spalling bricks
#1
08-25-04, 09:45 AM
spalling bricks
I pulled down some lathe and plaster this weekend and found numerous spalling and deteriorated bricks. Some obviously should be replaced. Many more are boarderline. I am going to stucco the exterior of the walls. Would it be a reasonable replare to apply stucco on the interior side of the walls rather than replacing all the damaged bricks.
#2
08-26-04, 07:35 AM
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A major concern here would be what is causing the Bricks to deteriorate. Is there a moisture problem compounded with a Freeze\Thaw cycle. Does it stay exposed to the elements staying saturated all the time?
#3
09-01-04, 07:57 AM
The house is 135 years old and was vacant from about 1990 to 1998. I have done some repairs to the exterior side of these walls. I plan to redo the stucco to take care of water problems. There was also small amount of water coming in from around the windows. Many bricks near to the windows are badly damage and must be replaced. I am unsure of the others.
#4
09-01-04, 12:10 PM
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Has this home lived up past its life expectance? In modern day building standards yes!! In the day it was built sure. Back in the day this home was built they would produce 2 types of brick. Face Brick: This was a high quality brick that was laid on the exteriors of buildings was appealing to the eye and stood up to Mother Nature. Probably finer bricks then what is being produced now.
The other would be Filler Brick: bricks that were produced cheaply and were laid in the wall cavities and interior walls that would be plastered. These bricks when exposed to moisture and the elements would spall very badly. Which was fine because they were sealed in a cavity and hopefully would not be exposed to the elements.
In your case since the home was Stucco originally? Could be they used filler Bricks with the intentions of the Stucco keeping the brick protected from the elements.
Ok so to answer your question. I would think if you replaced the worst bricks, repaired the water problem you should be good for many years to come.
Note: This is just a theory on the filler bricks. I could be wrong without actually seeing them. These bricks are normally on an orange color side as apposed to a red brick.
Again without seeing the damage I could be wrong about the fix. You may want to consult an engineer or reputable Mason contractor.
The other would be Filler Brick: bricks that were produced cheaply and were laid in the wall cavities and interior walls that would be plastered. These bricks when exposed to moisture and the elements would spall very badly. Which was fine because they were sealed in a cavity and hopefully would not be exposed to the elements.
In your case since the home was Stucco originally? Could be they used filler Bricks with the intentions of the Stucco keeping the brick protected from the elements.
Ok so to answer your question. I would think if you replaced the worst bricks, repaired the water problem you should be good for many years to come.
Note: This is just a theory on the filler bricks. I could be wrong without actually seeing them. These bricks are normally on an orange color side as apposed to a red brick.
Again without seeing the damage I could be wrong about the fix. You may want to consult an engineer or reputable Mason contractor.
