What to do when new bricks don’t match old bricks

Navigating the Challenge of Mismatched Brickwork: A Comprehensive Guide

Finding that your new bricks don’t match your old bricks is a common headache for homeowners in the UK. Whether you are building an extension, repairing a chimney, or patching up a wall after installing new windows, the visual discrepancy can be jarring. In a country where the aesthetic of our brickwork—from Victorian reds to London stocks—is a point of pride, a “patchwork” effect can significantly devalue a property.

This guide explores why bricks often don’t match, how to prevent the issue, and the professional solutions available to ensure your home looks seamless.

Why Don’t New Bricks Match Old Bricks? 🧱

It is rarely as simple as picking a “red brick” from a catalogue. Several factors contribute to the difficulty of matching masonry.

1. Weathering and Carbonation

Bricks are porous. Over decades, they absorb soot, dust, and pollutants from the British air. This “patina” changes the surface colour. Furthermore, exposure to UV light can fade certain pigments, while rain can cause minerals to leach out. A new brick, fresh from the kiln, hasn’t undergone these years of natural “distressing.”

2. Changes in Manufacturing

The way bricks are made has changed. Historically, bricks were fired in coal-kilns where temperature fluctuations created “multi” tones. Modern gas-fired kilns are far more consistent, often resulting in bricks that look “too perfect” or flat compared to the characterful variations of older masonry.

3. Regional Clay Variations

In the past, bricks were made from local clay pits. Most of those pits are now exhausted or closed. Even if you find a brick from the same manufacturer, the current clay seam being excavated might have a different mineral composition, leading to a slight shift in hue or texture.

4. Mortar: The Hidden Culprit

Often, it isn’t the brick that is the problem—it’s the mortar. Mortar accounts for roughly 15-20% of a wall’s surface area. If the new mortar is a different colour, sand type, or thickness, the entire wall will look “off,” even if the bricks are a perfect match.

Estimating the Costs of Rectification 💷

When faced with a mismatch, you have several options ranging from DIY “muck-and-brass” fixes to professional tinting services. Below is a breakdown of estimated costs in British Pounds (£).

Table 1: Estimated Costs for Brick Matching Solutions

Service / Method	Estimated Cost (Small Patch)	Estimated Cost (Extension)	Pros	Cons
Brick Tinting	£350 – £600	£1,200 – £3,500+	Permanent, exact match, non-invasive	Requires specialist skill
Soot Washing	£50 – £100 (DIY)	£400 – £800	Cheap, mimics age quickly	Hard to control, can look “dirty”
Sandblasting	£250 – £500	£1,000 – £2,000	Evens out texture	Can damage brick “face,” very messy
Brick Stucco/Render	£800 – £1,500	£4,000 – £8,000	Hides the problem entirely	Changes the look of the house
Re-pointing	£200 – £500	£1,500 – £4,000	Fixes mortar mismatches	Very labour intensive

The Gold Standard: Professional Brick Tinting 🎨

If you find yourself looking at a finished extension that looks like a sore thumb, do not despair. You do not need to tear the wall down. The most effective solution used by developers and conservationists across the UK is Brick Tinting.

Brick tinting is the process of applying a bespoke, breathable chemical stain to the surface of the brick. Unlike paint, which sits on top and eventually peels, a tint penetrates the pore structure of the masonry, forming a chemical bond.

How it Works

Colour Analysis: A technician visits the site to analyse the “target” brick (the old one) and the “subject” brick (the new one).
Bespoke Mixing: Different pigments are mixed to create a solution that accounts for the base colour, the flecks of carbon, and even the “flashing” seen in reclaimed bricks.
Application: The tint is applied manually, brick by brick, to ensure the natural variation of the wall is maintained.

For those facing this issue, https://www.brickmakeover.co.uk/ offers specialist services that can rectify these discrepancies, ensuring that your new masonry blends perfectly with the old. This is particularly vital for listed buildings or homes in conservation areas where the local council may insist on a perfect aesthetic match.

Prevention: How to Match Bricks Before Building 🏗️

The best way to deal with a mismatch is to avoid it. If you are in the planning stages of an extension, follow these steps.

Step 1: The “Brick Match” Service

Many brick merchants offer a free matching service. You can send them a high-quality photo or, better yet, a physical sample of your existing brick. They will search their databases for the closest modern equivalent.

Step 2: Buy “Reclaimed”

If you live in a period property, modern bricks may never look right. Reclaimed bricks—salvaged from demolished buildings—are the best way to get an authentic look. However, be prepared to pay a premium. Reclaimed Yellow Stock or Red Rubbers can cost significantly more per thousand than new wire-cut bricks.

