Lichen on new bricks

[Steve7571]

Hi folks, wondering if I need to be worried. We had an extension built a couple of years ago by a builder whose next customer took him to court uncovering a history of incompetence. Touch wood, barring a couple of small things, our build seems OK and passed all the standard inspections, but I've noticed that many of the bricks on the extension are developing a dark lichen. There's no uniform pattern to where they are appearing, some have it, some don't, but it's just on the new ones, nowhere else on the house. The only other house on the street that has the same also only has it on a bit done by the same builder. Is this a normal process for new bricks or could something be wrong? Thanks

 

[Nige F]

Welcome Steve, can you post a picture ?

 

[Steve7571]

Thanks Nige, sure. This is a section near the top of the extension - some parts of it have less than this and like I say, the spread isn't consistent.

 

[Steve7571]

Pic here

 

[endecotp]

That doesn't look like lichen to me.
Does it scrape off?

 

[^woody^]

That looks like burnt brick.

Are you saying that those black areas are just appearing and the bricks were just plain red before?

 

[Steve7571]

Might be just never noticed it before I guess but would be surprised. Is burnt bricks a problem?

 

[stuart45]

It's iron oxide in the clay, there are many types of bricks that look like this.

 

[Steve7571]

That's great, thanks everyone for the help and reassurance

 

[tomfe]

I am sorry this made my chuckle!

 

[Nige F]

Maybe the bricks are sanded during manufacture and that possibly covered/shaded the burned areas then gradually revealed Anyway they look like good bricks reasonably well laid