Things You'll Need:
- Hand sledgehammer
- Cold chisel
- Drill with masonry bits
- Spray bottle
- Mortar mix
- Replacement bricks
- Trowel
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Step 1
Research your house. Bricks and mortar in use before the 1930s and '40s were softer, so mixing them with modern materials can result in cracked or spalled brick and wasted effort. Be certain of the age of your house, which materials were used in the masonry, and what was used in any repointing work.
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Step 2
Rake out the mortar surrounding the bricks to be replaced with a hammer and a cold chisel.
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Step 3
Attempt to pry the brick out with a crowbar. If it will not come out easily, drill holes through the brick with a large masonry bit and then break it up with the hammer and cold chisel.
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Step 4
Clean out any debris from the newly formed opening. Simply sweeping it out with your hand will do.
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Step 5
Mix up your mortar. This will either be modern, Portland cement-based mortar (the type available at any home-improvement store), or a lime-and-sand mixture based on your research from Step 1. Follow the recipe instructions regarding how much sand and water to add.
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Step 6
Dampen the opening and the replacement brick with water from a spray bottle.
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Step 7
Spread mortar on the bottom of the opening and along one side with a trowel.
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Step 8
Spread more mortar along the top of the brick, as well as the side that you did not cover in the opening in the brick wall. For example, if you buttered the opening with mortar on the left side, put mortar on the right side of the brick.
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Step 9
Push the brick into the opening. Smooth out the wet mortar with your trowel so that it matches the style of the surrounding masonry, then scrape away any excess.