Step 3: Check the “Batch”

Always order your bricks in one go. Bricks from different production runs (batches) can vary in colour. If you run out halfway through a job and order more, you risk a “line” appearing in your wall where the new batch begins.

Step 4: The “Blending” Technique

When the bricks arrive on site, don’t work from one pallet at a time. A good bricklayer will “draw” from three or four different pallets simultaneously. This blends any slight batch variations throughout the wall, making them invisible to the eye.

Dealing with Mortar Mismatches 🧱🥣

As mentioned earlier, the mortar is often the real culprit. New mortar is usually a bright, “raw” grey or white, whereas old mortar has darkened with age or was made with local sand that had an orange or yellow tint.

Mortar Comparison Table

Mortar Component	Old Style (Traditional)	Modern Style	Effect on Match
Binder	Lime (Hydraulic or Putty)	Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)	Lime is softer and whiter; OPC is grey and hard.
Sand	Local, coarse, varied grit	Sharp or Building sand (standardised)	Local sand gives “warmth” or “coolness” to the wall.
Joint Profile	Weather struck, flush, or recessed	Usually bucket handle or weather struck	Different shadows change how the brick colour is perceived.

How to Fix Mortar Mismatch

If the mortar is the problem, you have two choices:

Re-pointing: Raking out the new, incorrect mortar and replacing it with a tinted lime or cement mix that matches the original.
Mortar Tinting: Much like brick tinting, the mortar joints can be stained to darken them or change their hue to match the weathered original.

DIY Solutions: Pros and Cons 🛠️

If the mismatch is minor, some homeowners attempt DIY fixes. While these can be cost-effective, they come with risks.

Soot Washing

This is an old-fashioned method used to “age” bricks. A mixture of water and soot (or very finely crushed charcoal) is brushed over the bricks.

Pros: Very cheap; gives an instant “industrial” aged look.
Cons: Can be washed away by heavy rain if not mixed correctly; very difficult to get an even finish.

Brick Dust Rubbing

Taking a spare brick, grinding it into dust, mixing it with a little PVA or bonding agent, and rubbing it into the face of the new bricks.

Pros: Uses the actual pigment of the brick.
Cons: Messy, and the PVA can create a “shiny” finish that looks artificial in sunlight.

The Importance of Texture 🧱🔍

Colour is only half the battle. Texture plays a huge role in how light hits a wall.

Wire-cut Bricks: Have a smooth, mechanical finish with tiny “drag” marks.
Hand-made Bricks: Have a “creased” or “folded” face. They are irregular and full of character.
Flettons: Common in mid-century UK housing, these have a distinct “kiss mark” or “sand faced” finish.

If you use a smooth wire-cut brick next to a creased hand-made brick, no amount of tinting will make them match perfectly because the shadows cast on the surface are different. Always prioritise matching the texture first; the colour can be fixed later with tinting.

Why You Shouldn’t Just Paint the Wall 🚫🎨

When faced with two different colours of brick, the temptation is to reach for a tin of Masonry Paint and cover the whole house in “Classic Cream” or “Anthracite Grey.”

Why this is a mistake:

Breathability: Bricks need to breathe. Many masonry paints create a waterproof seal. This traps moisture inside the brick, which then freezes in winter (the freeze-thaw cycle), causing the face of the brick to “spall” or pop off.
Maintenance: Once you paint a brick wall, you are committed to repainting it every 5 to 10 years. Natural brick is virtually maintenance-free for a century.
Property Value: In the UK, original unpainted brickwork is generally more desirable. Painting a period property can actually decrease its market value.

Instead of painting, use a specialist tinting service like those found at https://www.brickmakeover.co.uk/ to maintain the natural look and breathability of the masonry.

Case Study: The “Victorian Terrace” Extension 🏡

Imagine a homeowner in South London adding a side-return extension to their 1890s terrace. The original house is built from “London Stocks”—a yellow brick with black “cinders” (carbon) in the mix.

The builder buys “New London Stocks.” However, when the scaffolding comes down, the new extension looks bright yellow/orange, while the house is a muted, dusty ochre with grey soot marks.

The Solution Path:

Assessment: The owner realises the new bricks are too “clean” and the mortar is too “white.”
Correction: A technician applies a “soot wash” tint to the bricks to mimic 130 years of London pollution.
Mortar Adjustment: A light grey tint is applied to the mortar joints.
Result: The extension disappears into the original structure, making it look as though it has always been there.

