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Where can I get old bricks?
07/13/2009 8:05 AM by John M
A reader writes in looking for old bricks:
We live in Church Hill and are laying a patio in our back yard. If possible we would like to match the pavement bricks that are on the sidewalk around Church Hill. Where would I find out details on these bricks and where I might purchase them?
Caravati’s might have some, and I *think* I saw pallets of them at Wilder Construction in Fulton Bottom.
Try digging around in your back yard first. Every time I try planting I usually come across at least two bricks buried where ever I’m putting something!
Or maybe SB Coxe in Fulton (where Williamsburg curves up by Powhatan Park, on the right)
You can also check with the brickyards, occasionally they have busted pallets, wrong colors and canceled orders and might make you a deal.
Governor’s Antiques out north of Richmond usually steals them by the truckload and sells them back to us. Give them a ring.
Honestly, be on the look out for new sidewalk repairs in CH & UH.
When the crews pull up the old bricks, ask the crew supervisor if you can have some. The crews use only new bricks for the new sidewalks.
When the 2200-2100 blocks of Leigh St. were redone last month, I was told I could help myself to the old bricks piled up by the side of the road. Still, I’d ask the crew chief, again just to avoid any missunderstandings.
But truly, if it were me, I’d just take ’em now that I’ve been told by DPW crews & contractors “we just throw em away”.
#6, in the past, if the city was redoing a sidewalk because of neighbor complaints about tree roots tearing up the bricks, the complaining resident got a choice of reusing the old bricks or having new ones put in. Now, that was specific to a complaint causing the city to come fix the problem, and it may be different if the city just shows up to fix a sidewalk….do they do that? Just show up and completely rebrick it? I truly don’t know!
And I totally agree with you, I’d ask the crew chief first before helping myself.
If you’re still looking for bricks, we have some (as Michael said) that I dug out of the lot beside our house. Not sure if they’re a match for the sidewalks, but either way, you’re welcome to them. Email me if you’re interested: chandler.moore@gmail.com
@6–uh, yup, check out the aforementioned blocks on leigh, brand new sidewalks w/ ADA curb cuts. The old bricks cast aside for new.
Most of us are happy with the curb cuts, some of us are just kinda sad we didn’t intervene earlier to save the old bricks.
One neighbor stopped the crew on his section of the block b/c he felt his side walk with lovely old bricks (intact, no holes or breaks with roots) did not need replacement. Plus, he wasn’t a fan of the concrete beneath the new sidewalks (good at keeping the weeds down, but prevents rain water from running thru the cracks into the ground.)
I’ve mentioned in another thread that, while I’m thrilled that we’re finally getting some attention up here in terms of street and sidewalk repair, I think it’s a total shame (and damaging to the historic character of the neighborhood) to replace our gorgeous old bricks with plain new ones. Why not just re-set the old ones? The city is also replacing our ancient (awesome) stone curbing with poured concrete. That sucks.
That said, I may have a few old bricks around that I could donate to your cause… however, they are not all the same exact size which can add an extra level of challenge to patio laying (i know this from experience). And they won’t work in a herringbone pattern at all.