When bricking my house, I spent several days at all the local brickyards, looking for that 18th-century Cambridge look - with no success. I tried Stiles & Hart, Redland, Old Carolina, York, Glen-Gery, Boral... nothing had the texture and color variety I wanted.
The problem: Modern brick manufacturing is much too good! In the old days, bricks would be overfired or underfired accidentally, and would be contaminated with pine tar and all sorts of other things the EPA doesn't like. So there's really no way to make modern bricks that look like old-fashioned bricks. Some of the above companies try, using hand-fashioning methods, and even sputtering extra clay onto the bricks, but it doesn't look the same.
I was just about to give up when I discovered a vendor that goes around digging up old brickyards. These bricks come from a yard that's about 100 years old in Veedersburg, Indiana. They were originally thrown out because they were too imperfect! These days, of course, that's a much-desired quality.
I bought too many, and I hate to just throw them out. I originally paid about $1/brick plus shipping. There are 19 pallets; each pallet contains about 100 to 200 bricks. The bricks are of varying sizes; some are half-sized, some are full-sized, some are too long, some have twists or cut corners. Colors range from red to purple to black to grey to yellow to tan. The original "vein" has run out by now, so this is the last to get these particular bricks! There aren't enough for a whole house, but probably enough for a brick front, outbuilding, decorative interior walls, or quite a few fireplaces and chimneys.
You will need a VERY TALENTED mason to lay these bricks; he'll want to split the longer bricks to keep your bond even. But as you can see from the photos, the result will be a look that you simply cannot achieve with modern bricks. If you're in the Boston area, I'll give you the number of the mason I used.
You *must* arrange delivery yourself; I can be available at this end to meet the delivery truck. If you're not local, but are serious about buying, I will be happy to ship a few sample bricks at my expense, and make the sale contingent upon your approval.
FAQ:
No. A nearby Taylor Rental will rent a Bobcat for $220/day.
- How much do the bricks weigh?
Each brick is unique, of course, but they seem to weigh about seven pounds each.
It is impossible to count accurately, of course, but I believe there are around 1500 full bricks and 700 half-bricks. That said, I am selling these as a lot, not by individual count, and I may be high or low. Rest assured that I want these OFF my lawn, and I have no interest in keeping anything back...
- Buying an approximate quantity of bricks over the Internet seems the height of insanity! There is a brickyard right near me.
You are absolutely right; it's crazy. But if you're as obsessed with that "historical" look as I was, this may be your only opportunity to get it. And, as I said, I'm happy to ship you samples before we complete the deal.
- Can't I just use salvage bricks from old buildings?
That was the original plan for my own house, but as I understand it - and I'm no mason - used brick doesn't hold the mortar as well the second time, and you can run into problems years down the road, such as cracking or water penetration. Google for "salvage brick problems" before you decide to go that route.
Unfortunately, no. Like most bricks intended for walls, they have holes right through the middle of them to reduce weight. If you're looking for antique pavers, you might try www.historicalbrick.com, which is where I got these originally.
Price: $1000 OBO.
