Picked up an old brick from 1880 and it changed how I see things

I was tearing down a wall at a job in Buffalo last week and found a brick stamped with a local kiln mark from 1880. That single brick had way better density than the modern ones I buy at the supply yard now. Has anyone else noticed older bricks just seem to hold up better than what we get today?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.sage1mo ago

Oh man, you hit on something I've noticed too. That old clay was fired slower and at higher temps, so it vitrified better than the rushed stuff they push out today. Modern bricks are made for speed and cost, not durability. Your 1880 brick probably has a harder shell and less internal cracking from fast cooling. It's like comparing a cast iron skillet to a cheap nonstick pan - same idea, just built different.

gavina731mo ago

@craig.sage nailed it, I found the same thing restoring an old church and those bricks are tanks compared to modern ones.