Expert: Joan Miller - 9/8/2009

Question
Hello
I have a 4000 sq. ft. ranch style home in the country.  I want to enclose the garage at one end of the house plus add on to the other end of the house.  The brick manufacturer went out of business in the late 80's.  What materials could I consider to use with the garage opening being closed and the other addition on the other end of the house.  Also what would it cost to remove some 2400 sq ft. of brick and replace this brick with other brick or stone?  I would apprecist your ideas.  If you would like a photo of this house, let me know and I will send you one.  Thanks.

Answer
Thank you for your question Steve.

Unfortunately, lots of bricks and stones that were made in the 1980's and 1990's have already been off the market for quite some time. When it comes to an addition for the home, we must first consider enhancing it's value by sticking to masonry products (if possible#, considering that these products respect the present style of your home.

First, for the garage opening and add on, you may be able to find a perfect match for your brick that may be made by another manufacturer. I have experienced working with American brick products for instance, luckily to find that many models of brick match one another, only they are named differently.

The sizes are either the same, but may differ slightly in length. As long as the height is the exact same, that should not be a problem for installation. Please visit your local brick and stone distributor. They should be able to search for you a matching brick. Do bring along a few samples of your original brick and a close up photo if possible. With these elements, the brick specialist may be able to help you. If you are having difficulty finding anything at all, or if you are not getting the appropriate help #matching brick sometimes is a nightmare for some distributors# do send me a close up picture of your brick and I would be more than happy to give it a try.

If you choose to remove 2400 sq.ft. of brick to replace it with a new masonry product, I would like to suggest trying stone, rather than a brick that makes a small attempt to match, or that does not match at all. Stone will always be the best value for add ons with American clay brick style #that is what I suppose you have installed on your home). Quarry stones, limestones, or even concrete stones are good options for you. With regards to the costs, please contact your local bricklayer, he/she is the best guide to help you budget out this part. The brick and stone distributor is the best guide to budget out the costs of the new brick or stone. Always shop the distributor and bricklayer separately. Bricklayers have a tendency to shop the brick/stone for the customers and do take a 10% mark up for the time consuming research. Do the brick research yourself, and it will save you that for sure.

Good luck with your project.

Best regards,

Joan Miller