Brick walls have an important purpose. Not only do they protect your house from the weather, but they add a higher level of security and longevity to your home and family. Despite the famous story of those three little pigs, brick doesn't last forever and over the course of time you will be faced with brick repair. Whether on the façade of your home, the chimney or on patios and landscape walls, you can save money on brick repairs with only a few simple steps.
Choose Quality Contractors
One of the best ways to avoid or delay brick repairs is by hiring a qualified contractor in the first place. Unless you have extensive experience dealing with stone and mortar, a brick wall is not a DIY project. Have a professional complete the façade of your addition or add on the chimney for your new fireplace. Hire an experienced contractor to install your brick patio and stairs to the garden. This delivers a much better chance that the brick will remain strongly in place for years.
Prevention Is Best
It's also important to inspect the brick on your home regularly. Annual fireplace maintenance should be performed by a chimney sweep who will have a closer look at your chimney from all sides. This certified technician will give you advice on what needs to be replaced in the chimney and when - all you need to do is follow it. Don't hesitate or delay. When there is a problem with brick it can deteriorate much faster than anticipated, depending on the weather and other uncontrollable factors.
The same thing should be done with brick walls. Have a walk around your house in the spring and fall and look closely at the bricks. Pay special attention to the mortar. Where it is falling apart, cracking, splitting or flaking is where you have a problem. If you can catch it at this point you are miles ahead of the game and the repair will be much more affordable. Simply repointing the bricks (or chipping out the old mortar and replacing it with new mortar) is much less expensive than replacing the entire surface or wall.
Get the Job Done Right
Another way to save money on brick repair is by not taking short cuts. Stone may seem forgiving and you may assume that a brick wall is tough and solid on its own. But if you have a fast brick repair done you should be prepared for the consequences. And you should expect to pay big money for those consequences.
For instance, repointing the bricks on your home involves more than just spreading a mortar coating on top of the old, cracking mortar. As one expert stated mortar sticks to bricks, not the existing mortar. If you don't chip out the old product (to at least the same depth as the mortar strip is wide) the new mortar will not have a chance to bond to the brick. That means the repair will not hold for more than a season or two. You'll save money by doing it right the first time, instead of repairing the bricks over and over with short cut jobs.
You can count on the strength of brick and still save money on brick repairs. Hire the best contractor and trust in a job well done. That will ensure the initial brick job is built to last, as well as eliminate repair short cuts that require repeated patch jobs. Don't waste your time and money on inexperienced contractors or DIY brick jobs. Also, regular inspections and quick action when repairs are needed will allow you to keep the bricks at prime condition, saving money over the long run.
Posted by: TrustedPros