Trying to match the existing property

Trying to match bricks from the late 20th century, is not always the simplest of tasks.

Nowadays we have several companies, specialising in brick matching. However, a brick match is not always available.

This was supposedly to be a straightforward, bricking-up of a garage window.

My part was to form a reinforced concrete beam and brick-up the opening to cill height.

I shot over to Leicester to collect 180 bricks from Jewson's who had a quite impressive brick yard. The bricks we had agreed, weren't a good match, in reality, they turned out to be hi-viz yellow.

They had a brick with the same dragged face, but it was an awful colour match. I went for a colour match brick which was immediately rejected by the client on my return.

The client had a go at finding a match, by using our local Brick Match company. Again these were later rejected, as too bright and not the same dragged face.

On the day, that I was due to do the brickwork. The client had found quite a few of the original bricks within his side leanto face down. So he was cleaning the mud of the bricks as I laid them! In his reckoning, he'd probably had enough of the original bricks laying around the property in the first place....

I used Steadfast "Coarse, Light Khaki" Mortar Pointing, to match in with the existing jointed finish.