Front opening
How do I blend in the exterior of a garage to bedroom conversion?
by
Robin Mccoy
+8
We are in the process of converting our garage into a bedroom and struggling with the exterior. We can’t find matching brick. We have found some very close in color but not texture. We are considering filling in the small opening where a door used to be with the close brick and then landscaping to camouflage. For the front we are considering a stacked stone( the previous owners had air stone which was okay but we moved the window up and thought real stone may look better). Has anyone dealt with this before. Any ideas or suggestions?
Side opening. Used to be a door.
Current brick.
You could use the brick from the entry door (if there's enough) to add a row of bricks along of the garage door opening. Then you might incorporate a design change for the house by using matching stone/brick that's in the opening now; maybe under the windows and maybe around the front door, or make columns of it from ground up to roof spaced along the outside walls. Your imagination has no limits. Have fun with it.
https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/siding/stone-veneer-siding/z-brick-reg-brick-veneer-3-3-sq-ft/5411050/p-1444448134395.htm
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Siding-Stone-Veneer-Siding/Brick/N-5yc1vZc85vZ1z0r6r7
I would go with brick in the same size as the rest of the building.... that veneer stone doesnt match. You can get mason's dye to make it match better, but ultimately if you use brick veneer it would match...https://www.dyebrick.com.
I agree with using brick the same size, same size/color grout, etc. Although it won't match exactly, if you do some thoughtful landscaping including something that looks like a natural end to the driveway rather than stopping where the garage door was, it will look wonderful!
Whatever you use will not match and will look like an add on. Embrace the difference and use a cedar siding.
Do you have an HOA that insists the brick look the same? Or are you just wanting everything to match? I would consider this an opportunity to make that exterior pop with something totally different. I do like the airstone/flagstone idea. But you can also go stucco, siding or even something crazy like cedar shingles. Don't limit yourself. Think color and texture that will both compliment your home and make it unique. Remember that landscaping can also work wonders - and it is constantly changing. But most of all enjoy this project. Every obstacle should be a challenge, not an issue. I'm sure you're going to love the end result.
If only the color is off, you could paint all the brick!
My suggestion: Use brick the exact size and shape, and the stain--not paint--the entire house with solid stain. Stain soaks into the brick and will not peel off like paint will. We stained our brick 10 years ago and it still looks great. By staining the entire house, you can make the new area completely blend in and it will look like your house was always the way it is today. Anything else will always look added on.
I agree with using brick the same size, same size/color,,it will be much more pleasing to the eye even if it does not match exactly. You could use dye to try and match the other brick. But then you would have to do the entire wall.
Hi Robin, why not do a contrasting area on these parts, do a charcoal brick, or a wood look siding, that way you are not struggling to match things up. Hope this link helps you out,
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/5-siding-materials-that-go-beautifully-with-brick-stsetivw-vs~79026855
Hello,
Never go for a close match, it will never look right, better to have a contrast. How about Faux wooden boarding (made from a sort of flexible concrete fibre you can put on to battens. Comes in many colours or unfinished. Self cleaning, never needs painting. We have it on our home. Great stuff! Has a wood grain and looks like shiplap. There would be no need to hide it as it looks Fab!!