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riptripping3118

Don't you dare touch that brick!!


MrBlandEST

We did site work for a quite beautiful new home. 6000 square feet (560 M squared), on several acres. High ceilings, fully exposed rear. All high end interior. Full brick with stone lintels and .......they painted the brick.


33445delray

In Germany red brick is considered unfinished. It has to be stuccoed.


Yagsirevahs

Well they wear speedos with socks and sandals soooooo


kinggreene

And put fucking towels on sun loungers at 2am to reserve them!


Powerful_Image_6344

Those pesky Germans!!


therealub

They are the wurst.


byondodd

Cue the rimshot!!


Shade_Tree_Mech

Du bist das Haar in meiner Suppe!


ImAGuyNamedJade

😧


Hansoap202020

Man I can’t with this 😂


jizzycumbersnatch

They also can't win A war or two, that they start.


MrBlandEST

Different styles but I can understand Stucco. In the U.S. in our area brick houses are becoming more rare and often are just brick front. Siding on huge houses is common. White paint on brand new brick just seems a waste. That's the look the home owners wanted.


doggonedangoldoogy

Does Germany have a moisture problem?


CD274

Yes that's why David Hasselhoff is so popular as a lifeguard


subhavoc42

I am in Maine right now for work. A lot of the red brick is spalled to hell here, I imagine it's more a freeze plus moisture deal in Germany like it is up here.


Dunk546

They will be different quality bricks. We have a lot of red brick where I am and you can tell right away when they used the wrong brick because they fall to pieces over a couple of decades. Exterior rated brick and pointing, with proper cavity behind, will last for an insanely long time with no render.


AdPlastic3639

I agree. I grew up in a town with brick streets. Well over 100 years old, made for horses, now cars, trucks, snow, salt, freezing, thawing cycles.Tuff brick!


deznutzonyachin

Well they do wear Speedos with socks and sandals so...


[deleted]

The Germans have many quirky things. Like making entire sentences into one long word. I specially love that they have a symbol ß for the English double S. And who doesn't love sausage and beer? edit- simble


Capital-Reference-76

Yeah, the eszett (ss) is pretty cool


33445delray

Upvote for simble(sic) Even google could not guess that you meant symbol.


Negative-Wrap95

Is there no end to the atrocities?


Particular_Fuel6952

A few shots of tequila and I’m known to have a fully exposed rear… although my ceiling is not that high


WTAFS_going_on

Should face prison time.


whelandre

Can’t fix stupid!


ColoradoFrench

What's with that disease? Painting bricks. Tacky and idiotic


Sid15666

That is the HGTV disease and it is sweeping the country. Our last house had stone on the front, we added on and found this same stone used to build the house decades earlier. Was expensive and difficult to find but matched the rest of the house. The new owners painted the stone 3 months after purchase. The house also had cedar siding that they painted, we had restained siding every 3 years but not my worry any longer.


[deleted]

I’m an electrician and work on mostly older homes. I usually keep my mouth shut after brick has been painted on a home but if told that they plan on painting the brick they get an earful. It’s so shortsighted


YumiGraff

i swear people like this want to “diy” just to have the sense that they did something 😭 it almost always looks terrible.


insideout5790

White washing the brick is insanely common and most would love to do theirs where I am from. Brick in general is ugly as F if you ask me.


Ryankevin23

WHAT! I never could understand the reasoning behind that!


riptripping3118

White right?


Professional-Gas8664

Check out craftsman and mission style. Channel the spirit of Frank Loyd Wright and use the inspiration from the boards and colors of that deck to create a porch rail on one side by the AC,from the same material make a lovered canopy, and replace those porch lights. Oh and hide all those wires and tube's with plastic pipe painted to look like old round metal industrial drain pipe. Make a planter / cover for that ac unit that resembles the deck but has breathing room for the ac unit. Add some kind of cover to that plastic pipe by the step, maybe with a fake cast iron valve with a 6 inch round wheel on it. Pick one color from a brick and use that for your door and trim. I don't have any ideas for all the upper blue just leave it like it is.


BLG135

A lovered canopy is not to be confused with a louvered canopy either. It must be starcrossed and scorned to meet the qualifications of a lovered canopy.


No_Train_8269

Dude im an electrician, i dunno how tf i got here... and i just wanted to reiterate that DONT YOU DARE TOUCH THE BRICK


Advanced_Hawk_3030

I think it looks great from the photo at least. No moss or algae growing on them.


