ᐅ Replacing Individual Facing Bricks – Which Mortar Mix Should Be Used?

Hello everyone,

A question for you experts:
We are converting an old barn into an apartment. We have partially lowered some standard windows to floor-to-ceiling height. This means removing individual bricks. I drilled out the joints with a drill, removed the bricks, and chipped away the remaining mortar with a hammer and chisel. Now, to restore the window opening, half bricks need to be reinstalled. Although I am an amateur, I feel confident to do this myself. Still, I want to make sure I do everything correctly and hope there are experts here who can offer some advice. By the way, a full repointing of the joints is being carried out by professionals, and the old mortar has already been removed.

1. According to the architect, the structural stability is not affected.
2. Which mortar mix should I use or prepare?
3. Are there any other considerations I should keep in mind?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Best regards
- wilsumer -

Since the joints will be worked on afterward anyway, your question probably isn’t about a color difference at the transition between old and new, right?

There are different types of mortar for various stones because they differ in how much water they absorb from the mortar while it sets. For this reason, pre-wetting the stones is sometimes recommended (more for bricks than for facing bricks). You obviously can’t soak the stones from the existing wall in water, but you can definitely dampen them with a sponge. Minor shrinkage cracks between mortar and stones should not cause any issues after finishing the joints, and the structural stability concerning the half bricks in the reveal is also not a concern.

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The key term here is fronting mortar. There are different types available for highly and low absorbent bricks.