TLDR; DIYer seeks advice on how to repair blown-out brick to be structurally sound to hold gate-arm mounting plate. TIA!

(Last photo is the dog tax)  
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To make a short story long…

Last year my wife, two pups, and I moved into a new home with no fence and, technically, no backyard to fence. The dogs disagreed. So we decided to tackle a “fun little project”: seventy 6‑foot panels of front yard fence, complete with an electric driveway gate, lights, and brick columns.

Between digging fence posts, hand‑trenching 125 feet of 20‑inch‑deep conduit for the electric run, pouring 4‑foot‑deep column foundations to beat the Michigan frost line, stacking bricks, wiring the gate, and trying not to lose my sanity, I ran out of time before Jack Frost showed up.

Fast‑forward to May 2026: the gate finally works. The lights glow. The gate opens on click. The dogs are happy. I’m feeling like a suburban superhero on the block.

Then, one month later… a tree attacks my fence and more importantly, the brick columns and gate arm. The impact loosened my sleeve anchors, and now the bricks are blown out right where the gate hardware mounts.

Here’s the kicker: I need those anchors back in the exact same spot because of geometry and lever‑arm constraints. So I come to you, masons, aspiring masons, and brick‑layers of Reddit — how would you repair the brick so I can reinstall sleeve anchors or bolts in the same location without compromising strength?

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Should I️ cement in the sleeve anchors with mortar?  
Should I️ remove anchors, patch with mortar then re drill and replace anchors?  
Should I️ rip out the whole column and start fresh?

Repair help and advice