Masonry Management: Repairing Brick and Stonework

Any masonry on a property makes a bold statement, but if your brickwork is busted or your stonework is strained, it might not be the type of statement you want to show off. The good thing about brick and stonework is that it takes a long time or a lot of duress to make it irreparable. Chances are good that if your masonry is in disrepair, there is a way to fix it.

Cleaning Stone and Brickwork
Old masonry is often covered in years of dirt and other debris, which can hide its true beauty. Therefore, the obvious first step in restoring stonework is to clean it. This task sounds easy enough, but it can get tricky, especially when dealing with old and crumbling mortar.

Unless the stonework or brickwork is relatively new, attempting to clean it properly will be a lot like banging your head against (you guessed it) a brick wall. The type of grime that sticks to masonry can be very difficult to remove, and the pros use different cleaning techniques (some as powerful as grinding and sandblasting) to deal with different situations. Those without experience in the area, or the proper machinery, should probably consult someone who does.

Replacing Individual Bricks and Stones
When it comes to bricks, whether or not you can do this yourself depends on where the damaged piece is and the knowledge you have with mortar. If there is just one offending brick and it is not in a load bearing wall, you can take that brick out piece by piece as long as you don’t damage any of the surrounding bricks or the mortar that holds them in place. If there are more than 2 or 3 bricks in the same area that need to be replaced, or you are not sure if the wall is load bearing, call in a professional.

Stones are more difficult to replace, especially if they are not finished (uniformly cut). They are larger and heavier than bricks, and it is difficult to find a replacement stone that will fit properly without being cut (which most of us do not have the tools to do).

Masonry Mastery
Masonry is hard. While the concepts of how it is done might not be that difficult to grasp, to become good at it takes a lot of practice and a ton of time. The people that build and restore brick and stonework go through a lot of training; their knowledge and experience shows in their work, and can’t be duplicated by a casual DIY.

Brickwork and stonework are expensive to build and to repair, as well. When dealing with damaged masonry, the average person often finds himself or herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Doing the work on their own might be possible, but the results are guaranteed to be less pleasing than what a pro could do. On the other hand, hiring a contractor is costly.

On the upside, a masonry repair, when done by a professional, can last a lifetime. In fact, it can last several lifetimes. These materials have been used for centuries, and there are many structures around that can attest to their durability and beauty. When you think of it as an investment that can be handed down for generations, a few extra bucks up front seems pretty reasonable.

Jon Nunan is a freelance writer who draws on his experience in construction, ranging from landscaping to log home building, for his articles on home improvement. Article from http://www.servicemagic.com

What is “Tuck-pointing”?

Tuck-pointing is the repair and replacement of mortar between brick or stone walls. Cracks, voids, crumbling mortar, or even areas of mortar from settling or foundation problems are common in masonry work from general exposure to the elements after 25-30 years. Intense freeze and thaw cycles or shoddy installations can sometimes cause these problems sooner. Large holes and washed out mortar are typical signs that tuck-pointing is needed.

The Finer Points of Tuck-Pointing
Joints, the visible area of mortar adjoined to the stone or brick, can be installed in any number of ways. The mortar can be flush with the mortar, angled in either direction, recessed, rounded, or in a V configuration. Each design has varying levels of effectiveness in repelling water and aesthetic appearance. Flat and angled joints are more popular with common brick. Rounded and recessed joints are more popular with face brick.

Mortar mix is another key component in proper tuck-pointing installation and also depends largely on the type and condition of the brick wall. Not all mortar mix is created equal and you can choose your mortar based on performance, appearance, and cost. Although the right material and technique are usually enough to deliver a water-tight job, it usually takes the skill of experienced professionals to use the proper mortar mix and tools to match existing mortar.

The U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Historic Preservation has established standards to preserve the appearance of older buildings and to avoid irreparable damage during repointing and in the future. Often modern hard cement mortar cannot be used in older buildings because applying modern mortar over old lime mortar can result in serious damage to the original building materials and may not last. It is important that new mortar match the original in porosity and compressive strength.

