Written By: Jordan Harris
Historically, bricks have been considered a durable and reliable building material. They’re generally resistant to pests like termites, ants, and squirrels, and don’t succumb to rot. This, however, doesn’t prevent them from becoming cracked or damaged. Assessing any damage and repairing affected bricks or mortar are both relatively easy with the right know-how. Keep reading for some tips to complete your own brickwork repairs.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
The causes for cracking in bricks range from something as simple as age or could reflect a foundational or structural issue caused by movement, soil erosion or weather damage. You’ll first want to take a close look at the area in question to see if you can find a suitable, cost-effective solution or if you need to hire a professional. Two of the most common solutions that you can do yourself to repair cracked or broken bricks are mortar repair or brick replacement.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Eye Protection
Leather or Nitrile Work Gloves
Plastic Buckets
Sponges
Shop Vacuum
Pointer Tool
Jointer Tool
Matching Bricks
Mortar Mix
Mason’s Hammer
Chisel
BRICK REPLACEMENT
Before you begin, study the area you’ll be working on and take note of the joints between the bricks. In order to replicate their color and shape, you may need special masonry tools. Using a hammer and chisel, break the damaged brick into manageable pieces and remove them.
Chisel out the old mortar and use a shop vacuum and brush to clear the opening of any dust or debris. Using one of the buckets, mix fresh mortar with water until it reaches an oatmeal-like consistency.
After that, you can use a pointer or masonry trowel to spread the mortar on the bottom and sides of the opening. Moisten the replacement brick and spread mortar on its top and sides, then insert the brick into the opening, making sure that it’s flush with the other bricks in the wall and the joints are full to the face. Add more mortar if necessary.
Using the jointer tool, adjust the joints so that they match the others on the wall. Once it’s close to dry, brush away any leftover mortar from the face of the bricks. Be careful not to disturb the joints that were already tooled.
Lastly, keep the new repair moist by spraying it with water over the course of three days. Cover the area with a plastic sheet if needed in order to help the repair retain moisture. This will allow the mortar to cure and harden correctly.
MORTAR REPAIR
The first few steps to mortar repair are similar to brick replacement. However, instead of clearing out the openings, you’re clearing out the joints of old mortar. This step may require more than a hammer and chisel as mortar rarely comes out easily. In this case, you can also use a rotary hammer and a tuck-point grinder on the vertical and horizontal joints, respectively.
When mixing the fresh mortar you’ll want to make sure that color is consistent with the mortar on the wall. You may need to experiment with this in order to get the right match.
Once this is done you can fill the joints with new mortar using a pointer tool. Depending on the size of the joints, you may need different pointer tools for this. As with brick replacement, you’ll want to make sure that the joints are filled to the face of the brick wall to prevent water and other elements from getting in and causing damage.
In order to make simple repairs for cracks in the bricks themselves, wait until after the joints are repaired and then try to find a dyed mortar that matches the lightest colored brick or the majority of the bricks on the wall. Once the crack is filled, use a trowel to spread out the excess mortar.
WHEN TO CALL A PROFESSIONAL
If you’re working with a load-bearing brick wall, great care should be taken to avoid serious accidents or injuries. Minor repairs to a few bricks or patches with mortar can be made, but any project that requires you to work higher up on a wall or with a chimney is better left to a professional masonry contractor.
If you’re worried about the affordability of hiring a professional, or your home improvement budget needs to be allocated elsewhere, a fixed rate HELOC can provide you with the necessary funds for any structural or foundational changes your house needs. Borrowed against your home’s equity, you can take out as much or as little money as the project requires. Because making a mistake in brickwork will be highly noticeable and potentially difficult to fix, it may be best to opt-out of DIY and leave things to a professional.
CONCLUSION
Working with bricks can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. Luckily, with minor cracks and damage to mortar, there are relatively easy fixes. These tips should help you get started in making simple repairs to cracks, bricks, and mortar, but remember to take care when working with older homes and contact a professional as needed.