Brick And Durable Stone, But Not Maintenance-Free

The reputation of the brick and stone as coatings is great. Beauty, strength, durability, must still maintain the "hard drives" ...

Masons are often called repointing brick. That is to say, to rework the mortar between the bricks that connects them to maintain the siding. With temperature variations that we know for a few years, the walls are exposed to several cycles of freezing and thawing that work mortar. The Masons then took the opportunity to fill the old seals excavated that can bring snow and water to stagnate on top of the brick and popping with freezing and thawing.

A brick wall can also form what is called a belly-de-boeuf, brick standing out part of the wall - often higher, exposed - to finally fall. "Most often, these are the anchors that hold the brick wall that are inadequate," said Nelson Da Silva, representing DR Masonry, a member of the Réno-Master of the Provincial Association of Home Builders Quebec (APCHQ).

"In older homes, he says, nails was used to hold the bricks in the wood structure. If the wood has to be dried, the nail can be released. "Today, the masons use small L-shaped brackets galvanized steel that are bolted to the structure. When the brick off the mortar may also be involved: the former contained more lime mortar, which makes them more brittle over time. Finally, the problem may also be due to soil compaction.

We doubt: it will redo the wall. In the presence of eroded or completely broken brick mason will seek the same brick, which is not always obvious. There are a variety of brick colors, besides formats also vary from one manufacturer to another. In some historic districts, brick selected will marry the building of an entire street. Companies have beautiful specialize in recycled brick, the fact remains that some bricks exist any more. Mason must also match the color of the mortar or in some cases, completely change, giving a different look to the facade.

Crumbling

Why brick crumbles? "The brick does not absorb water as it became too porous. At the end of the life cycle, it explodes as a result of freezing and thawing, "meet our expert. You should know that the brick "breathes" and wicks moisture well. If it crumbles, it can be a brick of poorer quality or the air space behind the brick is obstructed, sometimes after insulation work. The same phenomenon can occur when a brick wall you can paint or affix a sealer.

The repair of a gray stone siding also notes the great art. The Mason must number the stones to put in the same place. To preserve the character of the facades, the need to replace damaged decorative elements such as sills and lintels. Some veins of limestone is exhausted, it is sometimes necessary to source for jobs in Quebec in Montreal!