Bricks for outer arch

[dbhansen]

I never thought I'd have so much trouble finding bricks for my decorative arch.... It seems like my only choice in clay bricks is between solid pavers that have a nice color on one surface only (and/or that don't come in the color I want), or clay house bricks (with holes in them ) that are colored by means of a sandy coating applied to the surface.

Is it OK to use the latter? The trouble is, the colored coating comes off with a wire brush, revealing the ugly brown/orange clay underneath. Does anyone have experience using this type of brick on the outer arch, and will the color wear off as I slide pans across it?

The other problem with these is that I wanted to use half-bricks, which means cutting them and exposing the clay on the cut surface (which will be showing on the underside of my arch).

I've checked all the brick suppliers in town, but maybe I need to look elsewhere....

Daren

[mfiore]

Re: Bricks for outer arch

Daren. I used the house bricks you refer to, with holes. I don't know about your arch, but mine will only be seen from the front, and the underside. The top will stick out only a few cm from the facing stone veneer.

Most bricks have at least 2 good sides. The front that is intended to face out, and one ends (sometimes both ends). I cut the brick in half, and placed the cut side inward. The underside of the arch and front surface are nice. The tip is not finished as nicely (backside of brick), but that won't show.

In reality, the underside is not seen that much. Turns out to be good, too, because after all the effort, I was not careful with the mortar. I waited too long to pull the arch form, and I have a sloppy mess on the underside of the arch that I can't scrape off.

I didn't put them on the floor of the arch yet. For reasons you've mentioned, I wasn't sure how it would hold up to the sliding of pans. I've yet to figure out my landing.

Good luck.

[dbhansen]

Re: Bricks for outer arch

Thanks Mike, good to know. I was hoping to leave the arch bricks a bit longer than yours (looks like you have the short end showing?), which means cutting them. But you're right, only my kids and dog will see the underside of the arch, and all they're concerned with is the next pizzza!

[Lars]

Re: Bricks for outer arch

Daren,
I was looking for something that would kind of match the firebricks ( because I really liked the way they looked) and I found a place that had what they called 'Beige Solids'. An 4x8x2.25" solid brick with at least two 'good sides'.

I was lucky enough to find 300 of them all matching for $.25/brick!! They have worked SO good. They split really nicely and they are very solid. I would call around and try to find a place that sells 'seconds' who might have something similar.

Lars.

( adding most recent pic so you can see them)

[bimbo]

Re: Bricks for outer arch

I found a place here in Australia that sells dry pressed solids in most natural colours you can get normal bricks and pavers in. The colour is in the clay and doesn't scratch off - colour is the same almost to the centre of the brick.

I am using some clay pavers for the landing (width of 1/2 a normal brick) and half bricks for the outer arch. All in a dark chocolate which I thought would be a nice contrast to the light cream of firebricks.

I assume that if i can get them in OZ they make them in other places around the world. Only trouble I found was having to wait for ages to get them because I was only ordering 50 bricks and about 2m squared of pavers when these places deal in pallets of stuff so they have to wait till they are ordering other stuff from the suppliers.

Cheers
James