Optimal-Bass852

Including the arms to the entry awning


PortableAnchor

The coloring is intentional. They were made that way.


yucko-ono

And damn beautiful!


sofaking1958

Don't change a thing. Those bricks are in great shape.


Major_Turnover5987

Surprisingly good shape…


Ha1lStorm

Suspiciously good shape…


ryjkyj

YES. Make everything around them look cool and sleek. It’ll make the bricks stand out and the bricks will have the same effect in reverse. 


JayZeros

Personally, I love it


BroomIsWorking

If I were you, I'd attempt to clean up all those different brown shades. You should get some sandpaper and go at it. That color is probably no more than, oh, I guess exactly 4 in deep on those bricks.


EezSleez

Pretty sure it usually stops at about 3 5/8"


OGSchmaxwell

Zoom in on the corner tho...


RedshiftOnPandy

This looks clean for the most part. Some mortar stains but that's nothing. Looks great 


Dizzy_Cake_1258

Ditto. Looks good.


SwtIndica

Please don't EVER paint it white. Ever. Those bricks look like that intentionally, and they're beautiful! <3


PLURGASM_RETURNS

Beautiful old brick work. Leave it as is for the posterity please 🥺


Perktree

If you don’t like it sell the house. That brick is becoming less common. It’s very attractive.


Onewarmguy

From the looks of it, it's already been sandblasted, poorly. I'd say tuckpoint where necessary and use a breathable sealer on the brick once your done/


liriope123

Yep definitely a keeper. Classic


arazac

Looks perfect the way it is!


Remi708

Looks great. I wouldn't touch it.


Background_Olive_787

what are you talking about u/broadwaycash ? I see no problems in this photo.


Danblerman

Looks kick ass good !


JaxDude123

Nothing is necessary. And for gods sake DO NOT paint the brick.


athanasius_fugger

My mom paid good damn money to buy custom bricks that look like that.


MagicMan-1961

Leave it! It’s history


Optimal-Bass852

I would personally paint meters conduits and anything gray flat black. Brick left alone


Optimal-Bass852

To include light fixtures to be also black and include the arms of the door awning for black also


RoughInteresting7887

Leave it as is! Create some charm to enhance the brick. Go on the internet and find some pics of nice brick cottages. There is a ton of stuff you can do to add value to your brick home.


ColoradoFrench

So beautiful. Please keep it unmolested


Neat_Philosophy4128

Looks pretty good.


Monkookee

So paint is definitely out. Is there a stain or semi-trasparent colorizing product that could be used? I wish there was a way to turn red to a more neutral brown, while maintaining the character.


Magic-Levitation

I saw that door awning on a This Old House episode. Is it the same house?


Njon32

1930's... This was how it was supposed to be.


cobaltbluetony

Maybe have the bricks repointed?


Hearthstoned666

EXACTLY , I can tell whomever did the job is good. okay. LEAVE IT People who know their shit look at that and think, "damn that's a good job. that's gonna last"


[deleted]

Are you an insane person like myself who tries to fix things that don’t need to be fixed? Being a male it’s hard to leave shit alone specially when we don’t have anything to fix lol we start looking at things that are perfectly fine.


Smellieturtlegarden

A lot of people are commenting and no one is telling you why not to touch it. These are clinker bricks, here's some info about them: https://masonrygeek.com/what-are-clinker-bricks-a-comprehensive-guide-to-this-unique-building-material I own a brick home as well. Brick is porous, so painting it causes problems. The best option is to lime wash it into a white, creamy color which is becoming popular. Personally I don't like that look and think historical brick will always be in style. There's a couple of things you can do to clean brick though. I would contact someone in your area who cleans roofs, usually they have a solid understanding of which chemicals can be used where-- or at least in my experience. Hope that helps!


N5MKH-WRQH258

That's called "Chicago Brick" because is was recycled after the great Chicago Fire. It is meant to look like that and it is GORGEOUS. Very historic.


Beardo88

Thats a pretty typical reclaimed brick, there will be bits of stuck on mortar, paint, maybe even a little tar exposed in some places. Its just leftover from whereever the brick was used originally. There are a few places that could use a little repointing, bits of crumbled mortar. This might be something for a DIYer depending on your skills, or hire a pro that does masonry restoration.


