Where can I find crushed brick in Connecticut?

From brick suppliers and masonry yards. Old New England Brick (Millis, MA) and Glen-Gery brick dealers occasionally carry it. Call ahead — it is a specialty item.

How does crushed brick compare to pea gravel for a path?

Crushed brick is warmer in color and compacts more firmly than pea gravel. It produces red dust when dry and trafficked. Pea gravel is cooler in color and moves more underfoot. The choice is determined by the setting — brick building and formal garden favor crushed brick; stone wall and informal garden favor pea gravel.

Does crushed brick wash away in heavy rain?

Less than pea gravel because the angular fragments interlock somewhat. But it does migrate without edging and in concentrated water flow. Ensure the path has positive drainage and that water does not channel along it in heavy rain.

Crushed Brick Paths — Old Canaan Building Materials

Crushed brick is exactly what it sounds like: brick that has been crushed to a gravel-like consistency. The result is a warm red-brown granular material that reads nothing like pea gravel and nothing like bluestone. It is the correct path material for kitchen gardens and enclosed formal gardens where the warm color and the traditional association with brick are part of the design intent.

The Character

Crushed brick is warm red-brown to orange-brown, depending on the brick source. The color is consistent — less varied than pea gravel, less stark than marble chips. Wet, it darkens to a deep terracotta. Dry, it reads as a warm neutral that sets off the green of plantings without competing with them. It compacts moderately underfoot and drains well.

What It Is

Crushed brick is produced from salvage or manufacturing surplus brick, crushed to a 3/8" to 1/2" grade similar to pea gravel. It is available from brick suppliers and some masonry yards, though it is not a stock item everywhere. The color depends entirely on the source brick — specify the color you want and ask for a sample before ordering.

How It Behaves

Crushed brick compacts more than pea gravel — the angular fragments interlock somewhat, producing a firmer surface. It does not stay in place as well as crushed stone because the individual fragments are not dense enough to resist migration. Edging is required. It produces a fine red dust when dry and walked on heavily.

Why It's Right

Crushed brick is correct in kitchen gardens, walled gardens, and formal enclosed gardens associated with brick buildings where the warm red color connects the path to the architectural material vocabulary. It is not correct on driveways or in informal settings where pea gravel or native stone is the right material.

How To Get It

From brick suppliers and masonry yards. Call ahead — it is not universally stocked. Specify 3/8" crushed brick, color range (red to orange-red), and confirm the source. Order a sample before committing.

The Old Canaan Standard

Crushed brick, 3/8" grade, warm red to orange-red color, for kitchen garden paths and enclosed garden settings at traditional New England properties with brick buildings. Minimum 2-inch depth over compacted crushed stone base. Steel or brick edging required. Not appropriate for driveways or informal landscape settings.

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Crushed Brick Paths

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