The foot of the elevator shaft in 2019, pale buff brick above a band of brown split face block, a grey steel door and a concrete ramp, with the older tan brick of the school on either side
Case File 025

Lightening Dark Brick on a Grand Rapids School Addition

A new elevator shaft went up against an older school with a percentage of dark brick that did not belong. The brick manufacturer paid to have every dark unit lightened in 2002. Photographed again seventeen years later, certified in 2020.

Case No. 025
Structure School, new elevator shaft
Location Grand Rapids, Michigan
Stained 2002
Re-photographed 2019
Elapsed 17 years, Platinum level

2002

  1. The new elevator shaft in 2002 before staining, bands of darker brick running through the courses across its face, with the older school and two rows of windows at the right Before, 2002 View this photo larger
  2. The shaft in 2002 after the dark brick was lightened, its face reading as one pale range beside the older tan brick and a window bay After, 2002 View this photo larger

What was wrong

A new elevator shaft on an older buff brick school, and a percentage of dark brick that did not belong. The dark units ran in bands through the courses. The brick manufacturer hired the correction.

What was done

Mineral stain, brushed on by hand, on 100% of the dark brick. The file is candid about the result: an argument can be made that the brick were made a little too light. Still better than the much darker original, it says, and an unfortunate learning experience. That candour is why the case is worth reading.

2019, seventeen years on

  1. The foot of the elevator shaft in 2019, pale buff brick above a band of brown split face block, a grey steel door and a concrete ramp, with the older tan brick of the school on either side 2019 View this photo larger
  2. The elevator shaft in 2019 from the parking lot, its light brick running from the block base to the roofline between the older school walls, with a window bay and a tree at the right After, 2019 View this photo larger
  3. The shaft in 2019 with snow on the ledges, its brick one even light range from the door to the top of the frame, older patterned brickwork at the left and two windows at the right After, 2019 View this photo larger
  4. Looking along the side of the school in 2019, the older mottled tan brick at left and the light brick of the shaft standing forward of it, with a chain link fence and sky at the right 2019 View this photo larger
  5. Looking up the corner in 2019 where the shaft meets the original wall, patterned tan and cream brickwork at left and the uniform light brick of the shaft at right 17 Years After View this photo larger

What seventeen years prove

The file keeps this job on the record for one reason, in its own words: you can still tell that the light stain is still holding up. The 2019 frames show the shaft as one range, with no dark units showing back through. The form marks Platinum on the certification scale. As of 2026 the work is twenty-four years old.

The signed file

Every certified job gets the same form, signed after someone goes back to the building. This is the one for case 025, transcribed beside the form so a phone and a search engine can read it.

The case study form for case 025, filled in and signed, rendered from the case booklet View the signed form full size
Project name
School, Grand Rapids, MI (2002)
Level
Platinum. The scale runs Bronze at seven to nine years, Silver at ten and over, Gold at fifteen and over, Platinum at twenty and over.
Hired by
The brick manufacturer
Reason for project
Complaint or problem
Issue
"A percentage of dark brick that didn't belong."
What was corrected
"We lightened 100% of the dark brick."
Storyline
"We were hired to lighten brick on a new elevator shaft. An argument can be made that the brick were made a little too light. While it's still better than the much darker original, it was an unfortunate learning experience. We still like to showcase this job, because you can still tell that the light stain is still holding up."
Address
Release permission required
Authorized
Donald A. Foster, signed, dated 2020
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