And, doesn't it seem like there is a lot of mess from mortar on the brick?

Are these recycled brick? They seem to have some really irregular edges. If that's the look you were after, it explains some of the crookedness effect.

Most of the shadowed areas are in the grooves between 2 bricks. The groove is in a different plane than the brick above it.

Regarding the uneveness of the brick, i actually like it! Do you have photos of what you expected it to look like that you could share? It could just be that in the professional photos they used lighting to a oid any shadows.

I do agree that the top two rows are very sloppy. I would insist they redo those top two rows as the mortar is oozing out way too much and looks very different from the other rows of mortar. As for some bricks sticking out more from others, it looks to me as if that may be the way the bricks were designed, so looks good to me. However, that does not mean some bricks are not sticking out further than others. Are you able to watch them while they brick? Are they in fact sticking some out further than others. As per the photo you linked from the manufacturer, in that photo it looks like they used mortar color which will make the bricks look different as well.

I hope you get satisfaction, especially for the top two rows of brick. Except for the top two rows, I think it looks good for what it is worth. I am not noticing from the picture a lot of drips of mortar, but perhaps I would feel differently if seeing it in real life.

Good luck!

Carol

As for the first two rows, I assumed that was just finished and they still need to clean it up. If they think the top two rows are okay then you do have a problem!

Did you end up with the sand-faced brick you had posted about before? If so, the brick masons have got to be much more careful to remove any excess mortar, mortar splatters and smears as soon as it happens. That type of brick CANNOT be pressure washed to remove the mortar as you will lose all the sand and the brick will end up a VERY different color than what was intended. In the meantime, they can scrape the hardened mortar off as best they can. I would make it VERY clear to your GC and the brick masons that if the facade of the house is covered in mortar mess at completion, that they will need to remove the offending areas and rebrick at their expense for materials and labor. Same goes if they try to pressure wash the brick.

If it's not a sand faced brick, then pressure washing shouldn't be an issue and the mortar will come off when they wash it.

I can't imagine they are leaving the top rows with the slobbery mortar look when the rows below are finger finished-I think it was just the timing of the picture.

Hope this helps!

i honestly did not pick up on the differences you have pointed out with respect to the top six courses being different than those below. the mason has a crew of young guys training with him that were the ones laying the brick when i saw them there on the first day. i was incredibly uneasy that young kids were laying my brick and the mason was supervising, but when my husband was there they all were working. i guess this is the Amish way and I mean no disrespect by showing concern, i just don't think they're doing a great job and i'm not sure they will improve.

should i demand only one guy lay the brick and not the young crew?

I don't think anyone has taken offense to your comments on the young guys. Obviously, every tradesman has to get their hands on training somewhere at some point so they can later become master tradesmen. Unfortunately, it sounds like you might have an entire crew of "green" brick masons. I think this is a valid point to make with the head brick mason and GC. Perhaps they could pull a few more of their more experienced masons to lead/supervise the younger crew a little more closely.

Just out of curiosity, did you have the opportunity to see any of the brick mason's previous work before they started? Perhaps this is normal for them...?

Good luck!

I saw another house they laid the brick on and, to be honest, I didn't inspect it at all. It is a beige brick with a similar color mortar and the lack of contrast meant that any issues weren't obvious to my quick glance. Our builder is confident this mason is very skilled and I know he's been at it for at least two decades. You're right though, the "green" crew need to be supervised more diligently.

My husband is going there shortly to take more photos and I'll post them when I have them.

You purchased a non 'mass production' brick that is molded instead of wire curt and now do not like that it has more variation?

any thoughts?

I'd like to suggest that you just go with the flow for now.... to suggest that things be done differently might result in just that. If you succeed in getting them to alter their technique (without removing the sections already done) there's the real possibility that your house might look like a patchwork quilt?
So depending on how much has been bricked, I'd probably let them carry on and hope that you get a similar result across the entire house.

It's a lovely brick and I like the handmade look!

I also can see a lot more shadows in the brick in picture #1 of 3 at the crisscross of the scaffolding.

Not a mass produced product.

Variation is going to occur.

This is something you are not seeming to understand. The variability in the brick is NOT "just in the color". They are different sizes as well. This requires a larger mortar joint as well as some in and out of the brick placement. Some joints will be smaller, where two of the larger bricks are next to each other, and some will be smaller, where two of the smaller sized bricks will be next to each other. Some bricks will stick out, and some will be a bit more recessed. This is where you have to step 50 feet back and look at the big picture, not try to micromanage 5 square feet.

If you do not care for the look, perhaps it's not too late to have them remove it and to purchase machine made brick instead so you can have a bunch of regular soldiers lining up perfectly straight.

there is clearly a huge difference. this is the SAME brick, same mortar, but laid much better and more evenly.

It sounds as if they are not experienced with this type of brick and you may need to readdress the situation.

Have the bricklayer show you with his level that this is straight. Or get your own level out. I guess they don't use plumblines as much any more.

I agree to get the door checked. It does not look level to me either but that may be an optical illusion. I took to carrying a level with me in my car because there were a number of things that looked "off" during our build. Not all were, but some were. With all the mortar lines, it can create an optical illusion.

It looks like around the door they just cut bricks in half to make the mortar lines line up but didn't take into account the variation of the brick so it throws it off. Maybe it is an optical illusion though?

