Over time, the bricks on your home may begin to crack, peel, or break. If you’ve noticed these problems with your bricks, it’s important to repair brick face damage as soon as possible before it turns into a bigger issue. In this article, we’ll go over the 3 things you need to know about brick face repair, including how to determine if your bricks need repair! For more information about fixing damaged bricks and masonry, contact the experts at Royal Masonry now!

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Brick Face Repair: The 3 Things You Need To Know

If you have walked around the outside of your home recently and noticed that some of your bricks look a little like the image above, have small pieces missing, or noticeable damage, it may be time to do some brick face repair. But where do you start? This first thing you need to know is how to identify damaged bricks.

1. Your brick wall needs repairs when there is noticeable damage

How can you tell when your brick wall needs repairs? Well, the clearest sign that your brick facing needs some help is when you notice damage. Damaged brick facing can look like:

• Peeling bricks
• Cracks and chips in the brick
• Broken or crumbly bricks
• Missing bricks or missing pieces

Even if you notice minor damage, it is often best to deal with the problem right away. A small crack or chip can become worse over time, and can lead to more serious problems.

Depending on the extent of damage, you may choose to repair the bricks yourself or you may want to hire the professionals. Either way, it is important not to ignore issues – even if you think they are not a big deal.

2. The materials and tools you need to complete the project

Safety goggles ideal for masonry projects Trowel for brick repair – Source: wisegeek.com

What tools and materials do you need in order to repair your brick wall? You’ll need more than just a basic set of tools, so a trip to your local hardware store will likely be in order.

Before you begin, you also want to ensure that you and anyone else working on this project with you is safe. Even with minor repairs, there can be a lot dust and small particles floating around.

You should ensure you have: good quality safety goggles, a rough pair of gloves, a mask to prevent breathing in dust, and ear protection. Protect yourself before you begin your project.

Once you have the recommended safety items, you will want to buy (if you do not already own) the following items:

• Sand
• Mortar
• Chisel
• Stiff brush

• Sponge
• Large bucket
• Trowel
• Dye of mortar

Example of old and damaged brick facing

Before you move on to the next and final step, you should prepare your wall for the repairs.

You start by chipping away any damaged brick – don’t throw it away. You can keep the small pieces and use it in your repairs later.

You should also clean any cracks or holes with water to ensure that there is no dust, dirt, or debris that will get in the way of your new mortar. Use your brush to help clean out the cracks and remove the remaining brick powder.

3. How to prepare and apply mortar to your brick wall

Now that you have taken all the safety precautions and have prepared your wall for the fix, it’s time to complete the project. You will need to prepare and apply your mortar to the damaged bricks to make the repair. Check out the quick video below to see how.

As you can see from the video above, preparing mortar and applying it to your bricks is a relatively easy task – especially if your bricks only have minor damage.

Step One – Prepare Your Mixture

First, you need to prepare your mixture. Keep in mind this may vary slightly depending on the mixture you have chosen – but will generally be the same process. Mix in your sand and mortar. There should be 75% sand and 25% mortar, according to Doityourself.com.

Step Two – Add Water

After you have mixed these two materials, add in a quarter gallon of water. Mix again. At this point, you can add in the dye of mortar, which will help the mortar look more like your existing red bricks.

Masonry repairs Source :  www.chimneyrepairdetroitmi.com

Step three – Apply Mixture

Once your mixture is complete, you will want to work relatively quickly, as it may begin to dry fast!

Use your trowel to scoop up the mixture and apply it to your bricks.

Ensure that you completely fill in the cracks or holes with the mixture. Don’t be afraid to really pack it in!

Step four – Smooth it out

After you have packed in all that mortar, smooth the mixture out to make sure it is level with the other bricks. If not, your repaired bricks may stick out from the rest. You can also use the chipped off pieces you saved – stick them back into the mortar. This will help hide the cracks even more.

Step Five – Clean the bricks

After your brick has dried – usually after a few hours – you can use a damp sponge to clean the brick facing. This helps remove any excess mortar. After this final step, let your brick settle for a few days. And that’s it! Your bricks have been repaired.

Should You Do It Yourself Or Hire The Professionals?

For the average DIY-er or handyman, it is possible to fix brick face damage on your own. This is especially true if the damage is minor. Of course, you will have to ensure you already own or are willing to purchase the right materials.

If you don’t use the right kind of mortar, sealer, paint, or tools, you risk causing significant damage to your bricks. If you are willing to invest all the research, time, effort, and money into finding the right tools and following the right process, and you like DIY projects, then you may enjoy the DIY repair process.

However, working with mortar or repairing large portions of your home or building can be a challenge for even experienced DIY-ers. A masonry expert will know all of the do’s and dont’s of brick refurbishing and restoration.

An experienced stonemason will have all the right tools and products on hand to get the job done – likely much quicker than the average homeowner! They will also know how to deal with issues such as efflorescence and problems with missing bricks – which may be outside the average homeowner’s realm of knowledge.

Royal Masonry – Choose The Trusted Professionals!

The team at Royal Masonry has built a solid reputation for superior customer service and the highest quality stone masonry craftsmanship in Southern Ontario. Our mission is to provide you with the best quality workmanship at the right price. You can be certain that we will get the job done right the first time.

Our professional approach and superior customer service mean that you can relax in the knowledge that your project is in safe hands. Trust the experts at Royal Masonry with any masonry service you require. Contact us today and find out for yourself why our customers highly recommend us to their friends and family.