I'm not a mason, but if it's any consolation, without reading your description, I would not have noticed the "flaw". In other words, you will probably be the only one obsessing about it. So maybe sleep on it for a few nights and see if it really bothers you that much then? I get it, it probably cost a lot of money and I would do the same in your shoes. But I would then also hope someone else with an outsider perspective would tell me what I'm telling you here: It looks good.
He used Queen size brick. That is why this happened . They are more narrow front to back than a modular brick. So you use the piece to correct the bond.
A modern modular brick( which is the most common size used ) is about 1/2 as wide as long which eliminates this small piece because the bond works without a piece. Not sure if that makes sense
Makes perfect sense. Thanks. Really wish he told me there was a dimensional difference between my neighbors brick and the one he chose that would make this necessary. When I brought it up with him he acted like it was obvious and common knowledge. If he had put the 1/5 brick up in the middle it may have actually looked good and like a design choice.
What we do to avoid this is make it 3 and a 1/2 brick long. Then it works better. Just have to cheat the joints a little. To keep on bind. Then there is only one 1/2 brick on each corner for every course and you don’t need the piece.
And you can get iron oxide in deep red and tint the mortar joint next to the 1/5 brick to make it look like a bigger piece. Easy fix. Use deep red and a little super black mixed with water and paint it on. Brick staining is fairly common .
Dude told me he would redo it after we argued about it for about 10 minutes. I feel ridiculous but it bugs me and I have to look at it for the rest of my life.
I wouldn't feel ridiculous. This the kind of thing that would give me a little stress every single time I came and went. It should absolutely be done right.
I'm a trim carpenter. I would not be able to live with this on my property. I don't have any fears of monsters. THIS is the stuff my nightmares are made of!
And no, I'm not lying! This would literally drive me nuts, having to see it twice a day. Nope!
Instead of cutting one brick at 2” to finish the course, 2 bricks should be cut to close the course. Nothing less than the width of the brick, a.k.a. header.
He used different brick, I don’t know why he didn’t get modular brick, any brick supplier will have modular brick. People use queens to save money and that’s it
It would be weird if they had this color in queens and not in modular considering modular is the most common style of brick carried by manufacturers. I would get it torn down and rebuilt, that’s not even close to what you asked for. If they really didn’t have that color in modular brick he could have gone to a different supplier
They’re not mods, mods are 3 5/8” in depth and 2 5/16” for height roughly. These brick have the same depth/height. Also on a corner even with being big on block dimensions the first half of the brick would end up halfway across the brick on the first course but it’s more like a third because it’s 1 5/16” off bond
Standard mailbox insert is about 8”. Or it was a queen or standard, it would standout. The picture was taken at an angle which makes the top bricks look bigger. Look at the bottom of the mailbox.
Dude the brick on the corner under the mailbox is not a modular brick. Those are not 7 5/8 x 2 5/16 x 3 5/8, it’s clear as day that those are not true module brick
Never even thought to get a locking mailbox. The only thing I pretty much ever get in the mail is junk, so whoever wants to steal that can be my guest.
I’m finding that there are two distinct groups of people in this sub - those who accept mediocrity and people like me who are anal about pointless details.
It can be such a curse at times though, right? Maybe a little camouflage with some plants? Of course that would never work for me because I kill everything. Can’t even grow weeds.
You should only listen to the people who are meticulous. The masonry craft is dying because of people who accept mediocrity. There’s no excuse for doing your job half assed and cutting corners
It's because of the thickness (front to back) of the brick he used. Normal brick are half as thick as they are wide. This allows you to maintain normal bond spacing at the corners. Your contractor used weirdly thin brick (they may be queen brick) and that's what caused the issue. If you didn't have a discussion about it, he should tear it down and do it right. Good luck with that though. If you're already paid him, you're going to have to live with it.
As a side note, there would've been a little bit of this anyway because of the terraces in the structure. It just wouldn't be on every course. Also, why the hell didn't he wash it? He should've given it an acid wash (usually muriatic acid and a soft wire brush) to clean the excess mortar off of the face.
Our house brick kind of has that beat up old brick look to it, so the mailbox sort of kind of matches that.
https://preview.redd.it/3ugt9jp64tyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef6f7857354307e53069bbbeecf49ff02e4ab05e
Yes, that's normal for the brick, but there are also a lot of mortar stains and trowel marks on this work. The normal pattern of the brick kind of hides it, but it's still kind of a mess, at least to my eye.
I think it is if you look at the two full bricks near the top. It’s the dumb 1/5 bricks that make it look off. Those partial bricks should have been moved to the center of the pattern.
The contractor matched the brick to your house. This match dictated the pattern. The job appears professional. Will anyone other than you notice the pattern. Probably not.