Tuck-Pointing Costs
The quantity, accessibility, and condition of existing joints can determine how much your tuck-pointing is going to cost, but a typical installation will run you around $7-10 per square foot under normal circumstances. You should have this project done somewhere between late spring and early fall to avoid any early freeze and thaw cycles that could harm the new mortar.

Decorative Tuck-Pointing
Even if your mortar and joints are in generally good condition, some homeowners want to improve the look of their brick with decorative tuck-pointing. Using a lime-based mortar you can frame your bricks with white lines that many people find pleasing. You should look at pictures of decorative tuck-pointing to see if this is something you’re interested in. Obviously, many homeowners wait until their old mortar needs to be replaced before investing in this otherwise cosmetic process.

Marcus Pickett is a professional freelance writer for the home remodeling industry. He has published more than 600 articles on both regional and national topics within the home improvement industry. Article from servicemagic.com

Red Brick ~ Green Brick

Back in may of 2001 I recall reading an article in The Wallstreet Journal about the texting phenomenon sweeping the U.K. and in particular a dictionary of texting phrases. Who would have thought such a ridiculous concept would ever catch on here in the good old US of A… but now it permeates our existence.

A few years back I heard tales from the U.K. of cocktail parties where concepts like carbon footprints and carbon offsets were the overwhelming topics of discussion. Now we are swept up in the far less asinine Green Revolution. Even the Pemco building in downtown Seattle announces to all southbound commuters: the time, temperature, and their carbon output.

Now that we have regained our interest in protecting the planet it is time to take stock in our impact. As Seattle’s masonry restoration expert, that means brick. So where does brick come from? The short answer is the brick store, but there is more to the story than that…

In the beginning there was clay, which had to be dug from the earth, I doubt shovels featured prominently, so there’s emissions from the earthmoving equipment. It is unlikely that the manufacturing plant is adjacent to the clay so let’s load it onto trucks and haul it there, so there is more emissions for you, as nobody uses horse drawn wagons for this sort of thing anymore.

Once the clay reaches the factory it must be processed to remove organic material and rock. Then mixed to the appropriate consistency and molded into the appropriate shapes. Lastly the bricks must be kiln fired. All of these processes are going to require energy, seeing as wind farms and solar power plants are just starting to take off, let’s assume it is from some less eco-friendly source.

The finished product is then likely trucked to major distribution yards throughout the country (more emissions). From there it would be trucked to the brick suppliers (more emissions), and finally to the jobsite (more emissions). Also consider that all hands touching and sustaining this process had to get to work somehow (even more emissions).

Now before you go throwing yourself off the Aurora Bridge there is an upshot to all this pollution.  A properly built and maintained brick building is fairly eternal. Masons who specialize in restoration make sure brick structures stand the test of time and are preserved for future generations to enjoy. We are in the conservation business not the pollution business… That is how we sleep at night. Let’s look at a couple ways a project could play out… Replacement V.S. Restoration.

Many bricklayers would suggest replacing a failing wall or chimney, wasting your money, natural resources, and causing additional pollution. Energy must be expended to demolish the structure and load it onto a truck for off site disposal.  In many cases the brick is then recycled as gravel, which is a good thing, but requires more energy in handling, processing, and trucking. New brick must be brought to the job site and you know how much energy went into making the brick. Then your wall or chimney is rebuilt, however this takes a while and every day a project takes, masons have to get to the jobsite. If you add it up, that’s a big carbon footprint.

By contrast, the restoration method uses a lighter touch. Restoration specialists start by identifying the causes of the failure and addressing them. Then cut out and replace the individual broken bricks, remove and replace failing mortar by tuck pointing, and restore your building to it’s original splendor. In addition to conserving the energy embodied in your original brick, this method is also much quicker so our masonry specialists waste less energy commuting to the jobsite. So you see sometimes a red brick can be green.