Four Maintenance Tips to Keep Brick Looking Good and Avoid Costly Repairs or Restorations

While masonry is one of the most durable exterior finishes, it is not immune to damage and costly repairs. Good maintenance of your brickwork should include cleaning and inspecting materials for damage. Doing the right care for your masonry will also reduce wear, costly repairs and expensive restoration of materials. Here are some tips to help maintain your brick to keep it looking like new and avoid costly repairs.

1. Keeping Masonry Surfaces Clean to Prevent Fungi and Plant Growth Problems

Dirt that builds up on masonry creates the perfect environment for fungi and plants to grow. When plant life starts to grow on brick, it can cause cracks and serious damage to mortar joint. If you want to prevent these problems, it is important to routinely clean masonry to remove dirt buildup that leads to moss and other plants to grow on its surface.

2. Retrofitting Old Brick With Modern Weeps and Flashing to Prevent Water Problems

If you have older brick with outdated flashing and weeps, then it may be a good idea to retrofit it with modern materials. Replace damaged and deteriorating flashing materials to prevent water from getting behind the brick and causing water damage. In addition, weeps should be installed to allow moisture that gets trapped behind the brick to escape.

3. Repairing and Restoring Damage Mortar Joints That Can Cause Serious Problems

Over the years, there are many different causes of wear and erosion of mortar joints. This can be due to weathering, too much sand in the original mortar mix or structural settling that causes stress and mortar to separate from the brick. Repair damaged and worn mortar joints to prevent problems from getting worse.

4. Replacing Bricks and Repairing Damaged Areas of Masonry to Stop Problems From Growing

Sometimes, loose mortar joints, wear and damage can cause bricks to fall out of their place. If this is just a single brick or a couple, it is easy to put the brick back in its place and prevent damage from spreading. When you inspect masonry for repairs that are needed, look for loose bricks and have the damage repaired before it causes serious damage that is expensive to repair.

These are some tips to keep your brick looking like new to avoid costly repairs or extensive restorations. If you need help with maintenance and repairs to keep your brick looking like new, contact a masonry repair service like Mercer County Chimney Services.


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