Masonry repair is often neglected for so many reasons. Perhaps the main one is that as long as a building looks fine and stable, we overlook the need to repair it. Waiting until damage is noticeable and severe enough to take action is a huge mistake. Not only will serious damage take more time to fix, it’ll also cost much more.
In order to catch early signs of trouble, you’ll need to carefully inspect your house and its chimneys and walls. Looking out for a few signs can keep your house or building in optimum condition as you hurry to repair it before the damage becomes extensive.
Bowed Bricks
Bowed bricks, also known as bulging bricks, are bricks that have been bent so that they have a curve instead of being straight. This bowing, whether inwards or outwards, is often due to moisture. Moisture can have a direct effect on bricks making them curve outwards, or they can have an indirect effect on plaster or wood present around bricks. By softening the plaster and/or wood, bricks will have room to curve inwards at their expense.
Through masonry repair, this issue can be easily dealt with. The bowed brick(s) will be removed and any underlying damage will be treated. The wall will then be reconstructed with new and undamaged bricks.
Vertical Cracks
In itself, a vertical crack isn’t harmful to the wall or house. The issue lies in that water can easily get behind a vertical crack. As water gets behind it and adds moisture to the wall, you might face issues like bowed bricks and softer wood or plaster. So what we worry about are the consequences of vertical cracks, rather than the cracks themselves.
Luckily, vertical cracks are easy to fix through masonry repair. They can simply be filled with urethane or epoxy to close any gaps, or an expansion joint can be added to them in order to carry the weight of the structure. Either way, fixing vertical cracks isn’t a big ordeal. Your priority should be dealing with them before underlying damage starts to take place.
Compacted Bricks
Compacted bricks are those that look odd and have an abnormal shape. You may have noticed them before but didn’t know what they’re called or that they’re a masonry issue. Compacted bricks don’t function properly so the weight they’re supposed to carry ends up being distributed on nearby bricks. Ultimately, due to the extra load, surrounding bricks start to become compacted too. It’s an issue that’ll keep growing as long as you don’t fix it and stop it right in its tracks.
Get the Best Masonry Repair
A mason can just remove compacted bricks and install new ones in their place. This will guarantee the solidity of your wall or chimney and prevent further damage.
Masonry repair is far from complicated, but as you can see, leaving bricks or structures damaged will only make things worse. Make sure to keep an eye out for any signs that indicate a problem so you can fix them as soon as possible.
