Mark Maupin

Many times in Michigan you maynotice on your brick home that the faces of your brick on the verge of falling off, or are starting to crumble and deteriorate. When this happens it can weaken the masonry structure and look horible in the masonry trade it is referred to as spalling. Spalled Brick is caused mostly by moisture. When brick chimneys and masonry walls are exposed to water for a long period of time, the brick absorb the moisture due to the porous texture of many brick.

Mark went on to explain how a constant shift in temperatures, such as freezing and thawing, can also cause the face of the brick to spall. This progression can accelerate near high moisture areas like downspouts, gutters, or on masonry areas exposed to heavy moisture like your chimney. However the amount of damage is really dependant on the quantity of moisture, climate shifts, and type of brick.

Alot of Michigan homeowners try to hide or conceal their spalling brick by substituting the damaged area with a poor brick match. Now and then when a brick poorly laid or a masonry repair id incorrectly installed or the Masonry brick themselves are not a good match, people try to cover this poor repair with paint. This is the worst thing that you can possibly do to a brick wall. People think painting the brick will hide a poor repair and seal their masonry work. On the contrary it may lead to locking moisture inside your Masonry and increase the spalling process. Most bricks to breathe and allow moisture to drain out.

Masonry construction that involves concrete, cinderblock, and cinder brick are not as prone to spalling from being painted. It is the more porous brick such as sand lime brick, reclaim brick, and chicago common brick that are more subject to spalling once painted.

Proper construction of your brick wall is one of the most effective ways to prevent spalling brick in climates such as Michigan, Mark shared with is audience. These methods include the use of proper mortar and style of jointing during construction.

When you notice your brick are spalled or that your mortar has deteriorated, the best solution to this problem is to remove the damaged mortar, remove the damaged brick, and then replace them.

Mark Maupin committed to quality masonry restoration and the embossment of communities through quality craftsmanship. If you detect spalled brick on your chimney or around your gutters or the deterioration of mortar joints on your home, please feel free to contact Mark Maupin for a free masonry repair consultation.

Mark Maupin is a masonry repair and restoration specialist serving Southeast Michigan. Mark Maupin has over 12 years experience in the masonry trade. Some of the services that he provides include chimney repair, chimney crown replacement, brick replacement, brick fireplace construction, brick porch construction, brick fireplace repair, tuckpointing, concrete sidewalk installation, concrete step construction, precast concrete step installation, and limestone sill replacement.
For more information about masonry contractors visit http://www.emailwire.com/release/32194-Michigan-Chimney-Repair-Expert-Shares-Tips-on-Hiring-Masonry-Contractor.html Mark services the following communities: Auburn Hills, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield township, Brighton, Canton, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, Ferndale, Drayton Plains, Eastpointe, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Grosse Pointe, Highland, Highland Park,

Mr Maupin also performs chimney repair and masonry construction in Howell, Huntington Woods, Keego Harbor, Lake Orion, Lathrup Village, Lincoln Park, Livonia, Madison Heights, Milford, New Hudson, Northville, Novi, Oak Park, Orchard Lake, Orion, Orchard Lake, Ortonville, Pontiac, Redford, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Romulus, Roseville, Royal Oak, South Lyon, Southfield, Sterling Heights, Sylvan Lake, Troy, Utica, Walled Lake, Waterford, West Bloomfield, White Lake Oakland County, Wayne County


For more information on masonry repair, please visit Mark at http://www.michiganchimneyrepair.com or call him at 248-895-7752.

Oftentimes in Michigan you will notice your brick beginning to deteriorate, or the faces of the brick actually falling off. When your brick faces begin to deteriorate, or fall off, it is referred to as spalling. The main cause of spalling is moisture. When brick is exposed to water for excessively long periods of time the moisture begins to absorb into the brick itself. In fact, many bricks are actually quite porous and will absorb moisture like a sponge.

Constant shift in temperatures, as well as regular freezing and thawing will then cause the face of the brick to pop off or spall. This process can be hastened around high moisture areas such as gutters and downspouts, or on areas of your masonry that are exposed to moisture heavily such as your chimney. The amount of damage to the brick is dependant on the amount of moisture and climate shifts.

Many Michigan homeowners attempt to hide the damage or spalling of their brick by replacing the damaged areas with a subpar brick match. Sometimes when a masonry repair has not been installed correctly or the brick do not match, homeowners and contractors will try to hide this poor repair with paint. This is one of the worst things you can possibly do to your masonry. People think paint will seal their masonry and help camouflage their poor repair. In fact painting brick only traps moisture inside the brickwork and hastens the spalling process. Brick needs to breathe.

Some masonry construction such as cinderblock, cinder brick, and concrete are not as susceptible to spalling once they are painted. It is really the more porous bricks, such as reclaim brick, sand lime brick, and chicago common bricks that are most susceptible to spalling and at the most risk once painted.