Practical Checklist for Homeowners 📝

If you are currently staring at a wall that doesn’t match, follow this checklist:

Wait for it to dry: Wet bricks look significantly darker than dry ones. Give new masonry at least 4-6 weeks to fully “cure” and dry out before panic-buying tints.
Clean the old bricks: Sometimes the new bricks are the “correct” colour, but the old ones are just dirty. A professional jet wash or chemical clean of the old wall might reveal a colour much closer to the new bricks.
Identify the discrepancy: Is it the colour of the brick? The texture? The mortar? Or the thickness of the joints?
Test a small area: Never tint an entire wall as your first step. Always do a “test patch” in an inconspicuous area (like behind a shed or down the side of the house).
Seek professional help: For large-scale mismatches, DIY solutions often end up looking blotchy. Professional tinting is a permanent, guaranteed way to fix the issue.

The Legal and Planning Aspect ⚖️

In the UK, planning permission often comes with conditions. A common condition is that “materials must match the existing dwelling.”

If you build an extension with bricks that are a poor match, the Local Planning Authority (LPA) can, in theory, issue an enforcement notice. This could require you to rectify the colour or, in extreme cases, rebuild the extension.

Using a professional tinting service is often the most cost-effective way to satisfy a planning officer who is unhappy with a visual mismatch. It provides a documented “remedy” that preserves the character of the neighbourhood.

Summary of Brick Types and Their Matching Difficulty

Brick Type	Common Area	Matching Difficulty (1-10)	Notes
London Stock	London / South East	8	Highly variable; new ones are often too “yellow.”
Accrington Red	North / Lancashire	4	Smooth and consistent, but “new” reds can be too bright.
Staffordshire Blue	Midlands	3	Very consistent, but hard to “age” due to low porosity.
Gault Brick	East of England	7	Creamy/White; very prone to black soot staining.
Hand-made Multi	Countrywide (Period)	9	Almost impossible to match “off the shelf.”

Final Thoughts on Visual Harmony 🌿

The goal of any renovation or repair is “visual harmony.” Your home should look like a single, cohesive unit rather than a collection of separate projects. While a brick mismatch feels like a disaster at first, the technology available today—specifically through professional tinting—means that no mistake is permanent.

By paying attention to the details of clay, mortar, and weathering, and by utilising specialists like https://www.brickmakeover.co.uk/, you can ensure your property maintains its curb appeal and its value for years to come. Remember, the best brickwork is the kind you don’t even notice.

The Impact of Natural Light on Colour Perception ☀️

One of the most frustrating aspects of a brick mismatch is how it “shifts” throughout the day. You might look at your new extension at 10:00 am and think the match is acceptable, only to return at 4:00 pm and find that the setting sun has highlighted a glaring difference in tone.

This occurs because of the metamerism of the pigments. Different materials reflect light differently depending on the light source’s angle and “temperature.”

North-Facing Walls: These receive cooler, bluer light. This tends to make “new” red bricks look flatter and darker, while the “old” bricks may show more of their grey or black soot deposits.
South-Facing Walls: These are bathed in warm, direct sunlight. This can make new, orange-toned bricks look incredibly vibrant—often far more so than the original masonry which has lost its “fire” over time.

When attempting to rectify a mismatch, it is vital to check the samples in all lighting conditions: overcast, direct sun, and dusk. Professional tinters often work with this in mind, creating a “multi-tonal” finish that ensures the bricks look correct regardless of the British weather.

Dealing with Efflorescence: That White Chalky Powder ❄️

Sometimes, the mismatch isn’t caused by the colour of the brick itself, but by a white, powdery substance appearing on the surface of the new bricks. This is known as efflorescence.

Efflorescence occurs when natural salts within the brick or mortar are dissolved by water and then brought to the surface as the masonry dries out. On a new extension, this can make the wall look significantly lighter than the original house, leading homeowners to believe they’ve bought the wrong bricks.

Don’t panic: Efflorescence is usually temporary. In most cases, it will naturally wear off over 12 to 18 months as the salts are exhausted.
The “Dry Brush” Test: If you can brush the white powder off with a stiff bristle brush, it is efflorescence. If it doesn’t move, it might be “lime staining,” which requires a different treatment.
Avoid the Pressure Washer: Using high-pressure water to “wash away” the salt often drives the water deeper into the brick, which eventually brings more salt to the surface.

If your bricks are mismatched because of salts, you should wait for the wall to settle before considering a tinting service like https://www.brickmakeover.co.uk/.

Matching Bricks for Garden Walls and Boundaries 🌳

Mismatches aren’t limited to the house itself. Garden walls, gate piers, and boundary treatments are often where the most obvious “patching” occurs. Because these structures are exposed to the elements on both sides, they weather faster than house walls.

When repairing a garden wall, the temptation is to buy the cheapest “common” brick available. However, because garden walls are often at eye level for passers-by, the mismatch is highly visible.

