Bricking it !! - What to choose ?

[Paul Miller]

As part of my project, I need to build a new garden wall, which will only be 5-6 stretchers high.

I was looking at Marshalls Old Mill Red bricks which I thought looked quite attractive and went to price them at my local builders merchants. After looking them up, he commented that they were quite pricey and that they looked much the same as Scotch Commons and these are indeed considerably cheaper. (72p per brick compared to 32p per brick)

I claim to know nothing about different types of bricks, but I saw Scotch Commons in B&Q and my immediate impression was that they looked brittle, as many on the pallet seemed to have quite deep surface cracks running through them. These were not cracks caused by mis-handling but looked more like that was they way they were manufactured.

My immediate concern is would the cheaper Scotch Common be false economy? While it is cheaper, the wall may fall apart after a few years and need repairing sooner than if I used the more expensive brick.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks

Paul

[lutonlagerlout]

100% paul
I have used marshalls old mill red which equate to stonemarkets cottage garden rose and they are a quality brick,
i am sure i paid about 56p a brick but i bought 8 thousand or so







not sure what scotch commons are but they sound nasty

you will be paying roughly a pound a brick to lay them whether they are cheapies or expensive so you might as well get a decent brick
regards LLL

[Paul Miller]

Thanks for your advice LLL. I had almost made my mind up after seeing Scotch Commons

[tomo8]

Have i missed something? or did you say a pound a brick to lay? Doesnt that work out at £1000 per 1000 brick?

[lutonlagerlout]

yeah thats right
if me and a labourer have to go and lay 250-300 bricks then we want a days money== end of
flemish bond ,quality pointing mind,
people are happy to pay car mechanics £50 per hour
why cant brickies earn £25?
LLL

[tomo8]

Ay im all for it, couldnt agree more. Plumbers, sparks the lot get paid loads an hour. Why cant a brickie. Im a brickie myself, thought you meant you were gettin paid £1000 per thousand. Was thinkin i need to work where ever you are.

[cookiewales]

Ay im all for it, couldnt agree more. Plumbers, sparks the lot get paid loads an hour. Why cant a brickie. Im a brickie myself, thought you meant you were gettin paid £1000 per thousand. Was thinkin i need to work where ever you are.

am with you tony pay peanuts you get monkeys quality is the name of the game paul always look at some ones work if there good they will be more than happy to show you good luck :;): ???

[lutonlagerlout]

Have i missed something? or did you say a pound a brick to lay? Doesnt that work out at £1000 per 1000 brick?

I know lads that are house bashing right now,timber frame with single brickwork skin, they are on £450 a thou but its all profiles and slash, slash, slash,

a 2 and 1 gang are averaging 1000 bricks a day over a whole house (fast on the ground-slow on the gables)
but with smaller stuff and once you start using decorative bonds and incorporate features , you can half the bricks laid on average

the 1 thing that sticks in my mind about cottage garden rose is that they are a very regular brick length wise,although they look reclaimed,
which all us brickies love
LLL

[tomo8]

Round here at the mo, wirral,liverpool. Your lookin at £375 a thou ive heard some gangs getting. With this credit crunch the works been slow. We've got jobs witing to start, but none at the moment.

[mickg]

private work is different to sites though tomo

on a site you have 1000's of bricks to lay where as on private work it could be just 1 pack or 2 - 3 packs maybe depending on whats being built so you need to cover your cost because you don't have any volume

[tomo8]

Yeah true. Your right there