The front of the house in 2019, the entry set under a brick arch beside a tall arched window
Case File 099

Lightening Dark Red Brick on an Illinois Home

Too many of the brick on this single-story house came out dark red and dark orange for the range they belonged to. The company that made the brick paid to have the dark ones lightened. It was photographed again and certified at least fifteen years later.

Case No. 099
Structure Single-story brick home
Location Illinois
Stained 2000 to 2004
Re-photographed 2019
Elapsed At least 15 years, Gold level

2000 to 2004

  1. The garage gable and the wall beside it in the early 2000s, dark red and orange brick scattered through a pale range View this photo larger
  2. The front of the house from the driveway in the same period, the brick reading as one pale even range across both gables View this photo larger

What was wrong

Nothing had failed and nothing was dirty. The brick came out of the kiln with too many dark units for the range, and they read as blotches across the gables and the garage wall. The file puts it plainly: there were too many dark red and dark orange brick in the range.

It was hired by the brick manufacturer. A brick company looked at a finished house it had supplied, decided the color was its own problem, and paid to correct it.

What was done

Mineral stain, brushed on by hand, unit by unit. Only the dark units were touched, which is why the wall still reads as a range of brick rather than one flat color. The correction on the file is six words long: "We lightened the dark red brick."

2019, at least fifteen years on

  1. The front of the house in 2019, the entry set under a brick arch beside a tall arched window, the brick one pale range 2019 View this photo larger
  2. The garage bay and the return wall in 2019, the brick range even from the drive up to the eaves, with the certification stamp in the corner After, 2019 View this photo larger
  3. The side of the house in 2019, a flag hung on the brick, the range consistent along the whole elevation 2019 View this photo larger
  4. Close view of the gable brick in 2019, pale pink and buff units with a few soft greys around a round louvered vent set in a brick arch 2019 View this photo larger

What fifteen years prove

Same house, same walls, and a range that still reads as the range it was corrected to. On the certification scale that is Gold, which covers fifteen years and over. The line on the file is shorter: at least 15 years later, this project still looks great.

The signed file

Every certified job gets the same form, signed on the day someone goes back to the building. This is the one for case 099, transcribed beside the scan so it can be read on a phone and by a search engine.

Scan of the case study form for case 099, filled in and signed View the signed form full size
Project name
Illinois Residence (2000-'04)
Level
Gold. 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
Issues
"There were too many dark red and dark orange brick in the range."
What was corrected
"We lightened the dark red brick."
Storyline
"At least 15 years later, this project still looks great!"
Address
Withheld on the form: "Permission needed to release address."
Authorized
Donald A. Foster, signed, dated 2019
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