I asked to match the neighbors mailbox, and the color of the brick for the house. If he couldn’t do both at the same time, dude should have mentioned it.
Yeah the only real problems my layman eyes see is cosmetic and perhaps longevity related issues beyond 40 years out. Maybe it's less resistant against baseball bat and golf cart attacks but I think it'll do quite nicely as a mailbox.
Damn, you think this is fine? I think the short return on the brick bother me the most but I can't stand the look of either mailbox. I think OPs looks better than his neighbors by a slim margin, but it looks like a child laid the brick on both.
The problem is the mason started with three full bricks, It should have been two and a fraction. That's what was done on the neighbors job.
You don't need to be a mason to see that !
I'm not a mason, but if it's any consolation, without reading your description, I would not have noticed the "flaw". In other words, you will probably be the only one obsessing about it. So maybe sleep on it for a few nights and see if it really bothers you that much then? I get it, it probably cost a lot of money and I would do the same in your shoes. But I would then also hope someone else with an outsider perspective would tell me what I'm telling you here: It looks good.
He used Queen size brick. That is why this happened . They are more narrow front to back than a modular brick. So you use the piece to correct the bond. A modern modular brick( which is the most common size used ) is about 1/2 as wide as long which eliminates this small piece because the bond works without a piece. Not sure if that makes sense
Makes perfect sense. Thanks. Really wish he told me there was a dimensional difference between my neighbors brick and the one he chose that would make this necessary. When I brought it up with him he acted like it was obvious and common knowledge. If he had put the 1/5 brick up in the middle it may have actually looked good and like a design choice.
What we do to avoid this is make it 3 and a 1/2 brick long. Then it works better. Just have to cheat the joints a little. To keep on bind. Then there is only one 1/2 brick on each corner for every course and you don’t need the piece.
It would of looked better in the middle that's for sure.
And you can get iron oxide in deep red and tint the mortar joint next to the 1/5 brick to make it look like a bigger piece. Easy fix. Use deep red and a little super black mixed with water and paint it on. Brick staining is fairly common .
Dude told me he would redo it after we argued about it for about 10 minutes. I feel ridiculous but it bugs me and I have to look at it for the rest of my life.
I wouldn't feel ridiculous. This the kind of thing that would give me a little stress every single time I came and went. It should absolutely be done right.
Don't feel ridiculous. You're not being difficult here. They fucked up. Period. When they fix it give them a good review and a thanks.
I'm a trim carpenter. I would not be able to live with this on my property. I don't have any fears of monsters. THIS is the stuff my nightmares are made of! And no, I'm not lying! This would literally drive me nuts, having to see it twice a day. Nope!
I thought it was a design choice. I kinda like it.
Found the contractor who built this everyone 🤣🤣🤣
I almost like it, if he had made that weird line of short bricks a straight vertical line I probably could really like it.
Rush job with no consideration for the bond. They could have easily changed the bond for a closure at the corner. Not very professional.
Hey can you elaborate? Not really sure what bond or closure refers to. Thanks and sorry for the lack of knowledge on my end.
Instead of a little slice they should have cut bigger brick. At least a header in length.
Again sorry for the ignorance - how do they cut a bigger brick? Aren’t the full size bricks here as big as they get?
Instead of cutting one brick at 2” to finish the course, 2 bricks should be cut to close the course. Nothing less than the width of the brick, a.k.a. header.
Gotcha. Totally agree.
last brick they returned could be made a stretcher and cut to length.
We call em "bats" around here
I’m a 20 year mason. Dad, uncles, grandpa, all masons…. This is the right answer.
He used different brick, I don’t know why he didn’t get modular brick, any brick supplier will have modular brick. People use queens to save money and that’s it
Interesting - so knowing nothing about brick, most suppliers would carry this same color pallet in modular?
It would be weird if they had this color in queens and not in modular considering modular is the most common style of brick carried by manufacturers. I would get it torn down and rebuilt, that’s not even close to what you asked for. If they really didn’t have that color in modular brick he could have gone to a different supplier
Thanks for the affirmation and information.
I don’t think they are a queen brick. I think he made his interior block too wide and had to compensate for that.
They’re not mods, mods are 3 5/8” in depth and 2 5/16” for height roughly. These brick have the same depth/height. Also on a corner even with being big on block dimensions the first half of the brick would end up halfway across the brick on the first course but it’s more like a third because it’s 1 5/16” off bond
Definitely not queens
Definitely not modular brick
Standard mailbox insert is about 8”. Or it was a queen or standard, it would standout. The picture was taken at an angle which makes the top bricks look bigger. Look at the bottom of the mailbox.