We did a soldier course (which my architect was against since it is not really architecturally correct), but I liked it much better since we were painting the brick. If we had not painted the brick, we would have used a jack arch.

Raked joints create more texture to a wall but that is usually not necessary with a handmade brick. The combination is pretty rustic.

As for cleaning molded brick, Glen-Gery says:
"At the end of each shift, remove
excess mortar with a stiff bristle
brush. Clean with wooden paddles
and stiff fiber brushes using
clean water.
If a cleaning agent is necessary,
presoak the wall with clean water prior
to applying the cleaning agent and
thoroughly rinse the wall with
clean water after cleaning. Prior to
determining a final cleaning solution,
test the procedure and cleaning agent
on a small sample area to observe the
effectiveness of the overall cleaning
solution and, most importantly, to
detect any possible deleterious effects
or changes in appearance of the brick.
Additional information is available in
the Glen-Gery Technical Profile
"Cleaning New Brickwork." Some
Handmade bricks should not be
cleaned; Check with your Glen-Gery
Distributor or District Sales Manager
prior to making a final selection of a
cleaning procedure and solution.
Reference: BIA Technical Notes on
Brick Construction 20, "Cleaning
Brickwork."

All of the cracks you see are not by design but are a result of a poor mix design and improper drying and firing.

The sample panels you show are from different "runs", that is the main reason they look so different from what you're laying in the wall.

The mortar joint issue is coming from selecting a "raked joint", this is the most difficult of all joints to install correctly. Contrary to some other comments, it's best to leave slight areas of mortar alone until it dries. If you try cleaning the mortar when it's wet you can smear it and make it much worse.

Sand faced brick can be cleaned with a mild detergent and brushes with light water pressure. Blowing the sand off is not the issue, it's designed to come off, you must be careful to not blow the face off the brick. Moulded brick do not have the compressive strength that extruded brick do.

The top 2 courses in the first photo have not been jointed yet. Did you take the photo while the guys were on break? The mortar looks green and I would assume that they were waiting for it to set up before they raked the joint.

The workmanship could be better but they're hindered by the quality of the brick. Make sure they flash and seal everything as well as fully grout every head joint. Every crack you see has the potential to leak water and that will be a major expense to repair.

Good Luck

As a builder, the masons always ask me "raked" (typically with just a random stick) or "tooled"?

what do you mean about having the masons flash and seal everything? please explain so i can let them know what to do with the remaining areas.

should i be worried about my brick and mortar's longevity?

Flashing should be at the bottom and above and below openings.

Speaking of grouting, where it's really needed--and maybe it was done after the photos--is at the top row of the block foundation. Easier yet, they could have been solid to begin with.

Rather than try and second-guess the masons--and all the other trades working on your home--invest in an expert's inspection of the project during and after completion. An architect or engineer.

All brick are extremely dense, therefore they will absorb a minimal amount of water but if properly made none will pass through the brick. The water that seeps in comes through faulty head joints (the left and right vertical joint of the brick). When you have irregular edges, it is critical for the mason to make sure that those joints are full and jointed tight to prevent water penetration.

Moulded brick tend to absorb more water than their extruded counterparts because they are not manufactured under the same amount of pressure but if properly manufactured and installed will perform well for many, many years.

Moulded brick are beautiful. The traditional look that they convey with their softer texture is something that extruded brick can never duplicate. However, the bows, cracks and warps that you are seeing are NOT a characteristic of moulded brick. Some people like the rough, irregular sizes but they are a nightmare to lay and can lead to a very sloppy looking job if you don't have a mason that is familiar with laying them.

Did you buy these brick direct from Old Virginia or from a distributor? Also, what state are you in? Old Virginia is sitting on a mountain of "cull brick" (brick that were graded as sub-par) and they ship them out of state to areas that don't consume large amounts of moulded brick therefore they don't realize how bad they actually are.

If you would like to see some really nice moulded brick, check out Cushwa Brick, there are millions of them on Camden Yards in Baltimore as well as M & T Stadium where the Ravens play.

Let me know if you need any further help.

I'm very nervous now our brick won't hold up or will cause problems. They said it was made specifically for us.

Any advice?

Don't be overly alarmed, your brick will hold up and are not going to fall off the house, but you need to be proactive to avoid any potential water leaks from the brick. With the excessive cracks in the faces you may run into a "spalling" issue a few years down the road where water gets into the cracks and through the freeze/thaw cycles it will cause parts of the faces to pop off.

Most manufacturers offer a warranty for their brick, usually they'll say for as long as you own the home, some offer as much as a 50 year warranty. If you purchased the brick direct from Old Virginia, you should ask them what kind of warranty they offer. They have sales reps that work out of state and if you make the request they should send someone out to look at it.

Being in Ohio, check with Belden Brick in Canton. They make a great moulded brick and may be able to assist you with some of your concerns.

Our architect admitted to forgetting to specify jack arches for our French doors in the basement. He noticed this after the house was entirely bricked. The cost for redoing these areas would have to come out of our pocket and we just didn't want to spend it.

The brick looks great and has held up well through the winter. Here is an updated photo:

Actually. it does.
Any slight variation in the brick dimensions can only be made up for in the mortar joints.