You are here:

Architecture/Exterior Remodel

Advertisement

Expert: - 2/9/2009


Question

Columbia House Street
House was hit by car and the entire thing has to be "rebricked" (currently made of roman brick which is no longer made).  Any suggestions as to color and type of brick and also color for siding, adding trim, etc?  It is a very nice house, custom designed in the 50's by Hurst John, know as "The Frank Lloyd Wright" of Columbia, Mo.

Answer
Patricia - thanks for your question!

Thanks also for the photo - helps a lot.  It's an interesting home, but it's not so close to the street - how on earth did it get hit by a car?

"Roman" brick is a size, not a style, and it is still made.  As you've probably discovered, Frank Lloyd Wright and his followers used it quite a bit in Prairie-styled homes throughout the Midwest.  The long, narrow profile of Roman brick is perfect for the horizontal character of Prairie homes.  It is also used for some commercial buildings.

Belden Brick (www.beldenbrick.com), one of the largest brick manufacturers in the country, makes Roman brick in the standard 1 5/8" X 11 5/8" size - that's significantly narrower and significantly longer than standard brick.

There are several dozen major brick manufacturers in the US; with a little research you should be able to find others that make Roman size.

You'll have to check how well those sizes match to yours (should be the same) and you'll need to match colors.  Not all colors are available in Roman, and of course your 50 year old brick has changed color a bit over the years.

Best thing is to take a sample to your local building supply (a contractor's store, not Lowe's or Home Depot) and have them research it.  They're usually pretty good at finding what you need.

For paint colors, stay true to the original as much as possible.  If you're thinking of changing, do some research on Prairie colors schemes - there are LOTS of books and websites out there with that information!

Hope this helps,

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com

Richard Taylor, AIA

Expertise

Ask me about all aspects of house, remodeling. , and room addition design and construction. Ask me about historic homes, renovation, and restoration. Ask me about materials and techniques, and about how you can get the best value for your design and construction dollar. Ask me how you can make your home a very special place. I can't, however, answer specific structural engineering questions in this forum - that's something you'll need on-site observation for.

Experience

I own a full-service residential architectural firm, and have been designing custom homes, remodelings, and room additions across the country since 1983. Check us out at Richard Taylor Architects and RTA Plans. I have written and been published extensively on the subject of residential architecture.

Organizations
American Institute of Architects, City of Dublin Architectural Review Board, Vice Chair of City of Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission, American Planning Association, Board Member Historic Dublin Business Association, Past Editor of SPLASH (a software forum), Past Editor of Open Directory Project, Assistant Scoutmaster, Boy Scouts of America

Publications
Business First of Columbus, Suburban New Publications, About.com, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch Residential Architect Custom Home Architect Remodeling Architect

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) Miami University 1983
For more about home design, check out my blog at Sense Of Place and join the conversation on our Facebook Page.

Awards and Honors
2010 Dublin Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.