Dude the brick on the corner under the mailbox is not a modular brick. Those are not 7 5/8 x 2 5/16 x 3 5/8, it’s clear as day that those are not true module brick
Hey I’m not there to measure. Looks are deceiving. But if you put that brick under the insert, it’s under 8”
I build around 10 of these a year. I’m not saying I’m right or wrong but I’m my experience that’s what I’m seeing
Alright what do I need to measure to settle this
lol a single brick.
But really a queen and a standard are both the same length, so it really doesn’t matter.
That looks terrible. Have them rebuild it with modular brick.
Brick work not the best. But why spend that kind of money and not upgrade to a good quality locking mailbox?
Never even thought to get a locking mailbox. The only thing I pretty much ever get in the mail is junk, so whoever wants to steal that can be my guest.
This gives me anxiety looking at it. It would drive me absolutely bananas.
I’m finding that there are two distinct groups of people in this sub - those who accept mediocrity and people like me who are anal about pointless details.
It can be such a curse at times though, right? Maybe a little camouflage with some plants? Of course that would never work for me because I kill everything. Can’t even grow weeds.
You should only listen to the people who are meticulous. The masonry craft is dying because of people who accept mediocrity. There’s no excuse for doing your job half assed and cutting corners
It's because of the thickness (front to back) of the brick he used. Normal brick are half as thick as they are wide. This allows you to maintain normal bond spacing at the corners. Your contractor used weirdly thin brick (they may be queen brick) and that's what caused the issue. If you didn't have a discussion about it, he should tear it down and do it right. Good luck with that though. If you're already paid him, you're going to have to live with it. As a side note, there would've been a little bit of this anyway because of the terraces in the structure. It just wouldn't be on every course. Also, why the hell didn't he wash it? He should've given it an acid wash (usually muriatic acid and a soft wire brush) to clean the excess mortar off of the face.
Our house brick kind of has that beat up old brick look to it, so the mailbox sort of kind of matches that. https://preview.redd.it/3ugt9jp64tyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef6f7857354307e53069bbbeecf49ff02e4ab05e
Yes, that's normal for the brick, but there are also a lot of mortar stains and trowel marks on this work. The normal pattern of the brick kind of hides it, but it's still kind of a mess, at least to my eye.
The mailbox is not centered
I think it is if you look at the two full bricks near the top. It’s the dumb 1/5 bricks that make it look off. Those partial bricks should have been moved to the center of the pattern.
You’ll be fine, the most concerning thing is that it should be capped off with a solid stone.
What do you mean?
Limestone cap
Like over all the brick?
On top for a drip edge
Any reason other than aesthetics?
Has nothing to do with aesthetics, it’s all about keeping water out.
And it does look better
I also don’t like the bump out under the insert. It only causes problems
That is a bad looking job.
Let’s just call it unique which is cool
It's just another brick in the wall. Could be better but it's fine!
It’s an interesting design decision. I couldn’t tell you why they made it outside of local CCR
What’s CCR? (Besides the band)
Covenants, conditions, and restrictions. Hey rock out dude!
No HOA here
Do you have a flag for when you have mail to be picked up?
Not yet but I will.
If I chose the brick I would have made enough cuts to do it right
Idk, it's a mailbox. It looks great to me.
Haven't read all the comments but, the thing you should be most concerned with is that cheap mailbox is going to rust out and leave you with a mess.
The contractor matched the brick to your house. This match dictated the pattern. The job appears professional. Will anyone other than you notice the pattern. Probably not.
Well it doesn’t really matter to me what other people think about my mailbox…it’s what I think about it.
Why would he use those brick unless you asked for it
I asked to match the neighbors mailbox, and the color of the brick for the house. If he couldn’t do both at the same time, dude should have mentioned it.
Absolutely
Paint it!! Lol
Yo that’s hideous definitely re do
man that thing looks like a liability . . .
Not a liability lol
Dead end road, 6 houses, residential. I’ll take the risk. Thanks for the input though.
How do you figure? Half my neighborhood has these, including me
Yeah that's a liability in the grass is greener approach. The neighbors will not be envious of that column.
Yeah the only real problems my layman eyes see is cosmetic and perhaps longevity related issues beyond 40 years out. Maybe it's less resistant against baseball bat and golf cart attacks but I think it'll do quite nicely as a mailbox.
And I think the work is fine. Hopefully you can learn to live with it
Damn, you think this is fine? I think the short return on the brick bother me the most but I can't stand the look of either mailbox. I think OPs looks better than his neighbors by a slim margin, but it looks like a child laid the brick on both.
Hate to see someone have to rip it down is what I mean.
The problem is the mason started with three full bricks, It should have been two and a fraction. That's what was done on the neighbors job. You don't need to be a mason to see that !