How to choose and combine brick veneer for new construction and additions

My neighbor spent over $ 200,000 to add a beautiful addition to her traditional brick veneer house on Cape Cod. But when the masonry contractor laid the brick, he couldn’t even match the color of the mortar to that of the original part of the house. . Worse still, the new bright white mortar collides with both new and old brick. The house now has a garish and jarring appearance and the cost of repair is prohibitive.

Brick veneer is the most durable and beautiful material that will protect your home from the elements. The brick is virtually maintenance-free and will last for generations. Living in the Detroit area, it is easy to see that the brick in all the dilapidated buildings is still in beautiful condition and in most cases can be recovered and reused. Brick veneer is more expensive and you will have to live with your choice for as long as you own your home. If you are planning an addition or construction of a new home, the money, time and effort invested in choosing the design, brick, mortar, and most importantly, the contractor will be returned many times over in value to long term.

Here are some ideas to consider when choosing or combining a brick cladding.

• Cost: Maybe it would be better to sacrifice square footage for quality and beauty.

• Design: Long, tall walls should be broken with a vertical course of brick, stone ledge, or brick that varies in color and texture. Off-center wall design with inside or outside corners to give the house vertical definition.

• Use “offset” (brick sticking out of the wall in patterns or random) of bricks to create interest.

• Make the addition narrower or wider than the existing house for the interior or exterior corners to facilitate the combination of bricks and mortars.

• How does the house fit into the neighborhood? A traditional style home needs darker reds and more texture with gray mortar. Fieldstone, granite or sandstone can be used with care

• Contemporary homes can use whites, blushes, or neutral colors and smooth-glazed brick. The mortar can be bright white.

• A skilled and experienced bricklayer will take the time to test various mixes to combine with the mortar. Remember that it is the SAND of the mortar that must match. Ask to see other work the bricklayer has done and be prepared to pay a little more

• There are many brick sizes and profiles available. We have a slab-built farmhouse in our neighborhood that uses long, low-profile brick with a subtle wavy texture. Along with a gabled roof and deep evens, this home would be the envy of Frank Lloyd Wright himself.

• Design the roof and gutters so that downspouts can be used to hide the junction between the old and new brick. There are many decorative gutter and downspout products available. Visit a local gutter and siding supply house

• A fake copper downspout with a fancy guide head (or conductor) can also be used to hide a seam

• Many false half columns are available in various metallic and paint materials.

• Carefully use horizontal or vertical beveled siding with high quality slats in your design.

• More or more windows, entry doors, shutters, and small round or octagon shaped windows can be used to break up large brick walls.

• Be careful when using bricks on gables. Due to the steepness of the roof at each end of the brick courses, the careless bricklayer will lose his way; vertical joints will not line up and the wall will have a wavy, amateurish look. A small window at the top of the gable would be good in this circumstance.

• And remember to choose your roof tiles and materials at the same time. For example, using a metal roof in an addition may be a way of making the addition “complement” the original home rather than trying an exact “match” (for the few of you who are confident, brave, and daring you can use a combination of materials and design to “contrast” the original house – I’ve seen it done and to wonderful purposes!)

And finally a special mention when it comes to using stone. A cobblestone cabin looks like it does because it is a cabin! A cabin is a small house. A large stone house must be designed with great care. Avoid long, tall stone veneer walls.

Mixing stone with brick veneer can produce a pleasant effect. Try to imagine that you are building your house on the old ruins of a stone fence or an old country mansion. The bottom corners, some around the front door, and some randomly chosen spots on the wall are all that is needed.

The brick has been made in local kilns using clay mined from nearby river banks for centuries. The brick you find made in New England can clash with the landscape of the home you build in Texas. The same is true if you use that blush pink brick you loved in Florida for a home built in Wisconsin. The brick must be of the same origin as the house. Contemporary or traditional; single-story or two-story colonial ranch; two-level or semi-detached house; new construction or addition, all need the appropriate brick siding to enhance long-term value and style.