Repairing External Brick Walls of an Older Home

Brick houses are being valued in a long run due to their solid and stately look or appearance.  Most of the homeowners in UK prefer a home that has a brick exterior over one side and with wood or vinyl on the other because of the long durability of the brick. A wall concreted with bricks can easily withstand the snow, sleet, rain, strong and heavy winds, and errant baseballs. A brick wall is not prone to fire, insect damage, maintenance for the brick etc. But if often requires other treatments that periodic painting, sealing and repairs of the spots. For this reason we need to look out for the local builders merchant in UK for the repair of the brick wall cracks.

No doubt, bricks are one of the most durable, long lasting and strongest building materials that are being used over the times. Bricks have enhanced resistance towards harsh weather conditions. The constituent elements such as sand and lime are locally and easily available and these are known for the finest environment friendly construction units. At the same point of time, old masonry or buildings too require brick wall crack repair. In such situations, locating and searching for the new compatible bricks may seem to be one of the most challenging tasks. With that, it must be ensured that the size, fineness and the type of brick should also compete with each other. If not, it will look patchy and will also destroy the look of the brickwork.

The concrete walls are considered as the load bearing walls. The minor cracks that you see at first would further develop into a serious damage. Cracks or fissures of this nature should be repaired immediately and that too by a professional. The cracks in the brick walls of the masonry or building should never be ignored. It is possible that the conditions that made crack in the brick wall will continue to affect the wall in the worst possible way. Also, it may cause the crack to widen that will continue to affect the masonry.

Different Types of Brick Ties

Over the years, many different materials have been used to make brick ties. In large number of instances, the how old a properly is and its location will dictate the construction of its brick ties. Some common types are:

1 – Metal

At present, stainless steel is widely used but mild steel, copper, wrought iron and cast iron have traditionally been used. Wrought iron and cast iron brick ties are usually quite heavy, and in case of corrosion it should be removed in most cases. Copper brick ties are for the most part quite rare, but in fact they are very strong and durable.

2 – Brick or Terracotta

It is rarely and usually isolated in certain regions, says an online store that deals in brick ties. They also have several drawbacks as they create cold thermal bridges to the interior walls, allowing moisture and cold to pass through them.

3 – Stone or Slate

Once more, this is not common and has numerous drawbacks, including an inclination to breakage and cracking in the event of movement. Nevertheless, they are fairly corrosion-resistant and, if owned, where there is no sign of movement, they should last a long time. Again, however, this type of tie can transfer moisture and cold to the inner skin.

In most maximum properties dating back to the 1930s, mild steel is the element preferred for the manufacture of brick ties, and under normal circumstances, the mild steel used is left as it was (uncoated) or coated with a bitumen type material. As technology has emerged and recognition of rust and corrosion has progressed, galvanizing has become the preferred coating, providing the joints with an outer layer that is resistant to water and moisture to extend their service life.

How to Replace and Install Cavity Wall Ties

In the event that you notice visual cracks due to corrosion caused by brick ties, it may be beyond DIY. You are ought to seek help from a qualified civil engineer to assess and suggest the following steps. In this situation, corroded brick ties must be removed. This will be a highly qualified work that must be completed by a person with the abilities and experience essential to repair degraded brick ties so as not to cause additional architectural harm to property.

4 Reasons behind Cracked Basement Wall

In the event that you are a home owner, and if you detect a crack in the wall of your basement, it can be a nightmare for you. Prior to your start believing that you are ought to rebuild your whole home; you need to know a couple of things regarding basement wall cracks. According to an online store that deals in wall crack repair solutions, there can be various reasons behind the cracks in the walls of your basements. Some of the reasons might be mild, while others can be really serious to worry about.

1 – Horizontal cracks are the heaviest and are often parallel to the ground. Lateral pressure of the surrounding soil is one of the major causes behind the same that may cause deformation of the basement wall.

2 – Diagonal cracks that extend diagonally from the top of the foundation to the ground are usually a result of ground pressure says an online store that deals in wall crack repair solutions. Decanting foundations and removing concrete during drying or during construction can also cause diagonal cracks in any part of the wall from the corner of a window or door.

3 – Vertical cracks run up and down. Shrinking materials, moving walls or tilting walls can result in vertical cracks, says an online store that offer solutions to repair cracked wall. They become a problem in combination with other cracks or when a horizontal or cutting motion occurs.

4 – Cracks at the base of the floor are usually a result of the removal of cement and more often than not presents no threats, says an online store that offer solutions to repair cracked wall. Floor cracks to be considered are those that cause the cracks to move or even align with wall cracks. They may indicate the water pressure in the sump of the pump or damaged sewers.

Such cracks often take place slowly and it may not be possible for you to notice for a long period of time until a leak is detected. Most of the cracks in the basement walls may vary depending on the season, and where you live.