Most homes require some sort of repairs to their masonry over their lifespan, but while it can be tempting to tackle them yourself to save some money, should you make one or more of the mistakes listed below, it could end up costing your dearly,
That said, while it’s always best to hire a professional masonry contractor to tend to your damaged or worn brickwork, if you don’t hire sensibly, they too could end up ruining your home with masonry mistakes. With this in mind, if your brickwork is in need of repair, only ever hire a contractor with plenty of experience and solid reviews from previous customers.
Here are 6 mistakes amateur DIYers or poorly trained masonry contractors can easily make:
- Not using the right mortar
While modern mortar is used for all newly built buildings, older brickwork must be repaired with something known as lime mortar. Use of the wrong mortar on an old building almost guarantees that cracks will begin to appear, and further repairs will be needed in the future.
2. Allowing efflorescence to form
Appearing for a variety of reasons, including improperly mixed cement, water penetration, and rusting metal, efflorescence looks unsightly on a masonry structure. Fortunately, an experienced masonry contractor will know how to prevent it from forming, but an amateur would likely be clueless.
3. Allowing rust and corrosion to appear
When moisture in the air is absorbed by mortar, it can cause masonry to rust and over time, will inevitably cause cracks to form, the likes of which can threaten the very foundation of a building and impact on its overall structural integrity. Preventing this from happening is very important, and if the building has been constructed by a professional who used the right mortar mix and gave the bricks ample clearance from other construction materials to allow for shrinkage, you shouldn’t have a problem with rust and corrosion. If you do spot signs of corrosion in your brickwork though, tackling it yourself is not a good idea, and could end up costing you a lot more money to fix in the long run.
4. Installing poorly insulated flashing
Flashing that has been installed correctly, is essential for stopping your brickwork from corroding. Should it have been improperly installed however, water could quickly start to seep in. One problem commonly seen with flashing is inadequate weep holes, and this can be when they are too small, they’re not in the right place, or there are too few of them; each of which can prevent condensation from being to escape. This problem can of course be fixed by a masonry contractor, but it’s better to avoid it from happening in the first instance by hiring professionals for all masonry construction work.
5. Failing to keep up with routine maintenance
Maintaining masonry on a regular basis is one of the best ways to preserve it and prevent costly repairs in the future. Keeping a watchful eye on masonry can help you detect issues such as cracks, erosion and spalling early on, and prevent them from turning into major repairs. Now, while you don’t need to be a professional to monitor your brickwork, and may be able to maintain it well by sandblasting and power washing it from time to time, you do need to be a professional to repair any issues that you do spot.
6. Waterproofing aging bricks and mortar
While waterproofing brickwork can be an effective way of protecting it and stopping moisture from being able to penetrate (and may be a suitable DIY task for some people), it’s always best to seek a professional opinion before going ahead and doing it yourself. If your bricks have moisture trapped in them, for example, waterproofing the exterior of the brickwork could result in that moisture becoming trapped, which would go on to cause all manner of problems.
There’s much more to masonry work than simply lining up some bricks and stacking them on top of one another, and repairing brickwork can be an even more skilled affair. To avoid any of the mistakes above, always work with fully qualified masonry contractors, and try to avoid DIY repair jobs unless you have adequate guidance or supervision.