Serious question, how long does it actually take to match old brick color for a patch job

Spent 4 hours last Saturday mixing mortar trying to match a 1920s brick wall on a job in St. Paul and still ended up with a shade that was way off, anyone have a trick that doesn't take all day?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sam18d ago

Yeah my buddy spent a whole Saturday on a 30s brick patch and still had to redo it Monday morning.

nancycooper18d ago

15 minutes at a brick supplier beats four hours of guessing every time.

hugo_robinson2518d ago

4 hours mixing mortar" yeah I feel your pain man, I've been there too many times. The trick that actually works for me is taking a small chip of the old brick to a real brick supplier (not the big box stores) and having them match it with their tinted mortars. You'd be surprised how close they can get it in like 15 minutes versus your four hour guessing game. Also, don't forget to wet the new mortar a few times over the next couple days, it makes the color settle in way more natural.