Know Your Brickwork Basics
Brick is one of the most durable building products on the planet, but even the best brickwork will begin to deteriorate over time. The yearly freeze/thaw cycles, extremes of heat and cold and rain and snow all take their toll.
When you inspect the brickwork on your home, watch for these telltale signs of deterioration:
Efflorescence – This powdery, white substance occurs in wavy lines or blotches on brick walls. It is caused by moisture seeping into the brick and evaporating, leaving behind a powder of crystallized mineral particles. Efflorescence itself is harmless, but it does indicate moisture problems that should be corrected.
Eroding mortar – Mortar will usually wear out before the bricks themselves. This is because mortar is deliberately softer than the bricks to absorb expansion and contraction movement and prevent the bricks from cracking. The solution to cracked and deteriorating mortar joints is tuckpointing (also call “repointing”, or just “pointing”.) This means chipping out loose, soft mortar and repacking new mortar into the joints. It’s a job best left to professionals who are skilled in colour matching and know how hard the mortar compound should be to be compatible with the existing brickwork.
Deteriorating walls and sill caps – If water collects on horizontal surfaces, like wall and sill caps, it will eventually penetrate causing cracks and crumbling bricks. Metal flashing or concrete caps will help prevent caps from deterioration.
Diagonal cracking – Look for diagonal cracking near the corners of windows and doors. It occurs when the mortar joints of the wall are not elastic enough to absorb the movement caused by a shifting or settling foundation. Moisture enters the cracks and the mortar deteriorates further. Small gaps in the mortar can be remedied with tuckpointing. Wider gaps may require the relaying of some sections of brick.
Chimneys – Brick chimneys are a common problem area because they bear the brunt of weather extremes. Poorly constructed mortar caps are often to blame for exterior brick problems on chimneys. Interior damage can occur from the effects of furnace fumes. An annual inspection is recommended to catch problems before they escalate.
To keep your brick from deteriorating, make sure eavestroughs are in good repair, that water runoff from downspouts is directed away from the foundation and that the soil is graded to slope away from the foundation.
Courtesy: Homeservice Club