How do I make new building bricks look old or reclaimed?

Question

How do I make new building bricks look old or like reclaimed bricks? I heard putting yogurt on them helped make them age, but it might just give you a smelly wall.

Any thoughts?

Answer 1

The yogurt is used to grow moss on terra cotta, cement and bricks. To age bricks, paint portions black and white, sand and knock off the edges with a hammer. You can also hit the bricks with a very heavy chain (works if the bricks are already installed) to knock out chunks.

Answer 2

One skin of bricks is fine for that height, but the real issues are drainage on concrete and plant selection. The wall will need a number of seep holes in the bottom row of bricks. Basically just don't point (use cement) between the ends of the bricks that you lay directly on the concrete. Don't do every brick, one every three or four should do. What will happen though is that the soil will eventually fill the gaps that you create in the bricks and block water flow. You can slow this process by adding a layer of grit in the bottom of the bed. Your other problem is that most root veg or plants with tap roots or deep rooted plants, wont have enough soil depth. Ideally I'd either smash the concrete or raise your bed height. Sorry I can't be more encouraging. Hope you sort it out Ok.

Answer 3

yogurt works and unless you smell real close it's not obvious and after a few days you can hardly tell it was there but anything which fungus can live on does the same job.

Answer 4

tricky matter. seek into search engines like google. that will could help!

Answer 5

just never ceasing to be amazed...