Face bricks

[Jicama]

Anyone know how/where to find older face brick? The ones I am trying to match have impressions of leaves or small ferns or sticks. I have looked online at brick companies' web sites, but haven't seen any bricks with impression of ferns etc. Does anyone know if there is something else these type of bricks are called?
Thanks

[T-Bone 369]

It depends on how old they are. If the construction is fairly new - say last 10 years - go to the local brickyards and ask if they supplied the brick. They should have records if they did although you may need the name of the original home owner and/or contractor. Most masons get their brick from the closest yard (saves delivery $$) so start with the closest. If you have a sample (a couple of loose brick) take them with you. If not get a couple good close up pictures. Most yards carry just a couple of brands of brick and your marks are pretty distinctive and they may well know them (never laid ones with frens but lots with cats paws). Even if they do not know where they originally came from they can use the sample to come up with as close a match as is possible. A word of warning though - even if you find the exact brick it likely will not be a perfect match. There are many variables (clay mix, wear/replaced forms even the time of year) can effect the look of the brick.

Something else to look for - when we finish a job we always stash the left over brick somewhere on the site for future need. Sometimes it is in a shed or a pile in the woods or in the crawl space. You might look around. Of course that will not do you any good if you need large numbers.

[Harry Chickpea]

Consider making a mold and making your own out of concrete and the dyes used to color concrete. Just take a brick and encase the face in clear silicone caulk, then embed fabric to make it more stable. Mix up a batch of concrete, pour in mold, wait, pop out.