One shouldn't compare durability of old brick buildings to current residential practices. Old brick is usually structural, three bricks thick or more. The weakness of brick is in the mortar and old professional work usually featured better sands with sharper, more varied particle sizes. Masons these days usually just stick with cheap, readily available masonry sand. Unfortunately, masonry is a dying trade. The biggest problem is that most residential brick work is a masonry veneer, covering wood-based construction. Along with stone and stucco, most brick veneer projects use inadequate vapor barriers and flashing. The masonry may look great from the outside, but the finishes are hiding mold, mildew and deterioration of the wood structure. Sometimes, this happens surprisingly fast. Masonry is considered a moisture reservoir cladding. It will soak up moisture from rain or sprinklers and send it towards the inside as the sun comes out. This makes it a more risky cladding than wood, metal, composite or vinyl. Masonry is one of my favorite exterior finishes but it takes extra effort than what is common in current construction practices. If you go with masonry, ensure your construction team understands the details like minding the gap and weatherproof window installations. When I was in Germany, there was a lot of troublesome renovation happening to the very old timberframe structures that had been stuccoed during times when stucco was considered more fashionable. The lime stuccos inhibited the drainage and drying of the wood, speeding up the timbers deterioration.

I think I'd like seeing the foundation stucco'd instead of more siding as to me the extra height of siding would make the proportions seem off for the house. Me too. A nice base for the house to sit on.

A Newport engineering study done at the behest of the Vinyl Siding Institute and the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority in 2008 and 2009 showed energy saving benefits from using insulated vinyl siding. Subsequently, the IECC recognized the product as a form of continuous insulation in homes meeting energy compliance codes. Poor installation can reduce effectiveness; as well, vinyl siding with insulation inserted on site is not the same as insulation bonded to the vinyl at the time of manufacture. The Vinyl Siding Institute maintains a list of certified products. Martin Holladay, when he was at the Green Building Advisor, had concerns about the siding not allowing vapour drive to the exterior and the lack of a drainage gap. He preferred adding foam board to the wall followed by un-insulated vinyl.

T T… yes, I believe ASTM applies everywhere in the United States. I think there may be some international standards that apply outside the US but they are similar. I’ve read quite a bit about this Stucco Bucket issue and it is definitely more of an issue in areas that get a lot of rain. There are other factors based on the architecture/design of the house. If there are exposed stucco over frame (i.e., not mass walls), the drainage plane is a big deal. Follow building science fight club on instagram for a lot more detail on these issues. It’s also interesting to see some of the articles at building science from Joseph Lstiburek. He is the guru on all things stucco and moisture control for residential and commercial buildings. The Coming Stucco Pocolypse - Joseph W. Lstiburek