Eventually, we need to settle cracks in our brick walls. However, before we start repairing the wall ourselves, we should make sure that we know about what we are doing. Otherwise, the repair job should be handled by handymen or contactors. Either way, we should know about common mistakes people do when they are repairing masonry.
1. Failing to check for Additional Damages
A common mistake people do is they don’t check for additional problems. It is important for us to check the foundations, because damaged foundations could be the real reason why our masonry starts to crack. We should know how far the foundation has moved from the original position. If the foundation of our house has started to tilt or move for a few inches, we should consult with the contractor to know about proper solutions to this problem. Any falling debris could go inside the crack and become wedges that could make the crack becomes larger and more serious. It can’t be stressed strong enough that we should check the wall for other problems, especially if the foundation of our house seems to be the real culprit.
2. Levelling the Foundation to Fix problems
Levelling the foundation doesn’t really fix the problem of our foundation. This could actually apply more stress to our foundation and making the situation more severe. Improper levelling could create additional cracks in the mortar joints and bricks around our house. In some cases, it is necessary to lift, stabilize and adjust the foundation to prevent the problem from escalating. We should also take more accurate details about how far the foundation has been stabilized to understand about the quality of overall repair services.
3. Using mortar Repair Caulking Tubes to repair Bricks
When homeowners want to repair cracks themselves, they may use mortar repair caulking tubes. While caulking could prevent movements when used around windows and doors, it isn’t strong enough to prevent cracks on the masonry from escalating further. In addition, caulking doesn’t look like mortar visually and it can be rather hard to clean off, due to differences in texture. This also applies to other repair products that contain epoxy and adhesives. They are intended to repair lighter damages, not to manage cracked masonry.
4. Improper Mortar Matching
Another common mistake is with the way we match mortar. Matching mortar color can be rather tricky. Identifying the original composition could be very difficult, especially if we are not the person who built the masonry. The type and color of the sand, as well as other materials can affect the colors. The mortar composition and the base formula should be properly matched before we do any attempt to repair the wall.
5. Improper mixing
Many homeowners make mistakes when they mix mortar. Often they add water too soon and the amount of water exceeds the original requirement. One common way to correct this problem is by adding more sand and cement, so we could get the proper composition.