12 Dec Process of Brick Repair

Brick is a durable material to build with. However, over time, they may deteriorate from being exposed to the elements and regular wear and tear. Or, they may start to get loose. They might even become too brittle or ruined completely as to leave gaps or holes on your wall.

More than just being an eyesore, loose, missing, or deteriorating bricks can spread to good ones and create major damage. That is why experts recommend periodic inspections and maintenance to increase their lifespan. Otherwise, small issues now could lead to bigger problems down the line.

And, even if the bricks are generally in good shape, other components of the brickwork, such as lintels, caps, sills, copings, and sealant joints, might also require maintenance. If these non-brick components are not repaired or maintained periodically, the damage or deterioration might spread to the bricks themselves.

Below, we’ll discuss the process of brick repair, including the necessary steps your mason should be taking during the entire affair.

Step by Step Process of Brick Repair

Brick repair or replacement is just one part of the brick maintenance process (more on this below). For brick repair, masons follow specific steps to ensure that the repair is done well and properly. Here’s what the general process of brick repair looks like.

Examination

The first step to the brick repair process is examination. It’s hard to address the problem when you don’t know what it is. This step ensures any issues are identified — as well as their sources and causes — and the appropriate solution determined.

During the assessment, your mason will be looking for signs of deterioration, such as cracking, spalling, peeling paint, erosion, and deteriorated mortar joints.

Surface preparation

Once the issues have been identified, your mason can start preparing the brick surface for repair. This step includes wetting the bricks before repair day. The key is to saturate the brick but keep the surface dry.

Your mason might use heavy paper or tarps to prevent evaporation and keep the bricks wet. On repair day, they might use a hose to saturate the brick.

Break damaged brick

When bricks are broken or heavily spalled, it is necessary to remove them before replacement. For easy removal, your mason might break a portion or all of the damaged bricks.

Cut and remove remaining mortar

Once the damaged bricks are gone, it’s time to cut, chisel, and remove the remaining mortar. Your mason will ensure that the adjacent bricks and mortar will not sustain any damages when doing this step. The resulting dust and debris will also need to be carefully removed. This is to ensure that the surface area is clean before any repairs are made.

Use mock-ups or sample panels

When choosing replacement bricks, your mason should ensure that they match the existing brick in terms of color, size, and texture. This is where sample panels and mock-ups become useful. You can use them to clearly identify which new bricks blend well with the existing ones.

Butter surfaces

Before replacing the new brick, your mason should dampen the new bricks and ensure that they’ve absorbed all surface moisture. This will guarantee that the new bricks will bond well with the existing ones.

Then the surfaces of the replacement brick and the surrounding brickwork should be buttered with mortar. And, just as the new bricks should match the existing ones in the structure, the new mortar should also have the same or similar physical properties as the existing mortar. This will not only ensure that the new and existing brickwork look good or blend well together but also that they will perform properly. Otherwise, the new mortar might result in cracking and spalling.

Adjusting and cleaning

After the repair work is completed, it’s important that your mason clean the surfaces by rinsing the surfaces with clean, clear water.

Any excess mortar should also have been wiped during the repair work. After the mortar has set and cured thoroughly, your mason should remove loose mortar and dirt from the new bricks.

Finally, wash the repaired brickwork with clean, clear water.

3 Components of Brick Maintenance

Brick repair is but one of three major components in maintaining brick buildings. According to the Brick Industry Association, these primary components are as follows:

• General periodic inspections. The goal is to document the existing condition of the brickwork and other building components. Inspections will also help identify potential issues with the exterior wall.
• Regular scheduled maintenance. As already mentioned, periodic maintenance is necessary to lengthen a brick structure’s lifespan. By identifying potential issues, regular maintenance can also help prevent minor issues from becoming huge problems in the future.
• Repairs. If the general inspection has identified issues, you’ll have to make the necessary repairs.

How to Maintain Your Brick Structure

The Brick Industry Association says buildings, like people, are unique. As such, they should be dealt with individually because there is no “one size fits all” solution. Each brick structure has specific issues that need particular solutions that may not work out for another brick building with a different problem.

“All buildings are unique and may require different levels of maintenance over time,” the association writes in their technical note. “A given solution for one project may not remedy similar issues on all buildings. When maintenance is required, it is suggested that the repair method selected effectively suit the needs of the particular building and not be based solely on maintenance performance on other buildings.”

Refrain from doing maintenance tasks or the repairs on your own. Anyone working with solid bricks should have specialized knowledge and skills, which you might not possess, to be able to do an excellent job, which means your brick structure will last for several more years.

Because of this, consulting a professional will prove beneficial. Experts can more easily identify sources or causes of deterioration and damage as well as provide the recommended maintenance repairs. To properly conserve your brick structure, you should contact one to conduct maintenance and repair work.