concrete-construction-building-tips

Every now and again, there is a need to repair or extend brick walls. Finding new bricks that exactly match those originally used is preferable, but this is not always possible.

So, why is brick matching not an easy task? One reason is that the clay deposit that was used for the original bricks may have been depleted. The second reason is that the brick company that you dealt with before may no longer be in business, or may have discontinued that line of bricks.

In some cases, you can get lucky and find a brick at your local brick merchant that is a perfect match, or one that is so close that from a short distance you cannot see a noticeable difference. However, for the most part, the solution is not so easy to come by. If there was a national database of brick colors and textures, then this would not be too difficult but, alas, there is not.

The first thing that you should do is take some high resolution pictures of the original bricks, as matching from memory is impossible. You should email copies of these photos to every brick merchant in your city. Give them as much detail as you can about the originals, such as the year they were bought, where they were bought from, dimensions, etc.

If no-one can find you an exact match of your bricks, then find ones that at least match the color. Whatever, a brick salesman says to the contrary, this is the best way forward. Finding bricks that are a very close color match is definitely possible with a little looking around. Always look for a color match over a texture match. Texture differences in bricks can be seen up close, but not from a distance. Color mis-matches stand out from any distance.

Once you have found some potential matches, get some samples and take them back to your home for a proper evaluation. Then, be sure to stand back at least 10 feet when judging the quality of the match, as your eyes can sometimes play tricks on you when you look at the bricks up close. Ask a few other people for their opinions on which is the best match, and note down their answers.

As a final point, do not forget about also matching the mortar. Pay close attention to the color and size of the sand particles in your existing mortar, as not all sand is the same. Getting the right sand is not overly difficult, but you will then need to prematurely age it. You can do this with a brick cleaning chemical.
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