Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Using old or "used" bricks in a project can give it an atmosphere and character that is difficult to achieve with new bricks. Old bricks have a unique history and a weathered look that is rarely repeated in modern manufacturing processes.

Steps

1. 1 Find old bricks. You can find them on the construction site, where buildings were demolished, on a destroyed landfill, or from a building or chimney that you demolished yourself.
2. 2 Select and discard badly damaged and broken bricks that you don't need. Cleaning old bricks is a complex and time consuming project, so make sure you spend time and energy on the bricks you will need later on.
3. 3 Set up your workspace by creating a sturdy table or other surface at a comfortable working height. For example, you can mount a large piece of 3/4 in. (18 mm) plywood on a trestle.
4. 4 Use a hammer and stone chisel to knock excess mortar off the brick. Place the cutting edge of the chisel directly on the seam where the mortar meets the clay of the brick and hit it with a hammer with a shearing motion. Often the mortar is removed carefully, especially with a smooth brick texture.
5. 5 Use a stiff wire brush to polish any residue from the surface of the brick that will be used in your project.
6. 6 Use the abrasive whetstone found at your home improvement store to scrub any leftover material off the brick. A sharpening stone is a rectangular block made of abrasive material and wood, or with a plastic handle attached to them.
7. 7 Wash the bricks with a mild (10% or less) hydrochloric acid solution, rinse and fold to dry.

Tips

• A pneumatic chisel connected to a compressor can handle less labor than a hammer and chisel. It's pretty inexpensive. Be sure to wear safety goggles and a respirator as they raise a lot of dust.
• Remember, when your bricks are lying, only certain sides will be visible, so as long as the sides that are connected to other bricks are flat, without large lumps of mortar on them, they should not be perfectly clean.
• You can use a grindstone with a wire brush for a “stubborn” grout.
• You may be able to purchase pre-cleaned old bricks from local brick outlets, saving you the time that cleaning up used bricks ultimately requires.
• Use a duplicate brick if the project is too difficult for you. Old Chicago is an easily accessible duplicate brick with an authentic look.

Warnings

• Wear appropriate safety clothing, gloves and safety goggles, especially if you are using a whetstone or hammer and chisel.

What do you need

• Hammer and chisel; a bricklayer's hammer and brick chisel are much more effective than a standard nailer or chisel
• Safety equipment