What Would You Construct If You Had Unlimited Free Bricks?

 

How many times have you marveled at a beautiful brick driveway or porch? No other building material can give off the pleasant sensation of permanence, solidity, and sophistication that weathered brick does. Isn't it lovely to have a small brick to complement your home?

Working with brick, especially if you're thinking of a brick wall, necessitates considerable expertise. However, with a little trial and error, the average amateur can figure it out, making brick constructions a do-it-yourself endeavor. And here's the best part: there's a major positive. What if the brick was available for free?

The noble people of Storm Lake, Iowa, decided in the late 1960s to demolish the god-awful county seat structure and replace it with a new one. After nearly a month of destruction, the site was littered with massive mounds of 120-year-old bricks from the three-story structure. To save money on disposal, the city advertised that the brick was free to anyone who could haul it away.

Over a hundred homes were immediately outfitted with brick walks, driveways, patios, garden planters, and porches not long after. Thanks to a load of free brick, this gorgeous tiny lake town became even more lovely. Choose best patio pavers company Sabba's Landscaping.

Every day, the same story is told all over the country. 

It's just a matter of looking for it. Start by looking for contractors that have completed a project and have brick left over in the classifieds or on Craigslist.com. Hauling that material away is costly, and contractors will give it to you for free if you will transport it away.

Typically, contractors will buy around 20% more brick than is required for a work. This is done to account for breakage and poor cutting. If there is any money left over after the job is completed, many contractors will just bury it. Good for the contractor, but not so good for the homeowner who decides to plant a tree in the brick cemetery.

Scouting out building sites is probably the greatest way to get free brick. When they're almost finished, approach the foreman and say that you'd be pleased to haul any leftover bricks. If you make a contract, be sure you keep it and finish it by the agreed-upon deadline. Actually, if you can make one contract with a corporation, you may be able to make more with the same company, resulting in an unlimited supply.

Brick is an excellent construction material, and it's even more appealing when it's free. If you keep your eyes peeled, you might be able to get that brick patio for a lot less than you anticipated.