Talking to my 75 year old neighbor turned my opinion around on reusing bricks from demolition sites

He told me he's been using the same 60 year old bricks from a torn down schoolhouse for the last 15 years and they've never cracked or spalled on him once, so has anyone else had good luck with salvaged brick or am I asking for trouble?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jana15d ago

My buddy tried reusing bricks from an old factory demolition for his patio. He stacked them up and within a year half of them had chipped and crumbled. The mortar just didn't hold right either and he had to tear the whole thing out. He said the bricks were way too soft and porous, probably from years of weather exposure. So it really depends on the brick type and where it came from.

juliawalker15d ago

@the_jana, test a single brick in water first. If it bubbles, it's junk.