recycling &removing old mortar
by Tom
(West Salem, WI)
from old house to new garage
Great info here, thanks! We recently constructed an attached garage to our 1880's red brick farmhouse and want to brick it to match. I know new bricks that look old can be bought for about $1.20 each in our area. We need about 6,000. However we have permission to salvage bricks from a nearby abandoned house. Old mortar chipping I've mastered. A third are "clean" but the others will need a mechanical cleaning or a "sanding" to finish off the thin balance of stuck mortar. I'm thinking a motorized wire wheel...but has anyone set up an operation to remove and clean a large number like this. I've figured even with a small hired crew, some of my time, trucking and delivery I'll only be into it for $1500 or so. Plus the "feel good" part of repurposing building material and another story to tell about our house. Here's a shot our our project. Any thoughts?