Recently we completed another kitchen floor.  This one however, was a bit different as we installed a used brick as specified from the job-site's designer, Mark Showell of Mark Showell Interiors (www.markshowellinteriors.com).  This used brick had been reclaimed, cut with a band saw to a 3/8" thickness (for flooring) and shipped out from Chicago.  Our job was simply to install these fine bricks in a basket-weave pattern.  This particular floor called for a little over 500 square feet.  We first installed our usual tile underlayment by Schluter Industries called Ditra Matting which is shown in the picture below to the left (under our Installer Josh).  Next Installers Josh & Jason laid the floor out in a grid and began setting each brick in the appropriate pattern.  These two pictures show Josh cutting in the perimeter tiles while Jason was busy cutting this area into a  "mock up" of  a future inlaid floor register.

Once the bricks were installed, the MacnSon Team went to work cleaning the surface of the dusty and chalky face which was left over from when these bricks served their purpose towering in some building deep in the streets of Chicago.  After a thorough cleaning, a sealing enhancer was applied to the surface of the brick.  This brick is extremely porous and the enhancer was quickly absorbed just below the surface where it fills all the microscopic pores in the brick.  This sealer works to stop any contaminants (like food, drink, etc.) from entering the beautiful new floor.  This first coat was allowed to dry thoroughly before a 2nd coat was applied.

Next Josh and Jason mixed and applied the grout which took a total of 275 pounds of sanded grout!  They did not have an easy time getting this floor cleaned up but after a hard day's work we believe that this project is one to write home about!  Great job once again to Josh & Jason!