The World of Bricks: A Journey Through the Brickyard
When I walk into a brickyard, I'm met with a sea of possibilities. With so many different types of bricks to choose from, it's almost overwhelming. As I wander down the rows of bricks, I start at one end and make my way to the other, taking in the variety on display. From the main ingredient of clay to the different textures and colors, each brick has its own unique characteristics.
The type of clay used in a brick can vary greatly depending on where it's sourced from. For example, the clay found in Cambridge, Massachusetts is much different from that found in South Carolina. The deep red clay used in South Carolina produces bricks with a distinctively deep red color. As I travel westward, I find different colors of clay, each producing bricks with unique hues.
Some bricks have molds that aren't made square, which gives them rounded edges and makes the dimensions less exact. These bricks are often referred to as "molded bricks." On the other hand, some modern bricklayers use metal forms to produce very straight and true bricks. If you're ordering an eight-inch brick, for example, it's likely to be exactly eight inches in length.
My personal favorite kind of brick is a water-stripped brick. I grew up in Boston, where this type of brick has been the standard for centuries. It's the most traditional looking brick available, and I've always had a soft spot for its classic look. In my opinion, there's nothing quite like the look of a well-laid red wall – it's a testament to the skill of the mason.
In days gone by, masonry was all about structure. The envelope of a building was the strongest part, and brick was the material of choice for that task. However, times have changed. Today, building envelopes are more focused on atmosphere, temperature, and technology. Bricks have become an accent piece, rather than a primary structural element.
Despite this shift in focus, my favorite projects to work with bricks are still those that involve traditional molding techniques. This style of brick-making allows for a great deal of artistic expression and the opportunity to work with imperfect materials. A skilled mason can take a brick that's intentionally inconsistent and make it look like a perfectly crafted piece.
The true artistry of masonry lies in the ability of the mason to create a wall that looks flat, straight, and plumb. This is not just about building a functional structure – it's also about creating a visually appealing space. When done well, the joints between bricks seem to disappear, leaving only a seamless expanse of material.
Unfortunately, if you don't lay true bricks, you'll eventually notice the difference. Over time, the joints will open up, and the wall will show signs of wear. However, when you see a mason who can consistently produce perfectly crafted bricks, it's truly impressive. To me, there's no better look than that of a well-laid brick wall – it's a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the mason.
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"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen i go into a brickyard and i look for a brick that i'm going to really enjoy looking at once it's up in a wall i have many many choices so i can start at one end of a brickyard end up at the other end of the brickyard and i'll see 10 12 15 or 20 different types of bricks the main ingredient in a brick is clay the type of clay that we find in cambridge massachusetts is much different than the clay that we find say down in south carolina there's a deep red clay that we find down there and that's why you'll get a deep red brick out of south carolina you go out towards the western part of the country and you'll find different colors i know out in the milwaukee area for instance they have a yellowish clay which actually makes the brick yellow after they're cooked bricks come in different textures some of these molds are not made square we call that a molded brick so they'll have rounder edges then the dimensions the length and the thickness won't be exact again because the molds are build freehand some bricks are built these days with metal forms that's going to produce a very very straight and true brick so if you're ordering an eight inch brick it's going to be eight inches if it's going to be two and a quarter high you're gonna get two and a quarter high my favorite kind of brick is a water struck brick only because i grew up in boston it's the most traditional looking brick that there is and uh ever since i was a child i've it's that's just been my vision of a brick when i was a young guy all the bricklayers used to say make it red so make the wall red which was just a flood of brick and if you could just see a red wall without seeing anything else but red that means you laid it perfectly it was straight it was plum and it was red back in the day when i started in the trade 30 some years ago masonry was about structure you had brick you had block and the envelope was the strongest building envelope you could have today's building envelope is more about the atmosphere and temperature and technology and the brick has turned into an accent piece which is still very important because again there are just so many bricks to choose from and so many other materials that we can possibly match to make that brick a prominent accent piece my favorite projects to do in brick are still the old molded brick it gives you the most opportunity to be an artist and to work with imperfect materials and make them look perfect the talent of a brick layer is going to make an inconsistent brick look very consistent in the wall meaning the wall should look flat it should look straight it should look plump and that is the artistry of the mason when he makes that happen to me it pops out if you did not lay a true brick you're gonna see it you know in the wall it's gonna open up a joint over time but when you see a mason that can lay a true brick all the time a molded water struck brick to me is just the best look that i could get thanks for watching this whole house has got a video for just about every home improvement project so be sure to check out the others and if you like what you see click on the subscribe button make sure that you get our newest videos right in your feedwhen i go into a brickyard and i look for a brick that i'm going to really enjoy looking at once it's up in a wall i have many many choices so i can start at one end of a brickyard end up at the other end of the brickyard and i'll see 10 12 15 or 20 different types of bricks the main ingredient in a brick is clay the type of clay that we find in cambridge massachusetts is much different than the clay that we find say down in south carolina there's a deep red clay that we find down there and that's why you'll get a deep red brick out of south carolina you go out towards the western part of the country and you'll find different colors i know out in the milwaukee area for instance they have a yellowish clay which actually makes the brick yellow after they're cooked bricks come in different textures some of these molds are not made square we call that a molded brick so they'll have rounder edges then the dimensions the length and the thickness won't be exact again because the molds are build freehand some bricks are built these days with metal forms that's going to produce a very very straight and true brick so if you're ordering an eight inch brick it's going to be eight inches if it's going to be two and a quarter high you're gonna get two and a quarter high my favorite kind of brick is a water struck brick only because i grew up in boston it's the most traditional looking brick that there is and uh ever since i was a child i've it's that's just been my vision of a brick when i was a young guy all the bricklayers used to say make it red so make the wall red which was just a flood of brick and if you could just see a red wall without seeing anything else but red that means you laid it perfectly it was straight it was plum and it was red back in the day when i started in the trade 30 some years ago masonry was about structure you had brick you had block and the envelope was the strongest building envelope you could have today's building envelope is more about the atmosphere and temperature and technology and the brick has turned into an accent piece which is still very important because again there are just so many bricks to choose from and so many other materials that we can possibly match to make that brick a prominent accent piece my favorite projects to do in brick are still the old molded brick it gives you the most opportunity to be an artist and to work with imperfect materials and make them look perfect the talent of a brick layer is going to make an inconsistent brick look very consistent in the wall meaning the wall should look flat it should look straight it should look plump and that is the artistry of the mason when he makes that happen to me it pops out if you did not lay a true brick you're gonna see it you know in the wall it's gonna open up a joint over time but when you see a mason that can lay a true brick all the time a molded water struck brick to me is just the best look that i could get thanks for watching this whole house has got a video for just about every home improvement project so be sure to check out the others and if you like what you see click on the subscribe button make sure that you get our newest videos right in your feed\n"
