Waterproofing & Repairs

Brick and Stone

 

 

 

 

Foundation movement normally results in stepped cracking often emanating from the corners of windows and doors. Such cracks are normally widest at the top. Recognizing the type of damage you see can help you identify and properly address foundation cracks before they bring down a brick wall.

 

 

Look for any loose bricks or missing mortar. This is evidence of damage that has occurred above a structure's foundation. The cause may be rotted wood inserts, water, or improper sand blasting. This type of damage does not indicate foundation issues and is considered a surface or cosmetic repair.

 

 

• Check for a section of bricks with their top layer peeling off or coated with a rust-like powder. This is called "spalling" and is caused by water absorption and repeated freezing and thawing - usually at grade level. There may also be missing or worn mortar between the bricks, Again, this is surface damage and does not indicate a foundation crack.

 

• Step back and look at the wall. If you see a crack in the mortar that runs from the ground up but displaces no brick or mortar (the mortar is cracked but not falling out) you know that the crack is being caused by a downward pressure, from the house settling over the foundation. A foundation is cracked through upward pressure.

 

• Look at the brick along any crack that is running through the mortar. If any of the brick is cracked or pushed in or out of the level of the wall and the cracks are running in a stair-stepped fashion then you have a foundation crack that must be addressed.

 

• Hold a level to the wall. Your brick wall should be flush to the level while the level is in balance. If your wall is bulging (inward or outward) this is a very serious indication of foundation cracks and the wall is in danger of collapsing. It must be repaired immediately.

 

 

 

 

Another very common situation with brick veneer walls tilting and/or cracking is caused by lack of sufficient wall ties installed as the wall went up. It may sound humorous, however, it is very true that many times the lack of wall ties is because the mason ran out of these and was too careless to get down from the scaffolding to refill his pouch.

 

Cracks in the brick and mortar will allow moisture to invade the inner wall and even damage the structure. They also invite insects and other vermin to nest inside the cavity between the brick and the inner wall. There are many other issues caused due to loose wall units (e.g. loose brick) offer little support to the existing brick above, and in many cases they can fall causing large sections of brick to collapse. This is an extreme danger especially if you have children playing near an area where loose brick are present. It is a liability that most homeowners do not want.

 

An additional common problem comes from moisture saturation, which is usually caused by severe weather, incorrectly-placed sprinkler systems, or defective guttering. These combinations can further aggravate, if not be the cause of, existing problems.

 

Repointing is a masonry maintenance and repair process whereby a stone mason scrapes out old cement mortar, cleans the joints be-tween stones and repacks the joints with new mortar to properly set and secure the stones in the wall. This process ensures the integrity of the masonry work for years to come.

 

Stone masonry work, when installed with the proper professional labor and materials, can last for decades. They say "stone is forever" and that is pretty much true, but the cement mortar bonds that hold stonewalls and masonry work together are prone to degradation due to snow, water flow, ice expansion, frost heaves and invasion by plant life. When mortar between stones breaks down, it can retain water like a sponge further exacerbating any freeze-thaw destructive expansion.

As soon as cracks appear, masonry joints begin to break and before cement begins to fall out of your wall, a qualified stone mason should be hired to repoint your masonry work. Professional stone masonry maintenance can prevent total breakdown of your property and maintain the integrity of your masonry work for many years to come.

 

 

• Why Repoint or Tuckpoint?

   

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The terms pointing, repointing and tuckpointing are often used interchangeably, and refers to the process of removal of defective mortar from between masonry units and placement of fresh mortar. The longevity of mortar joints will vary with the exposure conditions and the mortar materials used. A lifespan exceeding 25 years is typical for mortar joints. The longevity of brick units, however, may well exceed 100 years. Consequently, occasional repair of the mortar joints may be necessary over the life of the brick masonry. The most common reason for repointing brick masonry is to improve water penetration resistance. Repointing deteriorated mortar joints is one of the most effective and permanent ways of decreasing water entry into brickwork. This is because a common means of water entry into a brick masonry wall is through debonded, cracked or deteriorated mortar joints.

 






 

We can provide an estimate to repoint entire sections, i.e., steps, landing, a wall, however, for repointing/tuckpointing of some areas within a section and not others, we will provide an hourly rate, leaving you in control of prioritizing and of how much or how little you would want us to do.