Buildings constructed professionally and from high quality materials such as bricks and mortar, should have a relatively long lifespan before any repairs may need to be made. But, it’s important to remember that environmental factors may play a part in determining how long brickwork lasts, and at what stage it needs to be assessed and repaired by a skilled masonry contractor.
If you’ve been comparing a building in your area that is well over one hundred years old, and which doesn’t appear to have any damage to its brickwork, with your own brick-built home that was constructed far more recently but which developed cracks in the mortar that have been repaired once and have since begun to recur, you’d be right for feeling somewhat miffed. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it), there is always a root cause for recurring mortar cracks and damage to brickwork, and if this is taken care of, you can say goodbye to costly repairs, once and for all.
Two of the most common causes of cracks in mortar and damage to bricks that simply won’t go away, are improper flashing and foundation settling. Let’s examine the two in a little more detail:
Improper flashing
Whether flashing is insufficient, or doesn’t exist at all, it can quickly cause problems for brickwork, particularly in areas of the country that experience harsh winters in which the freeze and thaw cycle occurs frequently. If your home is unable to act as an umbrella and keep moisture away from the top of your brickwork and mortar, it will soon start to absorb more than it is designed to handle. Windowsills or limestone copings in which snow and ice can accumulate and then be subject to freeze/thaw cycles when absorbed by the bricks below, repeatedly, the property will almost certainly fall victim to cracked mortar and damaged bricks.
By hiring a local masonry contractor to remove and reset the damaged pieces with proper flashing, you can say goodbye to continuous cracks and damage, and hello to healthy brickwork!
Cracks in the foundation
Foundation cracks are not uncommon in a building, particularly as the structure shifts during the early stages of its construction, but when they do occur, they can cause cracked and damaged brickwork to continue occurring, and be a constant and costly problem. As the foundation settles, cracks can easily occur, and because bricks and mortar are unable to handle such movement due to their inflexibility, they inevitably start to crack, themselves. Unfortunately, even if you arrange for the cracks to be filled in, the structure is still weakened by the destabilized foundation, and in some instances, having it stabilized is the best way to prevent even bigger problems from taking place in the future.
The importance of working with skilled masonry contractors
Your masonry is at the heart of your brick home, and protecting it by having it professionally assessed and repaired when necessary, is a simple step all responsible homeowners should take. DIY efforts to repair cracks will likely not be sustainable, and may even cause more damage in the long term.
Help your brickwork look and perform at its best for many more years to come (just like that historic brick building in your neighborhood!), by working with local masonry experts as soon as you see any hint of a crack or crumbling mortar.