I finally laid a curved walkway with reclaimed bricks, and it turned out great.

It was tough getting the curve just right without breaking the old bricks. I had to adjust my mortar to account for their uneven edges. More clients in my area are asking for eco-friendly options, so this skill is becoming key. What mixes do you all use for reclaimed materials?

3 comments

3 Comments

faithbennett27d ago

Mixing mortar for reclaimed bricks is always a gamble, like when I botched a batch and had to start over.

uma66827d ago

My three-to-one lime mix for old bricks is pretty straightforward actually.

patw8525d ago

Straightforward can mean careless though. That rigid three-to-one ratio ignores the actual condition of the bricks. Some old bricks are super soft and need a totally different mix, like more sand to be softer. Just slapping the same mortar on everything risks damaging the original material. It's not a recipe, it needs real judgment.