Fixing Cracks In Your Commercial Brick Foundation Walls
Although bricks are incredibly sturdy and durable, they don't last forever. Like most masonry construction materials, they deteriorate with age and may require repair work. Other reasons for brick foundation repairs include subsidence, settlement, tree root intrusion, and natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
If you spot cracks in the brick foundation of your commercial building, you could be facing foundation damage. If the bricks are still intact but the mortar is cracked, you can repair the damage without replacing the bricks.
Check out this step-by-step procedure for fixing cracks that appear in brick foundation walls.
1. Remove Cracked Mortar
Cracks tend to spread quickly over time, so the first thing to do is to remove any cracked mortar before commencing repair work. Use a chisel and a small hammer to gently and carefully chisel out the damaged mortar, ensuring you don't damage the bricks.
2. Wet The Brick Wall
Wet mortar does not adhere well to dry masonry surfaces, so you need to spray your brick wall with water once all the damaged mortar is removed. The water will help prevent the drywall from absorbing water from the fresh mortar mix, rendering your brick repair job ineffective.
3. Fill The Cracks With New Mortar
Once you've wetted your brick wall, use a trowel to fill the cracks with freshly-mixed mortar of high quality. Make sure you create an airtight seal to prevent the wall from developing cracks all over again. Also, don't forget to smooth out the surface of the wall to achieve a uniform appearance.
Allow the mortar time to cure before stain or paint application.
4. Paint Or Stain The Wall
As a finishing touch to increase durability and enhance the appearance of your patched wall, apply a matching exterior coat of paint or stain. Make sure you add a sealant coat to further protect the underlying material from weather damage.
Are you worried about the cracks you see in the brick foundation of your commercial building? While cracking in brick foundation walls often starts as a merely cosmetic issue, it can quickly progress to structural damage if left unattended for a long time. As a result, all brick foundation cracks should be assessed and repaired before they exacerbate and cause costly damage.
Get in touch with the experts at a brick foundation repair company near you for assistance with maintaining and strengthening the foundation of your commercial building.
Contact a local commercial cracked brick repair service to learn more.