You finally got the chimney rebuilt, the porch repaired or the back addition finished. The work is solid. The problem is that you can see exactly where it was done from across the street.
Mismatched brick is one of the most common frustrations for owners of older homes, and it is especially familiar around Chicago, where so much of the housing stock is brick that has been patched, rebuilt and added to over decades. The good news is that a patch that sticks out is usually fixable without tearing anything down or painting the whole house.
Here is why new brick rarely matches old brick, what your options are, and how to get a repair to disappear.
Why new brick almost never matches
Even when a mason finds a brick that looks right in the yard, it can look wrong once it is in the wall. There are a few reasons for that.
Brick is a natural product
Brick color depends on the clay, the minerals in it and how it was fired. Bricks from different manufacturers, different production runs or even different parts of the same kiln can vary noticeably. A brick made this year simply isn’t the same material as one made 80 or 100 years ago.
Old brick has had decades of weather
Sun, rain, frost, soot and city grime have been working on your original brick for a very long time. That changes its color and surface. New brick hasn’t had any of that, so it tends to look brighter, cleaner and more uniform than everything around it.
Mortar changes the whole picture
People often blame the brick when the mortar is the real culprit. Fresh mortar is usually lighter and grayer than old, weathered joints, and because mortar outlines every single brick, a band of new joints can make a repair look much more obvious than the brick alone would. Tuckpointing a section of wall can create exactly this problem.
Your options, from simplest to most involved
There is no single fix. The right approach depends on how big the mismatch is, where it is, and how much it bothers you.
Waiting for it to weather
New brick and mortar will weather over time and some of the contrast may soften. The catch is that it can take years, and it may never fully catch up with the original. It is a reasonable option for a minor repair on a side or rear wall you rarely look at. It is a frustrating one for a front facade or a fireplace you see every day.
Sourcing salvaged brick
For future repairs, reclaimed brick from the same era can be a much closer match than new stock. Chicago has a long history of salvaged brick, and many masons know where to look. This works best when it is planned before the work starts. It doesn’t help with a repair that has already been built.
Staining the new brick to match
This is often the most effective fix for work that is already done. A penetrating mineral stain is mixed and tinted to match the surrounding masonry, then applied to the new brick, and sometimes to individual old bricks that stand out, so the whole area reads as one continuous wall.
Because the stain soaks into the brick rather than coating it, the texture and natural variation of the brick remain. The goal is not to make every brick identical. Real brick walls have variation, and a repair that is too uniform will stand out just as much as one that is too bright. Good color matching recreates the natural range of tones in the original wall. You can read how this is handled on the brick staining and color matching page.
Toning the mortar
Where new mortar joints are the issue, they can often be tinted to sit closer to the older joints around them. Matching brick without addressing bright new mortar usually leaves a visible outline of the repair, so it’s worth treating the two together.
Unifying the whole wall
Sometimes the mismatch is a sign that the whole wall, or the whole house, could use a new look anyway. In that case, limewash can bring old and new brick together by softening the entire surface into one finish. It is a bigger design change than spot staining, and it suits people who were already considering a lighter, softer look. The limewash for brick page shows what that looks like.
Why painting isn’t the shortcut it seems
Painting over a mismatched repair seems like the obvious quick fix. It hides the problem on day one. The trouble is what comes after. Film-forming paints sit on the surface of the brick and can trap moisture, which is a real concern for masonry in a climate with hard freeze-thaw winters. Once brick is painted, it usually stays painted, and repainting becomes a recurring job.
Our article on staining versus painting brick goes into more detail on why most masonry specialists steer homeowners away from paint.
Common places mismatched brick shows up
A few situations come up again and again:
- Chimney rebuilds. The top of the chimney is rebuilt in new brick and sits above an older, darker stack.
- Additions and dormers. The new section was built with the closest brick available, which still isn’t close enough.
- Porch and stair repairs. Front steps and piers are often rebuilt, right at eye level for every visitor.
- Window and door changes. Openings that are bricked up or enlarged leave a clear rectangle of new brick.
- Interior fireplaces. A damaged section or a changed opening leaves a patch that is impossible to ignore from the sofa. If the whole fireplace is due for an update, a fireplace makeover can deal with the patch and the overall look at the same time.
How the color matching process usually works
Every project is different, but a careful match generally follows these steps:
- Look at it in person. Brick color changes with light, so the wall is assessed in real conditions, ideally from where people normally see it.
- Clean where needed. Dirt, efflorescence or old residue on the brick affects how stain absorbs, so surfaces are cleaned first.
- Mix and test. Stain is mixed on site and tested on an inconspicuous area of the actual brick, then adjusted.
- Apply brick by brick. Rather than one flat color, individual bricks are toned to recreate the range in the original wall.
- Step back and check. The work is reviewed from a distance, such as the sidewalk or the driveway, because that is how the finished wall will be judged.
If you are curious how designers approach color more generally, our piece on color matching secrets designers use covers the same principle of matching the range of tones rather than a single swatch.
When to call a mason first
Staining fixes color. It doesn’t fix structure. If you see loose or crumbling brick, deep cracks, bulging sections, failing mortar or signs of water getting in, those issues should be repaired by a qualified mason before any finish is applied. The best time to plan a color match is right after the masonry work is complete and the mortar has cured.
Getting a repair to disappear
If a repair or addition is the first thing you notice about your house, it doesn’t have to stay that way. Just Art Studio specializes in tinting mineral stain to blend new and replacement brick into original masonry, for homes across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Take a look at some recent brick projects, and when you are ready, send a photo of the problem area along with a wider shot of the whole wall. That context makes it much easier to judge what the match will involve.
Frequently asked questions
Will new brick eventually match old brick on its own?
It will weather over time and some contrast may soften, but it often never fully catches up. If the repair is in a highly visible spot, waiting is usually the least satisfying option.
How long after masonry work can new brick be stained?
New mortar needs time to cure before any finish goes on. Your mason can tell you when the work is ready, and your finisher will want to check the brick is clean and dry before starting.
Is brick staining permanent?
A penetrating mineral stain is designed as a long-lasting color change because it absorbs into the brick instead of forming a surface layer that can peel. If the color needs to be deepened later, additional applications can be added.
Can you match brick that has been painted?
Stain needs bare, absorbent brick to work, so painted brick would normally have to be stripped first. That can be a larger job, and it’s worth discussing the options before deciding.
What affects the cost of color matching brick?
The main factors are the size of the area, how much cleaning the brick needs, how far the color has to move, how many individual bricks need toning, and access, such as a second-story chimney versus a front step. A written quote after seeing the wall is the only reliable way to price it.
Can mismatched brick be fixed on a fireplace inside the house?
Yes. The same approach used on exteriors works on interior fireplaces, where a patched section or an altered opening can be blended into the surrounding brick.
Final thoughts
A visible repair is not a sign that anything was done badly. It’s just what happens when new material meets old. Most of the time, the fix is careful color work rather than more construction. Deal with any structural issues first, then match the range of color, not a single brick, and a patch that has bothered you for years can simply stop being noticeable.
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