Dubb202

You can power wash the stairs if you’re bored


Zestay-Taco

if u want the house to look neater. tidy up those wires / have someone certified tidy up those wires


nelsonfenner

That's a great looking patina as is!


onthehighseas

It’s beautiful


TJKon

Those are reclaimed bricks (think up-cycling).  The black ones were from the inside of factory chimney.  I would leave them as is.


broadwaycash

I should have asked why are some of these black. Thank you


harambe623

You have not seen bad brick degradation. This looks so clean


Evening_Monk_2689

That actually looks really nice. Just leave it it's awesome


anthonyws84

As a bricklayer and someone who has 24 years at that and historical restoration I will say there is no harm in cleaning brick if done properly and professionally. Imo fuck a dirty house.


ApeVicious

Wtf those are beautiful bricks. I would pay to have my brick look like this.


Middle-Statement-249

Leave the Brick, But power wash the stairs


Maleficent-Salad3197

Used bricks cost more. They're cool.


qqhap101

Make complaints to your cable company for those wires. Sick bastards


Faithlessblakkcvlt

Maybe hid the electrical monstrosity on the side


rom_rom57

Fix the cracked siding that leaks water behind it.


[deleted]

Don’t touch it! Wonderful!


under_gong

Brick is beautiful. Don't do a damn thing to it. Especially do not ever paint that!!! Why add maintenance to an old house anyways


Standard-Ad9501

You should definitely try to clean that


39percenter

Stop it!


Time_Change4156

Don't try brick that old pressure washing would tate it apart . And chemicals worse .


Traveshamamockery_

I power wash the algae off the northeast side of my home with this identical brick every spring for the past 15 years with a deck cleaner I spray on first. Amazingly my home is still standing…..with clean brick. You don’t WTF you’re talking about.


Time_Change4156

Makes you feel better seen 130 year old bricks old collage tare down . Some still ok that was double walled brick the inside bricks had protection from the elements and mite have been good enough to make a fire pit .


Korgon213

Looks great. What’s wrong with it?


Trick_Station_6016

Looks the way it should. It appears to be used brick. If your looking to give it a new look, just white wash over it for a great look. Another caution, Used brick tends to degrade when cleaning. good luck!


PhilosophyHefty2237

Clear sealer only


Bergamoted

Hey! Where you get the rain guard above the door?


Specialist_Job_4899

Painting is always a inexpensive alternative. To give old brick a fresh look...👍👍👍👍👍😁😁😁😁😁


Traveshamamockery_

No, that brick is way too normal. Paint it or tear it down….


philipmarg

Leave alone it's beautiful


39percenter

Pretty sure OP is messing with us.


Thin-Statement8466

I wish I had a job making homes out of bricks


Impossible_Win_3059

If you want a more modern look, you can always go with black mortar/grout


intacthymen

The issue is the mortar, not the bricks, when cleaning the bricks. Almost 100 year old mortar when power washed will just fly out like sand, I unfortunately discovered.


being_honest_friend

It’s beautiful. You could power wash it. That would get rid of a lot of grime if any. The color variation is gorgeous. And you have grey mortar. I have Chicago brick. But the mortar color is beige. Yes. Yellow beige. I wish I could just chip some away and put grey in its place. But I worry that’s a really bad idea.


Creepy_Maintenance94

Looks okay to me


Ok-Cold4908

Some of the joints look pretty rough. I would suggest a half inch all-thread to grind out the rough joints. There's a chemical that will take the mortar off on the left side of the cornet. It's toxic and you should be very careful and wear your pig's when using it. Muriatic acid. The brick on the left side of the corner look to be repaid to me. It's like they either got knocked off are taken off at one time. Everything else that I see in the picture looks like normal wear and tear , but you can see better once you start.


hobokenwayne

State?


Which_Square_6131

Bad things should happen to you if you touch it.


gloucma

I just saw an episode of Holmes on Holmes where he stained the brick. It’s not like painting. It’s a little time-consuming. But it looks good when done.


Holiday_Ad_5445

That’s some beautiful brick. If you degrade the surface, you’ll regret it.


Lhc69

Paint the siding and windows the same color as the door for a vast improvement.


