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Bricks
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Posted by lovelycherry Z7 Long Island (My Page) on Sat, Mar 17, 07 at 17:48
Hi I need to get about 300 bricks and at .75 cents each it runs in to a bit of money.
I posted on my local freecycle that if anyone has bricks i will pick them up.
Someone contacted me With the following:
"The bricks make up my porch they are 80 years old, they are mortored. A mason is taking it apart. Don't know what condition that they will be in. You're welcome to them. They might be in pieces as I don't know how he's breaking up the porch. I assume that some should be fine. Can't promise the condition. If you email me back by the 31st of March, will let you know the exact date that he's coming. Need them to be taken the day that they're taken apart.Glad that I can help."
Not sure I want the bricks. does anyone know how the mason will break them up? I suspect with a sledge hammer right? So they will be in pieces.
Thanks Cherry
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Bricks
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| I'd email him back that I'd love to have them, & ask him to get the mason to make every attempt to break them apart where they're mortared (which he probably will anyway: those old bricks are likely to be *much* more dense than the mortar, so the mortar will be easier to break). Even if some of them are broken, 80-year-old bricks are a find! Best luck! |
RE: Bricks
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| You load them up and then get a hammer and chisel used to remove the left over mortar. One by one. For that work you get the equivalent of $200. Any half bricks can still be useful as fill or spacers depending on what your pattern will be. I have scrounged bricks sometimes only one or two at a time and cleaned them up. Sometimes I hit a site like you have and dig thru a pile of broken bricks to find some good ones. Good luck. |
RE: Bricks
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| Jump on it. I had posted the same type ad in our local trade magazine. got a phone call that these people had busted up a 40X45 brick patio in their brick yard - i would say 90-95% of them were NOT broken. My neighbor and i went to town! I am lining all my beds now.... :) |
RE: Bricks
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| You can't buy bricks like those, even if you had the money to spend on new bricks -- aged brick is something special and very much in demand. So go for it! Kristin |
RE: Bricks
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| I'm curious what are you going to be using the bricks for? We live in a 100 yr old house. We had to tear down one of the chimneys. I used some of those bricks for my flower beds. Not all of them lasted they just disintegrated. Because of age, the mortar would just crumble off some of the bricks and leave the brick whole. So I'm wondering what you would use them for. |
RE: Bricks
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| I had Mel's experience. We took out four chimneys, beautiful, local brick, shades of cream, rosy, peachy wonderful texture, etc. They heaved and broke up terribly with freezing (We generally have 6-8 months of that) and I am going to have to take them up. Even sweeping them with a broom wiped away brick pieces. On the other hand, I think they would work as a barbecue area, and certainly a more gentle climate, and possibly the brick composition might make all the difference. Ours are 80-100 years old, probably lots of iron ore to match our red dust and soil. I agree, old bricks are beautiful and a find. |
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