The best preventative measure you can take to protect your home's masonry, like brick walls and patios, is a habit of regularly inspecting your brick for chips, cracks, crumbling mortar, wet spots and stains, and other red flags that require professional attention.
Minor brick damage creates an opening for water to flow into your brick structure and cause major problems relatively quickly. Dallas' hot summers, wet falls, and occasionally icy winters, exacerbate these risks and a semi-annual inspection schedule helps protect your home against all these factors without causing yourself too much cost, or stress.
The harshest seasons in Dallas are summer and winter and you should inspect your brick in between those seasons every year, especially after your home is 20 years or older.
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Texas's intense spring and fall rains are hard on brick exteriors. Heavy downpours saturate bricks with moisture, leading to internal water buildup and lime leaching from mortar joints.
The constant exposure to moisture causes efflorescence -chalky deposits that signal behind your walls. And high winds that drive rain against your exterior compounds these issues by forcing water deeper into the masonry structure, especially around windows and door frames.
It is better, however, to have your brick inspected and repaired during these seasons because they are less difficult to navigate than the harsher summer and winter months when getting mortar to set correctly is more challenging.
Dallas' temperature extremes put real stress on brick structures. Summer highs exceeding 100°F cause rapid evaporation, leading to brick expansion which causes the mortar to separate from the bricks and introduces cracks and fissures.
During winter, freezing temperatures trigger the destructive freeze-thaw cycle, resulting in water absorbing into the brick and mortar, freezing and expanding, and breaking apart the masonry. This freeze/thaw cycle causes mortar to deteriorate quickly, due to both the moisture leeching minerals and the freezing and thawing causing it to crumble.
To review these concepts at a glance, refer to the table below:
Temperature ConditionImpact on BricksAbove 100°FBrick expansion, mortar stressBelow 32°FSurface spalling, mortar crackingRapid ChangesJoint weakening, structural stress
Keeping an annual calendar of brick inspection, cleaning, and maintenance is a great way to protect your brick home, especially if it's more than 20 years old and the risk of brick damage is already higher.
Here's a simple seasonal calendar to follow:
Spring is the perfect time for brick maintenance, to repair any damage incurred over the winter. Start with a detailed inspection of your brick exterior, checking for signs of efflorescence, cracks, and other winter damage.
Clean accumulated dirt using a soft-bristled brush and mild detergent, working from bottom to top. Remove any efflorescence with a dry brush before it penetrates deeper into the masonry.
Check mortar joints for cracks or deterioration from freeze-thaw cycles. Document areas needing repair and give us a call to schedule a visit from one of our expert masons.
Summer maintenance is all about managing vegetation around brick surfaces. You want to trim back climbing vines and remove any plant growth from brick walls because their roots will penetrate mortar joints and allow water to penetrate your exterior.
Keep sprinklers directed away from brick surfaces to prevent excess moisture absorption and water pooling near the foundation.
Monitor for signs of brick damage from the intense Dallas heat, including expansion cracks in mortar joints. Address any developing cracks promptly to prevent moisture infiltration during fall rains. And make sure weep holes are cleared of debris to maintain air circulation.
Fall is the other ideal time of year for playing catch up with brick repair, after the extreme heat of the summer has done its damage to your exterior. It's important to complete any necessary tuckpointing and brick repairs while temperatures remain moderate, before the cold, wet winter arrives.
Winter brings lots of moisture, so seal up any cracks in mortar to prevent water infiltration. Clean gutters and downspouts and ensure water is draining away from any brick surfaces.
Inspect chimney masonry and repair loose or damaged mortar joints. Apply masonry sealant if needed, but ensure bricks are completely dry first. Remove outdoor décor or hanging items that might trap moisture against brick surfaces. All this preparation might seem like overkill, but masonry work is expensive so better safe than sorry!
Winter requires vigilant monitoring of your brick exterior during freeze events. Clear ice and snow from brick surfaces promptly after precipitation to prevent moisture from absorbing into the brick.
Watch for signs of spalling or cracking during heavy freeze-thaw cycles. Do what you can to maintain consistent indoor temperatures to minimize thermal stress on your exterior walls.
Keep foundation plantings trimmed back to allow proper air circulation and address any visible brick damage immediately to prevent the damage from worsening quickly due to freezing temperatures.
And keep a very close eye on interior walls for signs of moisture penetration or efflorescence.
Certain areas of your house are especially prone to moisture accumulation. You'll want to check them more frequently than your seasonal inspections, just in case.
Regularly examine brick ties near windows doors for proper support and areas with constant sun exposure for deteriorating mortar. In general, monitor all the different places where various materials meet brick surfaces (chimney flashing, window sealant, etc).
Chimney caps are prone to cracking and that will eventually allow water penetration.
Check flashing connections where the chimney meets the roof and look for loose bricks, step cracks, or deterioration in the mortar joints of your chimney.
Check for proper water drainage around the foundation at the base of your chimney -pooling water is a big red flag. And monitor all your chimney's metal components for rust or separation from masonry surfaces.
Check the steel lintels above openings like doors and windows for rust expansion and the mortar joints around frames for separation or cracking.
Clear weep holes of any blockages that might trap moisture and keep an eye out for diagonal cracks extending from the corners of openings like windows and doors. If the sealant around their borders is aging, keep a close watch to make sure it's not separating and allowing in water.
Gutters have to be cleared of debris regularly, but especially after heavy rain seasons. Make sure that downspouts direct water away from foundation walls and masonry installations.
Examine ground slope around foundation for proper drainage for the same -you don't want water collecting near your masonry. Water stains and efflorescence near ground level is a red flag. So are any horizontal cracks or displacement in the bricks of the foundation.
Corner joints tend to bear the visible signs of foundation stress and other soil shifting, and it shows up as cracks or separation. Watch those exposed edges for spalling or surface deterioration as they bear the brunt of winter and rain and look for bulging or leaning sections in walls.
When you discover an issue in your inspection, which is a pretty common thing to experience, you'll want to get in touch with us right away. Delaying brick repairs tends to become more costly quickly once water has unimpeded access to vulnerable places in your brick exterior.
Just give us a call as soon as you discover a problem and we'll send out a friendly, and knowledgable, brick mason to assess your situation and provide answers and a free quote for the repairs you need.
It's painless and free to get started with an assessment, and you'll at least know what you're dealing with. We recommend getting your assessment immediately, so you at least know the cost of the repairs, and can make the most informed decision possible.
Once we get started, it's usually only a few days before the repairs are complete and your house (and your life) are back to normal again.
