Thursday, 17 March 2016
NEW Handmade Brick Fire Pits
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I decided to replace the ugly concrete fire pit that the previous owners had installed in the backyard with an Old Carolina® Brick handmade brick fire pit.

The concrete one had been glued together so it took a little while to dismantle.

After leveling the circle where the brick would go, laying them was a breeze! The pieces are interlocking so you don't have to use any glue, plus you can take it with you if you ever move. You could also build up one side (if needed) to block the wind.

         

Here is a picture of one in the process of being put together at the plant:

And the finished product:

Old Carolina® Brick Company can make these fire pit pieces in any of their beautiful brick colors.

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Posted on 03/17/2016 1:14 PM by Templin Frame
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Tuesday, 8 March 2016
Kitchen Remodel Using Handmade Thin Brick
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The original 1958 designed house was very high end for its time, but the kitchen was very small with old wood-grain cabinets, hard to pull drawers, and Formica counter tops.  There was a dividing wall between the kitchen and the breakfast room, which was seldom used, even though it had a full length sliding door that yielded a marvelous view of the city.

The first portion of the project was the discovery that the dividing wall was load-bearing, so we fabricated a 6 inch thick (3 each 2" x 12" x 12'' boards glued and screwed together) which ran the length of the kitchen to support the ceiling rafters. Then the dividing wall was dismantled and the view was breathtaking.

Next, all the old on-site built cabinets and drawers were removed.  The old linoleum floor was removed and replaced by glazed ceramic tile that looks identical to wood.  Then, new state-of-the art cabinets and drawers (all self-closing) were installed, as well as a countertop of Brazilian granite.

The coup de grace was then the installation of the Old Carolina® genuine handmade thin brick, Seabrook color. These were in their "Oversize" = 8.5" x 2.75" and were only ¾" thick.  They were glued directly onto scraped and wire brushed painted dry wall using Thin Set adhesive and plastic 1/2" joint spacers, which were removed when the adhesive set.  Then a mortar bag and nozzle (similar to a cake decorating bag) was used to install the mortar, which was later tooled to produce a beautiful traditional "grapevine" joint.

 

All in all, it is an exquisite job, we're extremely proud of it, and of course we do a lot of entertaining there.

 

Scott & Debbie Frame

Anniston, AL

March 2016

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Posted on 03/08/2016 8:48 AM by Scott Frame
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