paint dry between coats, and I realized I just knew the rule, not the science behind it. Makes you actually learn the reason instead of just the routine.