Table 3: Considerations for Garden Wall Matching

Factor	Impact on Match	Recommendation
Capping/Coping	Creates a shadow line on the brick.	Match the coping stone to the house windowsills to unify the look.
Lichens/Moss	Old garden walls often have organic growth.	New bricks won’t have this; a “soot wash” can help dull the newness.
Damp Proof Course (DPC)	Visible DPC lines can break the visual flow.	Ensure the new DPC line aligns perfectly with the old one.

Using reclaimed bricks is often most successful for garden walls, as they already possess the “rugged” look required to blend into a mature garden landscape.

The Role of “Fletton” Bricks in Post-War Housing 🏗️

If your home was built between the 1930s and the 1970s, there is a high chance it was built using London Brick Company (LBC) Flettons. These are unique to the UK and are made from Lower Oxford Clay.

Flettons have a very specific “pressed” look, often with a “frog” (the indentation in the top) that contains a distinct “kiss mark” from the firing process. Matching these is a specific challenge:

The “Cotswold” vs. “Georgian”: LBC produces several types of Flettons. Even a slight variation—like choosing a “Heather” instead of a “Rustic”—will be visible from down the street.
The Sand-Faced Problem: Many Flettons have a thin layer of sand on the face. Over 50 years, this sand wears away. New Flettons will have a “velvet” texture that the old, “balding” bricks lack.

In these cases, a specialist “weathering” tint is almost always required to take the “edge” off the new bricks so they don’t look like bright intruders on a mellowed wall.

Understanding “Spalling” and Patch Repairs 🧱⚠️

Sometimes, you aren’t building a new extension, but replacing individual bricks that have “spalled” (where the face has crumbled away). This is common in the UK due to our wet winters and sudden frosts.

Replacing a single brick is an art form. If you “spot-in” 20 new bricks across a chimney breast, your house will look like it has measles.

Harvesting: If possible, “harvest” bricks from a less visible part of the property (like inside a garage or behind a chimney stack) to use for the repairs on the front elevation.
Orientation: Ensure the bricklayer doesn’t accidentally put the brick in upside down. While it sounds simple, many bricks have a “top” and “bottom” regarding how they weather.
Tinting the “Spots”: This is where a service like https://www.brickmakeover.co.uk/ is invaluable. They can tint those 20 individual bricks to match the surrounding wall perfectly, making the repair invisible.

The “Square Metre” Rule for Contractors 📐

If you are hiring a contractor to build for you, include a “Square Metre Sample” clause in your contract.

This requires the builder to construct a small sample panel (approx. 1m x 1m) using the proposed bricks and mortar. You should only give the “green light” to start the main build once you have inspected this panel alongside the original house wall in dry conditions.

Why this saves money:

It is much cheaper to change a brick order before 5,000 bricks are delivered.
It allows you to experiment with mortar colours (e.g., adding a yellow sand or a black dye) before it’s applied to your home.
It sets a “quality standard” that the builder must adhere to for the rest of the project.

Reclaimed Bricks: The Pros and Pitfalls ♻️

Reclaimed bricks are the “holy grail” for matching, but they come with their own set of rules. You cannot simply buy a pallet of “reclaims” and expect them to work.

Cleaning: Reclaimed bricks often come with old lime mortar still attached. This needs to be cleaned off, or the new mortar won’t bond correctly.
Wastage: Expect a 10-15% wastage rate. Many bricks will be cracked or “blown” inside the pallet.
The “Batch” Source: Ask your supplier where the bricks came from. Bricks from a demolished school in Manchester will look very different from bricks salvaged from a wharf in East London, even if they are both “reds.”

If you find that your reclaimed bricks are still a shade or two off—perhaps they were cleaned too aggressively and look “raw”—tinting can be used to add back the years of “grime” and character they lost during the reclamation process.

Future-Proofing Your Brickwork 🛡️

Once you have achieved a perfect match, you want to keep it that way. Brickwork is durable, but it isn’t invincible.

Gutter Maintenance: Leaking gutters are the primary cause of localised brick staining. A “dark patch” on an otherwise perfect wall is often just a damp patch caused by a blocked downpipe.
Breathable Sealants: If you live in a particularly harsh coastal environment, you might consider a breathable silane-siloxane cream. This protects the brick from salt spray without changing the colour or trapping moisture.
Avoid “Brick Acid”: Many builders use “brick acid” (hydrochloric acid) to clean mortar splashes off new walls. If used incorrectly, this can “burn” the brick, changing its colour permanently and making it look different from the old wall. Always use it sparingly and rinse thoroughly.

By being proactive and knowing that solutions like https://www.brickmakeover.co.uk/ exist, you can navigate the stress of mismatched masonry with confidence. Whether you are fixing a small repair or finishing a major extension, the technology is available to ensure your British home looks its absolute best.