Over Thanksgiving break, my dad and I finished installing the replacement bricks in my front steps. We installed maybe 18 bricks. It went fairly quickly, taking a few hours including prep and cleanup.
At first, it didn’t seem to be going together well and I was worried it would end up looking bad. But it came together and looks pretty reasonable. It’s certainly not perfect, with some half bricks, things not lining up perfectly, not perfectly straight in places, some bricks sticking out a little more than others, etc. But from a few feet or so away, it’s not really noticeable. If things don’t deteriorate, I think it will be fine for whenever I sell the place.
We waited for a warmer and dryer day than what we previously worked in, and we got a nice one. It was in the 40s. Made it much easier to work.
There is still a little bit left to do on the project. The brick faces still need to be brushed off and cleaned with acid. I also want to fill in any cracks and broken mortar in the remaining old bricks with a mortar caulk substance.