Masonry is a common element in most homes, and its importance cannot be underestimated. Masonry is one of the essential components of your home. It protects you from the elements, can help with insulation and air quality, and it’s crucial for safety. However, masonry requires maintenance, which includes repairs and restorations.
Masonry repairs and restorations are necessary to maintain the integrity of your home and protect it from potential damage due to weathering, deterioration, or fire hazards. They also ensure that the brick, block, or stone on your house remains structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing for years to come.
Read this blog post for more information on when you should repair and restore your masonry and steps on how to fix them so that it lasts longer than expected!
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Masonry Repairs and Restorations: When Do You Need It?
Missing Mortar
Mortar is an essential part of any brick wall. It’s what holds everything together and makes sure that your brick house doesn’t fall apart. But if you’re missing mortar, then your bricks will start to slowly separate from each other, which can lead to severe structural problems down the road.
Frost Boil
Frost boils occur when water accumulated in a building’s foundation during cold periods freezes and expands. This expansion can create significant pressure on the interior walls, leading to structural damage such as cracks.
Bowed Bricks
The bricks tend to bow when exposed to heat or cold over time. This can cause the mortar that binds them together to crack or crumble, creating an unsafe environment for people who live in the building. Homeowners with bowed brick walls need to take action as soon as possible so that their living space remains safe and habitable.
Cracked Bricks
Cracked bricks can be an unsightly and frustrating problem to deal with. Not only do they look terrible, but they also affect the structural integrity of your home and could lead to costly repairs down the line.
Damaged Interior
When looking at a house, it’s not just the exterior that matters. The inside is usually much more critical in determining the value of a home. When there are cracks or other damage on the interior walls, this can reduce its worth significantly.
How to Fix and Restore Stone Masonry
Gauge the extent of the damage.
If you’re restoring stone masonry, it’s essential to gauge the extent of the damage. If there is no significant structural damage and only minimal surface spalling in the mortar joints, then cleaning may be all that is needed to restore your home or building. On the other hand, if deep cracks and chunks are missing from your stonework, it may be time for a more intensive restoration process like repointing and recaulking. It’s also possible that some loose pieces need gluing back into place before being resealed with an appropriate sealant product.
Select the appropriate materials.
When looking to repair your stone surfaces, you must select an appropriate material for the job. It can help you determine what type of product to buy and how much you should prepare upfront.
Get rid of the damaged stones.
Remove any broken pieces with a pry bar. You may also need to remove excess mortar around the edges of the remaining stones before chiseling them off if they are loose enough. If there are still some stones left after using these techniques, you may have to operate heavy machinery like jackhammers or saws to cut through any stubborn pieces.
Cut the stone you need.
Cut the stone that will replace the old or broken ones. Use a diamond blade if you need an accurate cut with little waste material. Diamond blades work well on softer stones such as granite or marble. If your goal is not accuracy but rather speed, water cutters might be better suited for the job since they can cut quickly through harder stones like granite. It is essential to use safety equipment, including goggles and gloves, before working on any project involving stones because they are sharp and could cause injury if mishandled.
Place the new stones.
Place the new stone in the cavity to restore your stone masonry. This can be done using mortar or grout. Mortar is made of cement and sand, which creates a durable layer between two stones, and grout is an adhesive that fills up any gaps between stones.
Hire an Expert Masonry Contractor
Paragon Remodeling is an expert masonry contractor with over 15 years of experience in the industry. We offer a wide range of services, including brick repair and replacement, foundation repair, chimney repair or installation, stone veneer work on residential homes and commercial buildings, restoration projects for historic structures – even interior mortar repairs! So if you are looking for an experienced company to handle your next project, contact us today at 703-426-5555 and get your free estimate.
