How to Prepare Cracks in Brick Walls of a Home
Bricks are a popular construction medium, sought after to give homes an expensive look. Bricks are stacked in a pattern and joined together with a thin layer of binding concrete-like material called mortar. Brick mortar is strong, durable and easy to repair when necessary. It is a very forgiving material and the procedure to repair mortar doesn't require perfection or great skill in order to see positive results. If done properly and carefully, a mortar repair job will be indistinguishable from the original mortar. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Dry or pre-mixed mortar
- Chisel
- Wire brush
- Garden hose
- Compressed air canister
- Small trowel
Instructions
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Find all damaged cracks and purchase enough dry or pre-mixed mortar to repair all of them.
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Clean out any damaged mortar from around the brick with a chisel, making sure to get down to good solid mortar beneath.
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Use a wire brush to create striations in the remaining mortar for new mortar to latch on to and form a strong bond.
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Fill the widened crack using a garden hose, water sprayer or compressed air canister. Make sure it is free of loose debris.
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Plug the crack with a small sharp trowel of mortar. Pack the mortar tightly, matching the look of the surface around it. Sometimes the crack is so deep that it takes a great deal of mortar to fill the gap. In cases where this happens, try filling partway, allowing it to cure overnight, and then finish filling it the rest of the way another day. This will allow the mortar to have a stronger bond.
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Let the mortar cure for at least 24 hours before touching it or examining the handiwork. When it has solidified to the touch, check it for quality, repeating the process if necessary.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase mortar colored similarly to the existing mortar.
If cracks are severe, check with a professional about possible structural damage before proceeding.
Wear gloves and eye protection during the procedure.
