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How

To

Repair

Your

Damaged

Walls

How

To

Repair

Your

Damaged

Walls

Brick By

Brick

Brick By

Brick

How To Repair Your Damaged Walls │ Brick by Brick

There are two considerations you must make before attempting to repair brick work.

First, that only 1 to 4 adjoining bricks are involved and second, that the wall where your repair needs to be done is not load bearing.

Does your brick wall act as a skin over wood framing (i.e., “veneered”)? If so, then it is not load bearing, and safe for you to repair on your own.

However, if your wall is ‘veneered’, but more than four bricks are damaged, you should have professional masoners do the job to protect the integrity of the brick work.

Step by Step

Once you’ve met the two requirements for self-repair, replace the damaged bricks as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

Follow our simple DIY steps on the following pages to repair your damaged bricks.

Before

After

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1. Measure the Replacement For aesthetic success,

selecting the right replacement brick is essential, but not necessarily easy to replace due to the fact even standard red bricks can vary widely in color and size. Measure the dimensions of the brick you're replacing and match the color to the replacement.

2. Follow Safe Removal Procedures Always wear eye

protection and heavy gloves to guard your eyes and hands against dust and injury.

Use a cold chisel and heavy hammer to break apart carefully the damaged brick piece by piece. (When removing several bricks, start at the top and work downward.) Be very cautious not to damage surrounding bricks. Chisel out any remaining mortar to clean the voids.

Clean the joints of any loose mortar with a wire brush and rinse the entire area out on all sides of the opening.

3. Apply the Mortar Prepare the mortar according to the

manufacturer's directions. Using a pointing trowel, “butter”the bottom and both sides of the cleaned out opening with prepared mortar to a one inch thickness.

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4. Place the New Brick Prepare the new brick to absorb the

mortar by wetting the brick slightly. Apply the prepared mortar to the top and both sides of the new brick and slide the brick into the opening.

Make sure the mortar oozes out slightly as you push the brick into the wall. Tap the brick into place until it is flush with the existing wall. Remove the excess mortar with the pointed side of the trowel.

Allow mortar to dry. Use a wire brush to clean away any leftover mortar that remains.

5. Keep the Setting Damp Spray a little water on the

replaced brick to aid in proper curing of the mortar. Repeat the process for at least for three days. Put a protective covering over the brick to allow proper curing of the mortar.

Recap Repair brick work on your own only if the wall is not be load bearing and no

more than four bricks are involved. Follow the basic DIY steps (adequate measurement, safe removal, proper mortar applications and settings) to replace your bricks. Load bearing walls in need of five or more brick replacements should be done by professional brick layers to maintain the integrity of the masonry.

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