My dad has a 25 year old home for which he has saved some 250 brick from the original construction. He wants to get rid of them after all this time to make room for whatever. I think it is a shame to haul them off to the landfill when as soon as he does so something for some reason or another will come up where they are needed (I know it is a stretch, but for example a couple of years ago a car ran off the road and into a home...you guessed it, the new bricks used to fix the hole did not match too well). If he could figure out where to store them without them being in the way too much they would stay. What could be done with them?
Well, if it hasn't already occurred to you, the bricks could be stored perfectly well outside without worrying about damage. You could pave an area, or just stack them behind, under or around something. When it comes time to use them, just wash them off and you're good to go.
Oh, definitely hold on to them. You are quite right, as soon as they are gone you will need them. Say, water gets behind a wall, freezes, and cracks a few. Or ivy peels the face off a couple dozen. Or he or the next owner wants to change a window, or redo a failed chimney stack. Basement or crawlspace available? One annoying day getting them down there, and then forget about them till needed. Probably no more time than hauling them to the landfill, unless he has a truck. Stacked flat 7 or 8 high along one wall, like in the furnace room, they will not take up much usable footprint. If he has storage shelves in basement, they can go behind and under the bottom shelf. If he has the space, dry-stack them carefully interlaced into a couple pedestals, throw a solid door over the top, and use as a workbench. Always a good idea to keep some spares on hand for stuff like that. (oddball trim, wierd electrical plates, ceramic tile, kitchen drawer pulls, etc.)
If his heart is set on getting rid of them, at least donate them to Habitat ReStore or something.
I don't agree. Only the show face of a construction brick is water-resistant. The other five faces will absorb water readily. Unless the OP lives in an area where the outdoor temperature *never* drops below 32F/0C, bricks stored outdoors will be destroyed by spalling after a couple of winters. Paving bricks are a different story, of course, but that's not what the OP is talking about.
Put down some gravel outside to make a "foundation", stack the bricks neatly, leaving a hollowed out area a foot deep. Line the hollowed out area with some plastic, and put some pots in there with flowers.
They make lovely shelves....make two or three short stacks, lay a board across, repeat. I used some landscape pavers and rather inexpensive prefinished shelves from HD to make shelves for guestroom...can change layout or add to it if needed.
250 bricks will make a lot of bookshelves. But I can't believe only the "face" is waterproof. Every house I have seen that is brick has not only the face exposed, but also 3/8" of the top, sides and bottom. I would go for a false wall along side an existing basement wall. Find some place to store them, or offer 200 of them for sale on a local bulletin board. Definitely keep at least 50 of them for some unforeseen circumstance.
Stack them against the wall inside the end of the garage, or inside the "fruit cellar" or "cold room" generally located under the front entry, or in some other similar "out-of-the-way" location
It IS true that some bricks are not waterproof on the top and bottom faces, but more serious is water freezing in the "cores" of the brick expanding and splitting the brick. This is a very real possibility when stored outside at or near ground level.
The OP does not specify if they are concrete or clay bricks - and if concrete what type. An autoclaved concrete (man-made stone) brick is a totally different animal than a normal portland cement brick - and even then the aggregate used makes a big difference in how well they stand wet freeze-thaw cycles.
Untrue, they will deteriorate from being water soaked and freezing, some go in 5 years, some last 50 but most all will be weakened. As far as just "wash them off" thats a crock of bs unless you dont care if the mortar might fail in 20 years, since when does mortar bond to dirt or mold, brick is porus he would have to acid wash them, and some types of brick change color with acid. They are best stored dry, inside or out and covered to keep off dirt.
Untrue, they will deteriorate from being water soaked and freezing, some go in 5 years, some last 50 but most all will be weakened. As far as just "wash them off" thats a crock of bs unless you dont care if the mortar might fail in 20 years, since when does mortar bond to dirt or mold, brick is porus he would have to acid wash them, and some types of brick change color with acid. They are best stored dry, inside or out and covered to keep off dirt.
I would tend to agree with Ransley atleast from what I've seen on jobsites...The bricks are delivered on pallets and shrink wrapped...Once on site they are covered with tarps or lumber covers as well....Buy a few pallets and tarps and you should be good....Why chance it unless using them as pavers is all you're gonna do...Around here(coastal Maine) old bricks bring a pretty penny...Alot of historic renovations and rich city folk who think old stuff is chic...LOL...There are 2 places near me that buys and sells old bricks , beams , barnboards , windows , doors , hardware , hardwood flooring , tubs , toilets ect. , ect. .....No need to fill up the land fill with them...I bet if you looked you would find somebody to buy and haul them off...Keep a few of course...
Not that I'm an expert but a quick Bing search got this...HTH...
PROTECTION
Storage of Materials
The manner in which materials are stored at the construction site may have an influence on their future performance. Materials should be stored to avoid wetting by rain or snow, and also avoid contamination by salts or other matter which may contribute to efflorescence and staining.
Try READING the link...IT IS TALKING ABOUT BRICKS hence the name of the website gobrick.com and cites the Brick Institute of America.....
PROTECTION
Storage of Materials
The manner in which materials are stored at the construction site may have an influence on their future performance. Materials should be stored to avoid wetting by rain or snow, and also avoid contamination by salts or other matter which may contribute to efflorescence and staining.
Masonry Units. Masonry units should be stored off the ground to avoid contamination by dirt and by ground water which may contain soluble salts. They should also be covered by a water-resistant membrane to keep them dry.
Cementitious Materials. Cementitious materials for mortar should be stored off the ground and under cover.
Sand. Sand for mortar should also be stored on high ground, or ideally, off the ground to prevent contamination from dirt, organic materials and ground water, any of which may contribute to efflorescence and may be deleterious to mortar performance. In addition, it is advisable to store sand and other aggregates under a protective cover. This will avoid saturation and freezing in cold weather.
Flashing. Flashing materials should be stored in places where they will not be punctured or damaged. Plastic and asphalt coated flashing materials should not be stored in areas exposed to sunlight. Ultraviolet rays from the sun break down these materials, causing them to become brittle with time. Plastic flashing exposed to the weather at the site for months before installation should not be used. During installation, flashing must be pliable so that no cracks occur at corners or bends.
EVERYTHING is to be off the ground and covered....Atleast according to the experts of which I'm not ..From what I've seen over the last 20 years of being on jobsites , that's how the pro's do it as well ...Cite a website that says different....
Next time, please leave a blank space before and after a url. That way it will be noticable -- I didn't see it either -- it will show up as a link in people's newsreaders, it will be a different color, and it will be clickable, like this
Notes....
formatting link
But while you say "Try READING the link" you should try reading his post. It's all of 13 words and it asks about why unassembled bricks would deteriorate differerntly from assembeld bricks. Your link doesn't address that.
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