Brick Cracks Quick Guide: Causes, Awareness & Brick Repair!
If you saw that some of the brick in your home is starting to crack or crumble, you’d probably be concerned. Cracked bricks can be a sign of an underlying, more serious problem, or it could be a relatively simple fix.
There are several different types of cracks in brick, including vertical cracking, diagonal cracking, horizontal cracking, or crumbling. It’s essential to correctly identify the cause of the brick cracking so you can fix the issue and take important preventative measures in order to ensure that cracking doesn’t occur in the future.
What Causes Brick Cracking?
Many external forces can influence brick cracking. Some are naturally-caused while others are warning signs of a foundation problem.
However, don’t immediately assume the worst! More times than you might think, brick cracking is simply an indication that your house is doing what it naturally does – settle. With time, every house will settle into the ground a little bit more, especially if your house’s plot was excavated before your home was actually built. As the house’s continued weight causes the soil underneath to become more compact, this will usually cause at least a little bit of cracking. Unless your house is settling very unevenly, this may not be a foundational issue at all.
If settling is not the brick cracks cause, then water retention might be. Bricks are naturally porous, so when they’re exposed to rain or sprinkler water, they tend to absorb it. Usually, when the sun comes out, it will help evaporate the water and your bricks will be none the worse for wear. However, if your bricks absorb too much water, they can expand, causing them to be too big for their original pattern and sometimes causing cracks.
Another reason why you may be seeing cracks in your brick veneer or brick wall is because the mortar in between your bricks is deteriorating. This naturally occurs over time due to the elements or exposure to water or certain minerals. While crumby mortar can cause structural issues, if it’s caught early enough, it may be easily repaired.
Fact, that brick discoloration is common issue, you can check out article to further expands its longevity.
When should I be worried about cracked bricks?
While some cracks are annoying or unsightly, others are indicators of a more serious problem. It’s hard to tell for sure whether the cracking is a sign of a serious problem or not without the help of a professional brick mason. However, the following warning signs should help you determine when the cracks in your home’s bricks need immediate attention or could be signaling a foundation issue:
- windows or doors sticking or not functioning because of changes in brick wall structure
- dramatic changes in shape, length, or direction of a crack.
- cracking near the roof or foundation of your home.
- leaning brick chimney.
How can cracked bricks be repaired?
If your brick cracking is not caused by a foundation issue, then usually the repair services are pretty simple for your brick mason to perform. However, if the damage is more extensive, then you may need to hire a foundation repair company as well as a brick mason. We’ll send a professional brick mason service member to your home to perform an official brick assessment. Once they identify the cause of the brick cracking, they’ll create a plan to fix it and restore the brick to beautiful condition using one or more of our professional bricklaying, brick repair, or brick restoration services. Our brick crack repair services include:
- Brick replacement
- Mortar joint repair
- Brick repair
- Brick resurfacing
- Chimney repair
Next time you notice a crack in your home’s bricks, call Alexander and Xavier Masonry and we’ll send out a professional brick mason to inspect your brick and identify any minor and major damages.
Also, consider weep holes these gaps are found near the bottom of your house’s brick wall or veneer siding, if you’re not sure whether a crack or a hole in your brick veneer or wall is a sign of structural damage or is due to a more benign cause, schedule your free consultation with Alexander and Xavier Masonry today!
[…] Cracks do appear when poor masonry work is applied. Cracks do appear when incorrect measurements and specifications are applied to the project. Cracks do appear in shameful mortar mixes and when moisture builds up in bricks. However, cracks will not appear because concrete bricks were used instead of clay or marble bricks. […]