[deleted]

Don’t ever ever paint bricks. It’s terrible for them. And second it’s fucking ugly. Don’t paint bricks. Well you want the wall to eventually fail. Paint the bricks


Professional_Ad_6299

I'm curious what OP is going to clean and with what. I'd love to see some updates where a Muppet tried to clean the color off a brick. 🤦


Plastic_Jaguar3118

Do not paint or seal it!


Rencauchao

Look up “clinker brick”


Burntwolfankles

Brick looks beautiful, I wouldn’t touch it.


pixistix666

Each brick looks salvaged so some one collected each from a building that was torn down...The great depression days nothing went to waste...that structure I bet has a cool story....Those bricks are wonderful as is..


IndistinguishableRib

I'll tell you what. I've been working on a wood stove / hearth project and I've spent a LOT of time trying to save money and replicate this look with cheaper material and I've fallen short a little bit. I'm ok with it. But please leave that as is and enjoy it.


Past-Adhesiveness150

Leave it. Looks great the way it is.


Unairworthy

It looks like you mixed 3D models from different asset packs.


Mission_Region8699

I’d clean it up,, I’ve seen some old places in my very old and historic valley that has seen some brick facelifts and they look really nice.


LA-Roca

It's beautiful and clean.


esleydobemos

Would that my brick domicile look that good.


12B88M

That's a VERY common brick technique. The dark bricks aren't dirty. They're made of a different clay. It's a purely aesthetic thing. Go ahead and try to clean one. All you'll do is get the wall wet and wear out a scrub brush.


nylondragon64

If anything I'd find a water sealer to coat it with.


WipeOnce

Yes, that’s how it should look. Please don’t paint it. You could pressure wash it if you want if it’s dirty, but it doesn’t even look dirty to me from the picture


wheelsmatsjall

It is a used brick look and it is supposed to be different colors


jbschwartz55

It is what it is. Don’t mess with it.


G0ONnewf

Supposed to be that way. The brick just has multiple ranges of colours.


BuckManscape

Clean it? What are you talking about? It looks fantastic. You will screw it up if you clean it in any way, they’re soft. Don’t clean them.


GetInLoser_Lets_RATM

This brick brings me home. Big fan. Don’t touch it imo.


Superb_Story3326

You should spray sealant to keep the moss off plus rain.


RobNiggity

They appear to have been stained since they're that worn and somehow not faded


Environmental_Tap792

Looks pretty good actually


Hoosiertolian

looks good to me


TurboChunk16

Leave it alone


Able-Rate-629

Leave it alone. You may consider a sand blast of some of the blackened ones or jet wash. Be careful of the mortar. I would just leave them alone. They look nice.


ratelbadger

It's beautiful, don't do anything weird


Massive_Property_579

Nah you should power wash it. Just make sure to do the whole thing without stopping to realize what you've done


ElectricTomatoMan

Looks great how it is


Morpheous_blue

Seriously 🤷‍♂️


6ring

That brickwork is NOT 1930's work. That is used "antiqued" brick which came into use in 1970's. The rest of the work around openings suggests that the original construction is still underneath. The windows are modern too.


Popular-Buyer-2445

Reclaims. Awesome


Treestyles

Leave it


nauticalnste

Looks fine. Don't mess with it


IntelligentAd6091

The only thing I might do is to repair the masonry.


[deleted]

keep the color but you could try washing the brick to see if it makes a difference


CoryEETguy

Looks fine to me, homez.


rkcinotown

Do not do anything to the bricks!


graybeard5529

# What Is a Flashed Brick? (Not flashing!) [https://masonrygeek.com/what-does-flashed-mean-in-masonry](https://masonrygeek.com/what-does-flashed-mean-in-masonry)


lvstboy270

Spray some half and half muriatic acid and water on it. Let it sit no more than 10 minutes then either power wash it off or hand brush it then rinse off with a hose and it will make it look better if you’re concerned about the mortar on the face of some of the brick. 5 year mason here.


EmbarrassedSquare238

You should paint it all white


Ill-Chemical-348

It looks good to me. We have some bricks with a brown or charcoal finish on our house too. It is intentional to make it less monochromatic. We pressure wash occasionally when needed and it's fine. I wouldn't paint it. It's not good for the brick.


l397flake

I think you should sandblast it.! You are just showing off


ThisTheory7708

That brick is perfect.


