Brick is not supposed to crumble. When it does, something is putting water where it does not belong, and the brick is paying for it. The repair itself is straightforward masonry work. Finding out what caused it is the part that matters.
Spalling
Spalled brick has lost its hard outer face, leaving the soft, porous interior exposed. Once that happens, that brick absorbs water far faster than it used to, and it deteriorates quickly. Spalling almost never happens in isolation. It clusters below failed mortar joints, under leaking lintels, around downspouts that discharge against the wall, and on walls that were sandblasted at some point in the past.
We replace the damaged units and fix the water path. Replacing the brick alone is a two-year fix.
Cracks
The pattern tells the story. Stair-step cracking that follows the mortar joints usually points to settlement or to a lintel that has rusted and expanded. Vertical cracking through the brick faces themselves suggests something stronger is at work: expansion with nowhere to go, or genuine structural movement.
We will tell you which one you have. If it needs a structural engineer rather than a mason, we will say so rather than sell you masonry work that papers over the real problem.
Rebuilds
Sometimes a wall is past repair. Bowing, separation between the outer brick and the structure behind it, or a section where the mortar has failed throughout means rebuilding is the right call. We take the section down in a controlled way, salvage what brick is reusable, and rebuild it properly with correct ties and flashing.
It is a bigger job, and we will only recommend it when patching would be throwing money away.
Signs you need this work
- Brick faces flaking, crumbling or popping off
- Stair-step cracks running through the mortar joints
- A wall that bows, leans or bulges outward
- Gaps opening where two walls meet
- Brick that sounds hollow when tapped
- White chalky deposits repeatedly returning after cleaning
What's included
- Diagnosis of why the brick failed, not just replacement of the symptom
- Sourcing of replacement brick matched for size, color and texture
- Careful removal so surrounding brick is not damaged
- Rebuilding of wall sections where repair is no longer enough
- Structural crack evaluation and referral when a structural engineer is warranted
- Full cleanup and disposal of debris
How we do it
- 1
Diagnosis
Cracked brick is a symptom. We find out whether it is water, a failed lintel, settlement or frost, because replacing brick without fixing the cause just buys you two years.
- 2
Brick matching
We source replacement brick to match size, color and texture. On older homes this sometimes means salvage brick.
- 3
Removal and rebuild
Failed units come out without disturbing what is sound, and the new brick goes in on a matched mortar bed.
- 4
Blend and clean
New brick and mortar are tooled and cleaned so the repair reads as part of the wall, not a patch.
Common questions
Why is my brick flaking apart?
That is spalling, and it is almost always water. Moisture gets into the brick, freezes, expands and blows the face off. The usual culprits are failed mortar joints, a bad lintel, or a previous repointing job done with mortar that was too hard.
Can you match my brick?
Usually yes, closely. Common Chicago brick is still available and salvage yards cover most older styles. Exact matches on unusual brick can be difficult, in which case we will often pull brick from a less visible wall and use the new brick there.
Is a stair-step crack serious?
It can be. A hairline crack that has not moved in years is often just settlement. A crack that is widening, wider than about a quarter inch, or accompanied by a bulge in the wall needs a proper look, and sometimes a structural engineer.
Do I need the wall rebuilt or just repaired?
If the wall is plumb and the damage is limited to individual units, repair is fine. If the wall is bowing or the brick has lost its bond with the wythe behind it, rebuilding is the honest answer.
Read more on this
Spalling Brick: What Causes It and What to Do
Why brick faces pop off, why replacing the brick alone never works, and the four causes worth checking before anyone quotes you.
ReadThe Mortar Mistake That Quietly Destroys Old Chicago Brick
Why hard modern mortar on a prewar home causes far more damage than the failing joints it replaced, and how to tell whether it has been done to yours.
Read