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Home Repair Design Dilemma

Alternatives to patching brick

13 days ago

I learned a hard lesson when we renovated the kitchen and bath. We went smaller thinking we could easily brick it in. However, everywhere I look, brick patches look so obvious. I’ve been unable to find an established mason that will take on this small of a job. Others who say they can do it can’t show evidence. I’m hesitant to pay 4k knowing it may still look bad afterwards. The front of our house is a cute mid century ranch (not quite mid century modern) but the back with the utilities looks BAD. I would love suggestions on how to patch the area and make it look intentional. Maybe even something in front of the utilities to make it look better as well.

We can’t paint it. I’m looking for suggestions on siding or other ways to blend it in.

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Comments (9)

PRO
HALLETT & Co.
13 days ago
Wait for the mason that can do it properly. I removed about 1/4 of the brick on my home as part of a massive remodel and you can’t tell now that it’s complete.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
13 days ago
Part of this is old brick part is new.
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Paul F.
13 days ago
My family home had an obvious brick patch to fill in a wall air conditioner hole. I was inspired to check it out of Google street view just now and I see after all these years the new brick in no longer too light... it is now too dark! There must have been a few sweet years there as it changed color or maybe someone tried to darken them at some point??

Your fear are well founded.
partim
13 days ago
last modified: 13 days ago
I have no advice on your brick, but for your utilities I had the same issue, and spray painted them all with brown camouflage spray paint. The camouflage is an especially dull finish, no shine at all. I put pieces of cardboard behind the wires and pipes as I sprayed. Looks so much better. The only thing I didn't spray was, of course, the face of the meter. I checked on my local utilities website and they said it was OK.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
12 days ago
Your utilities have to be open for reason like reading them and access . I need to see the whole house to help with this area. Post the pics here in a comment DO NOT sart anothe rpost. Waht is the plan for the back of the house . like are you doing an outdoor kitchen or seating on a deck or patio ?
cat_ky
12 days ago
It appears that you turned a door into a window?? Is there another door for the back yard? If not, is there anyway, you could turn that back into a door?
worthyvess
12 days ago
How about window boxes and some sort of decorative wood panel over new brick? Just saw it today on a house on my way home.
acm
12 days ago
In addition to matching the brick (which doesn't look that unusual, but there are a lot of bricks), you'll want them to move the brick window ledge for the middle window. Get a mason -- probably nobody keeps photos for jobs like this, but that doesn't mean they can't do it. Check the brick they use, and/or have them mix in some of what you can salvage, but otherwise just brick it up and move on. Plant a fluffy shrub to the left of the A/C condenser, which will draw they eye from both utilities and brick. You don't want to block air flow to the condenser, nor to block access to the utilities, but a shrub where the door was and a nice planter under the meter should both work nicely.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
12 days ago
You're never getting a cost effective match. Make contrast your friend and come up with plan "B" please.

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