For questions generally relating to the artificial stone-like building material typically called "brick", and also related materials like "cinder block" and natural stone blocks.
2
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1answer
1k views
How can I treat brick efflorescence?
I have a new brick wall but large areas are becoming covered in white salty deposits; I want these removed - how can I do it?
Update
Thanks Niall. Just out of interest, can acid do damage to bricks? ...
5
votes
1answer
306 views
What is the best way to deal with wall tie failure?
My wife and I are considering purchasing a new house, but the surveyor says that it has wall tie failure. What is the best solution for repairing this? Is it really necessary to get the old ties out ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
hammer drill not making any progress
Aiming to put some bike hooks into a plaster on brick wall - We've acquired a hammer drill and have been practicing on a spare brick and a backyard cement wall but the drill is just barely / not ...
2
votes
2answers
470 views
Improperly installed or nonexistent brick ties in a wall
Is there as easy way to repair a brick wall that isn't properly attached to the wall behind it? There are no cracks inside the house but there is a large vertical gap between the corner brick - these ...
2
votes
3answers
5k views
How to make a 6 inch hole through a brick wall for venting
I'd like to vent my range hood out through an exterior brick wall. How would I go about making a 6 inch hole for the vent?
I'd guess I'd use a masonry chisel to chip out the mortar and then pull ...
3
votes
1answer
398 views
The mortar between my patio bricks is crumbling away
The bricks on my front porch have some sort of mortar that crumbles away more and more every time I pull a weed from it. You could pick this stuff away with an awl but it is not just sand that you ...
3
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the best mix for cement render?
I have some bricked exterior areas that had some cement render on them, and then paint. The render has fallen off the bricks in patches.
I think the problem is that large chunks of the brick work was ...
3
votes
2answers
380 views
Mount an LCD TV to 30 year old masonry fireplace
Power and HDMI are no issue. I'm worried about messing with the mortar. Any advice? Will this be an issue, more trouble than it's worth, etc?
I have some alternatives. Leave my TV on the mantle or ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Why should I not use standard “house” bricks for a patio?
I'm looking to put in a brick patio and have been really wanting to do it with reclaimed road bricks. The problem here is sourcing enough to do an entire 18x18 patio and not spending a months salary ...
2
votes
2answers
644 views
Concrete slab at a brick wall
I want to build a concrete slab (upon which a deck will be build later) at the foot of a brick wall (by foot I don't mean the foundation foot, I just mean where the brick meets the grade level). I ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Red brick efflorescence
I have a dark red brick house. On the back side of my house I seem to have an issue with efflorescence on the brick. So I did some research and someone mentioned using muratic acid or some form of ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
What methods can I use to remove exterior paint from brick?
I just purchased a historical house that was painted an ugly peach color. I bought some marine grade paint stripper that I was going to use little by little to strip the whole exterior by hand. This ...
3
votes
2answers
263 views
Cement around decorative bricks leaves grey/matte coating on bricks
I'm installing a decorative brick wall (individual thin bricks) for the first time. I glued all the bricks and now I'm working on the cement (mortar) around the bricks. I did a few rows yesterday for ...
2
votes
1answer
343 views
Repair a popped up brick in an otherwise level brick patio
My brick patio is very level. Unfortunately, a nearby tree has sent a root that is now causing a brick to pop up. Before the issue spreads I'd like to pry the brick up and remove the offending root. ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I repair screw holes in a brick wall?
I have screw holes which were put in to support a curtain rail. The curtain's been pulled out a few times by accident, and now the screw holes are crumbling and I don't know how to repair that portion ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
What compound should I use to fill drilled holes in cinder block?
I have some holes drilled previously on my house that I would like to fill in. Do they make a liquid concrete in a tube compound that I can squeeze into the holes to fill them in and keep wasps out? ...
5
votes
4answers
4k views
How should laminate flooring be secured next to brick?
I want to install laminate flooring in a family room that has a brick fireplace. Part of the laminate would be directly next to the brick base of the fireplace. What kind of base-board or base-piece ...
2
votes
1answer
323 views
What is the best way to uncover weeping holes?
We just bought a house where an old man lived for 27years. When he built the place, I doubt that he had any idea that the voids in the brick were weeping holes. I would like to fix them, but I'm not ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
Should I supporting a load via anchors in brick or mortar?
I'm attempting to hang window flower boxes (a metal frame with a moss/fabric insert, filled with dirt/flowers/water for a total weight of about 15 lbs) on a brick wall.
An example of a similar metal ...
2
votes
1answer
656 views
How do I re-level and re-lay a brick pad with a french drain underneath?
I have a french drain that is under a brick pad just outside of my walk-out basement. As you can see in the pic, the bricks have settled and some have even sunk, making the floor uneven. I want to ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
How do I seal seams between bricks on a patio without using sand?
I have a patio that's made of bricks with fine sand filling the gaps. This is turning out to be a maintenance hassle. Every time the kid or dog gets mud or crud on the patio I hose it off and manage ...
3
votes
1answer
434 views
Cause of eroded mortar in exterior brick
This question actually reminded me of an issue with my exterior walls. I have the same problem with the vertical mortar being eroded/missing from several bricks at ground level on the exterior of my ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
How can I remove paint from an indoor brick wall?
I have a red brick wall that was painted. I need to figure out an easy method of removing the paint without damaging the brick. Are there any tried and true methods?
One thing to remember is that ...
