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Trimble Workshop : Brick choice conundrum

TrimTheKing

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Morning all

I'm working out how many and what type bricks I need, but haven't a clue so was hoping you could help...

Here's a few pics of the house and the different brick types used over the years as various additions have been made, up to the latest type. Can anyone shed any light on what bricks I need to be looking at to match these as closely as possible (ideally as cheaply as possible without compromising quality, so newer rather than remained if that's a big saving).











Cheers
Mark
 
Is that brickwork new - mortar looks excessively thick and a bit messy?

I would try a local brick factors armed with your photos.
There's lots of bricks to choose from or at least there used to be?

Rod
 
Looks like a mixture of wire cuts and stocks......

Local builders merchant should have something close to either.....
 
Cheers kostello, will take a look and see what's in the neighbourhood.

Rod - the last 2 pics are the new part done in the past 10-12 years done to match everything else in the house, some of which is close to 100 years old. Don't know whether that makes it good or not but it would certainly look odd if the new section had modern looking mortar when the rest has been spooned in...

Cheers
Mark
 
They look reclaimed to me, which definitely won't be the cheapest way to go. My very minimal experience of buying reclaimed bricks is that you need to go look at them if you're trying to match something as every pallet can vary. Maybe reclaimed on the front, some sort of red stock on the sides you don't see?

I'd be interested in reading a link explaining the different types of brick (stocks, wire cuts etc) if anyone has one - sorry if this is thread highjack, not meant to be

Mark
 
You should find that one or more of the bigger builders merchants should have a brick library near you.

Have a browse and see what you fancy, note the names and then shop around to get the best deal. You might find what get called 'weathered' bricks which just means they have been kicking around the yard and they want to shift them and so will be cheaper. Your builder mate will possibly know good places for best value materials.

Bob
 
Presumably approval of materials was a condition on your planning approval. Was there anything more in the approval in terms of matching the house or is it your preference to do so?

Terry.
 
OK, thought that may be the case. In which case reclaimed may be a pain as if you need to show a sample I guess you could end up buying them only to find the planners don't like them / think the match not good enough. That said I have assembled a pretty decent amount of reclaimed bricks from eBay for a fraction of the reclaimation yard prices. Bought them with a hard landscaping project in mind which is now on hold. If you have time to build up your stock of bricks and there is a particular type of brick predominant locally it could be an option, but as per above, not without risk.

Terry.
 
Thanks Terry

Going forwards I don't need to involve planners at all. The approval states that so long as the final building is built to the specs of the submitted drawings in size and materials then fine.

I don't need to submit any samples and there's no stipulation on brick type (I've clarified this with the approving officer) other than matching in aesthetics/appearance so I can use whatever I want.

The reason for the question was just to understand what is already there so I can find the cheapest suitable brick to do the job.

Cheers
Mark
 
Well in which case I really would have a little browse on eBay as if your willing to piece the total number you need together there are bargains to be had. I won an auction for what was advertised as 120 bricks about a hundred years old for £20.01. When I went to pick them up the guy tells me there are another 200 in a pile in is back garden and I can have them as long as I don't mind shifting them. So that was 300 bricks for twenty quid, whilst the local reclaimation yard wants £1 per brick. These were the first ones I bought but it was not the last time I got a great deal with many more bricks thrown in than people had quoted on the auction.

Terry.
 
Then tomorrow I shall be all over ebay like a rash!!! :)

Thanks, I love them too apart from the fact the current lights in there leak like buggery! Soon (hopeful) to replace all windows in the house with something more durable and energy efficient, and that will be another story...

Cheers
Mark
 
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