In climates such as Michigan one of the best ways to prevent your brick from spalling is in the proper construction of your brick wall. Some of these methods include use of the proper mortar and the proper style of jointing during construction.

When you notice your brick are spalled or that your mortar has deteriorated, the best solution to this problem is to remove the damaged mortar, remove the damaged brick, and then replace them.

Hopefully this information has proven useful. At Brick Repair LLC we are committed to quality masonry restoration and the beautification of our communities through quality craftsmanship. If you notice spalled brick on your chimney, around your gutters, or the deterioration of your mortar joints on your house, please feel free to contact us for a free masonry repair consultation.

Brick Repair LLC is a masonry repair and restoration specialists serving Southeast Michigan. Our masonry contractors have over 12 years experience. Some of the services we provide include chimney repair, chimney crown replacement, tuckpointing, brick replacement, brick porch construction, brick fireplace construction, brick fireplace repair, concrete sidewalk installation, concrete step construction, precast concrete step installation, limestone sill replacement.

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Oftentimes in Michigan you will notice your brick beginning to deteriorate, or the faces of the brick actually falling off. When your brick faces begin to deteriorate, or fall off, it is referred to as spalling. The main cause of spalling is moisture. When brick is exposed to water for excessively long periods of time the moisture begins to absorb into the brick itself. In fact, many bricks are actually quite porous and will absorb moisture like a sponge.

Constant shift in temperatures, as well as regular freezing and thawing will then cause the face of the brick to pop off or spall. This process can be hastened around high moisture areas such as gutters and downspouts, or on areas of your masonry that are exposed to moisture heavily such as your chimney. The amount of damage to the brick is dependant on the amount of moisture and climate shifts.

Many Michigan homeowners attempt to hide the damage or spalling of their brick by replacing the damaged areas with a subpar brick match. Sometimes when a masonry repair has not been installed correctly or the brick do not match, homeowners and contractors will try to hide this poor repair with paint. This is one of the worst things you can possibly do to your masonry. People think paint will seal their masonry and help camouflage their poor repair. In fact painting brick only traps moisture inside the brickwork and hastens the spalling process. Brick needs to breathe.

Some masonry construction such as cinderblock, cinder brick, and concrete are not as susceptible to spalling once they are painted. It is really the more porous bricks, such as reclaim brick, sand lime brick, and chicago common bricks that are most susceptible to spalling and at the most risk once painted.

In climates such as Michigan one of the best ways to prevent your brick from spalling is in the proper construction of your brick wall. Some of these methods include use of the proper mortar and the proper style of jointing during construction.

When you notice your brick are spalled or that your mortar has deteriorated, the best solution to this problem is to remove the damaged mortar, remove the damaged brick, and then replace them.

Hopefully this information has proven useful. At Brick Repair LLC we are committed to quality masonry restoration and the beautification of our communities through quality craftsmanship. If you notice spalled brick on your chimney, around your gutters, or the deterioration of your mortar joints on your house, please feel free to contact us for a free masonry repair consultation.

Brick Repair LLC is a masonry repair and restoration specialists serving Southeast Michigan. Our masonry contractors have over 12 years experience. Some of the services we provide include chimney repair, chimney crown replacement, tuckpointing, brick replacement, brick porch construction, brick fireplace construction, brick fireplace repair, concrete sidewalk installation, concrete step construction, precast concrete step installation, limestone sill replacement.

Performing Chimney repairs in Oakland County and working as a masonry contractor for the last 12 years. I have come across all manor of masonry wall construction. Matching the style of masonry joint on a chimney repair or masonry wall constuction project is almost as critical as matching the brick and or mortar color.

There are several styles and kinds of masonry joint in Oakland county. The masonry joint is the area of mortar in between your brick, block, or stone. The vertical joints are referred to as head joints and the horizontal joints are referred to as bed joint.

The way in which you strike or joint your masonry work is not only for appearance In drier climates masonry joints are more for looks and homewoner preference. While some styles of jointing are more resilient to weather, when you live in a climate like Oakland County Michigan where you have high Rain fall and constantly shifting tempratures jointing style can be structural and more than just personal preference.

The first style of jointing is the concave joint. Concave joints are shallow and seal against the face of the brickwork evenly. The two most common tools used on a concave joint are the s-jointer (named for its appearance) and the barrel jointer. There are a variety of sizes that s-jointer and barrel jointers come in. The concave joint also is good at concealing small irregularities in masonry construction.

The “V” joint is very similar to the concave joint. It is also a very weather resistant form of jointing. The primary difference between the “v” joint and the “s” joint is the “v” joint provides a very small line in the center of the mortar joint. The “v” joint is not nearly as common as the concave joint.

Another style of joint is the weather joint. The weather joint is the most weather resilient style of joint. This is because it seals evenly against the bottom edge of the brickwork and allows moisture to drain off of it.

