We are remodeling our brick house to expand the master bath. Our home was built about 25 years ago.
We would like to use the bricks which we are removing to build a 3 feet high border around the addition. The purpose of thie border is to tie the additon to the rest of the house. Also we would use the brick to close 2 openings for through-the-wall air conditioners which we are replacing. I have been told that used brick cannot be used again in an outside wall. Is this right?
Further, I have been told that the style of brick on our house is not longer being made.
If we cannot use the brick we are removing, are there any possible sources for the style of brick we have?
Replies
Curious as to why "they" said you could not reuse the old brick- I'm assuming "they" is the mason. My 2 cents- IF the brick is in good condition and the old mortar can be removed without damaging the brick, I don't see why you couldn't reuse it. The mortar bond on salvaged brick may not be as good as when using new brick. Sometimes you have a really good bond between the mortar and the brick and you damage/destroy the brick trying to remove it and you could fine yourself short of the number of bricks to complete the job. In any event, cleaning up old brick is very labor intensive, something some masons don't want to do. Some info from BIA (Brick Industry Association) on salvaged brick at this link http://www.gobrick.com/html/frmset_thnt.htm Your brick is newer than that mentioned in the link, and provided you can salvage enough of them, I'd go for it. It's the easiest way to get a match.
Edited 12/9/2003 11:47:28 AM ET by jc
If the mortar can be removed without damaging the faces of the brick, it could be used outside again. The outer 'crust' of brick is similar to glass due to the intense heat of the kiln. Just below this protective layer, the brick is softer and more porous.
The problem with 25 year old brick (as opposed to say, 100 y/o brick) is that it was almost certainly layed with a hard Portland-rich mortar, which is very difficult to remove.
The mason may be speculating that the removal process is likely to damage the protective outer layer, making them unsuitable for reuse outdoors.