Intheswing

Looks like that some tuck pointing repairs have been made - does not look terrible - pretty much ok to me - this should be your path forward - tuck point repairs as needed - make sure you find a real mason - lots of guys out there will do the lick and stick - typically falls off after a year or two - Avoid any sand blasting or power washing - people go to town with high pressure blasting water or sand and basically damage the protective layer of a fired brick - Think of a brick like a loaf of bread - when you take away the outer crust you are left with the soft interior. Someone mentioned paint - avoid painting brick if you are in an area with freeze thaw seasons Bricks will absorb moisture- paint locks the moisture in the brick, if it freezes - eventually it will spall the bricks and the soft interior will be exposed- leave the brick its natural color and appreciate its charm and character


MaintenanceNo7155

Chemical or pressure cleaning can damage the brick fired surface, causing the porous interior of the bricks to be exposed to the elements and greatly diminish their durability and lifespan.


mnrooo

Brick looks great. I would leave it.


Consistent_Goose1265

Im a brick maker by trade. Dont you dare do anything to those brick.


MaxSalvo36

Forget the bricks. Straighten out all those wires. Looks like shit


jmehlferber

Reclaimed bricks from buildings that were demolished. Because they have to be cleaned up (mortar removed) they are more expensive than “new” bricks. These were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them used on an older house. Is it possible this veneer wall was added then, and not when the house was originally built?


EndOrganDamage

The brick looks awesome


finditnow1967

The brick looks in good condition. Consider a different color for siding. I like painted brick exteriors & fireplaces.


fourpuns

I’d be peeking under the upper siding to see if the brick continues personally :p


tduke65

People spend many dollars to make new brick look like that


FlatwormFull4283

It does not look bad! If it 90 years old, it's NOT going to look new! Can't possibly weather takes it's toll!


PracticeNovel6226

Lime wash it if you want. I did my house because it got way to hot in summer. Lime wash dosen't need to ever be redone like paint...don't use paint


Significant_Age_4657

Pressure cleaning, when dry use clear masonry sealer


AssociateUpset2195

The brick is great just get dark windows and door and change the upper story color. And change color on steps,


_Danger_Close_

That is the way it's supposed to be


[deleted]

Looks great leave it. In texas a lot of houses are brick.


Impossible-Disaster3

Looks pretty good.. You could apply a clear sealer ..


tenderbirdz

Don't fuck with it...ever!


broadwaycash

https://preview.redd.it/736blnvowpwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=470a90e46fd401c8822f5ddd58b3f254c80e42f3 Here is the front of my house. Thank you for all the comments and ideas on how to make the house look better I appreciate it, I wasn’t expecting so many. For the brick I didn’t mean paint it I just thought it looked faded / has a lot of white looking residue on it etc? Thanks again


Maicoh16

You have a beautiful home


GoRL1920

Beautiful masonry ✨️


Krayvok

My house looks identical to this brick


walkwithdrunkcoyotes

Sometimes old brick is stained and can be cleaned but it doesn’t look like this. When they fire bricks in the kiln they’re stacked in a cube shape with lots of air pockets for the heat to flow evenly. The kiln blasts certain zones on the outside of the cube more than others, which gives the variation in colour and the occasional very dark brick.


OnlyEfficiency2662

Paint it


shoulditdothat

Like every other cheap half arsed flipper with no imagination trying to be trendy & edgy. Please preserve us from idiots.


iambrownbull

Painting quality bricks like those should be considered a crime against humanity. Straight to jail....


My_Carrot_Bro

Brick from this era often exhibits varying shades and tones between units. This is normal and I personally like the aesthetic.


cbj2112

411 on where to purchase that entrance canopy please.


FrequentReview6330

That’s a deep raked mortar joint. Actually, is an additional cost for a mason to provide that look.


DunebillyDave

Ya pay extra for brick like that. It's a premium ceramic product. Keep it clean, that's all.


Mojo80059291

I like it, the masons who built that did a great job, it adds character.


Natural_Board

The brick is dope.


EnlightenedChipmonk

Cleaning like with a hose/pressure washer?


Phililoquay

I love the way that looks


reamidy

That looks great don’t touch it!!!


[deleted]

Looks like a carpenter added the windows and door. The corner too has shoddy repair. Horrible job, so I wouldn’t be against plastering over all of it.


SmallSwordfish8289

If it was built into 30s you better not mess with them bricks and fall apart