House detective Jack Reilly inspects a home in Baltimore, Md., a split-level in the Ten Hill neighborhood, to discover freezing rain and snow have caused many of the exterior bricks on the house to deteriorate. Reilly pointed the finger at the builder's use of salvage bricks. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time--salvage bricks have a nice old-fashioned look, plus they're cheaper, but using salvage bricks can sometimes be an open invitation for trouble.
A brick is a brick, right? Wrong. It turns out bricks come in several different grades. The grade depends on how hard a brick is, and that depends on how far it was from the fire when it was baked.
The two main types are facing bricks and backing bricks. Facing bricks are hard and durable, and used on the outside of a building. Backing bricks, used on the inside, can be much softer.
When bricks are salvaged from a demolition, it's very hard to sort them, so salvage brick generally has a lot of soft backing bricks mixed in with facing bricks. Knowing the type can be a problem. Remember this rule of thumb...generally, salvage brick is fine for interior use, but it should be avoided if possible in exterior construction.
If for some reason salvage brick must be used outside, it should be protected with the kinds of old-fashioned construction that kept it dry in its earlier life. Roofs with wide overhangs, and proper grading and drainage will keep water away from brick. Never use salvage brick for chimneys, paving or other high-exposure areas. It just won't last.
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