The fourth style of mortar joint is the rake joint. The rake joint is a deeper joint than the concave joint and can look very appealing on more textured or uneven brick. The rake joint is achieved through the use of either a tool called a rake jointer (skate) or by wire brushing the mortar between the bricks out to the desired depth.

The fifth style of jointing is the weeping or squeezed joint. A weeping joint is when you lay your brick on top of your mortar and do not scrape any of the excess mortar away. While this may sound like the easiest and worst appearing of the joints, for the trained mason this is actually the hardest type of joint. As a mason laying brick becomes second nature like breathing. This means that without any thought at all the mason will oftentimes find his trowel scraping away the excess mortar between the joints in order to apply the mortar to the head joint of the next brick he lays. I speak from personal experience when I tell you it can be quite frustrating to have to relay the same brick several times because you are so used to scraping away the excess mortar as you lay the brick. The weeping joint is the only joint not pictured below.

The sixth style of jointing is the flush joint. The flush joint is the easiest of the joints for a mason to construct. The flush joint is typically used under walls that are going to be painted or not seen. It is where the mason simply scrapes the excess mortar out from between the bricks. No additional tooling is required.

The beaded joint is a raised and rounded, bead-shaped segment of the mortar away from the mortar surface producing an old-fashioned, formal design. Although beaded joints can create interesting shadows, they are not recommended for exterior use due to their exposed ledges. Beaded joints allow moisture to penetrate your masonry work.

The eight style of joint is the struck joint. The struck joint provides poor weather resistance but will emphasize the bed joints of your masonry construction nicely.

The final style of jointing is the grapevine joint. The grapevine joint is a combination of the struck joint and the “v” joint. This style of jointing is not very weather resilient but does give the appearance of a somewhat deeper joint. The grapevine is a very shallow joint with a line running through it.

I hope this information has proved useful for anybody looking to perform masonry construction or hiring a masonry contractor. If you have an interest in a free consultation and live in Oakland county Michigna or surrounding community contact Mark Maupin of Brick Repair LLC at 248-895-7752. For more information masonry construction and masonry repair visit http://michiganchimneyrepair

How To Replace Damaged Brick

Inevitably, if you have masonry work in climates such as Michigan, where you have a range of seasons, you will have damaged brick. There are a variety of reasons brick can become damaged. Obviously, if by some kind of act of God or impact such as car accident or lightning, your brick will take structural damage.

More commonly, brick become damaged from moisture. Most brick are made of clay and while often resistant to moisture, brick are not waterproof. Some brick, in fact, are very porous and will absorb moisture like a sponge. When the climate changes and that moisture freezes or thaws, your brick can begin to deteriorate or spall.

When the face pops off of a brick, it is referred to as a spalled brick. This is a very common occurrence in Michigan where I perform most of my masonry repairs and construction. When your brick becomes spalled it is necessary to remove the damaged brick and replace it. For the homeowner this can be a fairly labor intensive job.

The first step in this process for a homeowner is to cut away the damaged bricks. This is done by attaching a diamond blade to a circular saw and cutting into the mortar joints around the damaged brick. The brick is then removed with a chisel and hammer. It is best to start at the top when removing damaged brick, and work your way down.

Once you have removed the damaged brick, make sure to chisel out any excess mortar so when you place the new brick in you can lay it plum and level.

For the contractor, I recommend using a hammer drill or rotary hammer that has a chisel only setting. This is a far more effective and less labor intensive way to remove damaged masonry units, but many homeowners may not want to invest the extra money into this tool.

Before you begin laying your new brick it is best to lay the brick dry. Laying the brick dry is when you set the brick into the open area to ensure that it will fit cleanly and lay properly before you set it in with mortar. The benefit of laying dry brick is that once you actually set the brick in mortar, you do not run the risk of having to relay it again in order to achieve a good looking finished product.

After laying the dry brick, you will want to mix your mortar. Good mortar should have the consistency of whipped mashed potatoes. Spread your mortar evenly below where you plan on laying the brick. Once you have a nice, even layer of mortar, place your brick into the exposed area.

There are two ways to fill in the vertical and horizontal mortar joints on the side and top of the brick. The first method is to fill your trowel with mortar. Then take a tuckpointer and press the mortar into the exposed joint.

The second method to fill in your exposed mortar joints is to fill a grout bag with your mortar and squirt the mortar into the crevices between the brick. Using a grout bag is similar to decorating a cake, and looks very similar to a cake decorating bag.

Once all your mortar joints are filled you will want to let your mortar set up, or harden slightly. After your mortar has begun to harden it is time to tool the mortar joints. Mortar joints are tooled in several different ways. There is the concave joint, the rough joint, the weeping joint, or the rake joint. For more information on types of joints, visit Brick Repair LLC Blog

I hope you have found this information useful. For a free consultation on masonry repair feel free to call Brick Repair LLC at 248-895-7752, or visit www.michiganchimneyrepair.com. Brick Repair LLC services the following communities: