Take a look at the brick buildings and structures on your property. How do they look? Unfortunately, although brick is a great, sturdy material to build with, unsafe practices can make it hazardous. If your brickwork was done by a sketchy masonry company or built very many years ago, you’re going to need to watch out for signs that it may be falling apart or in need of repair. Find out how to identify if you’ve been the victim of poor masonry work by reading the following tips:
Find out how to identify if you’ve been the victim of poor masonry work by reading the following tips.
Poor Masonry Work Signs
- Cracks
Cracks indicate weakness in the structure and are never a good sign, whether they’re horizontal or vertical. If you see heavy vertical cracking, however, it could mean that the foundation has settled.
- Faulty alignment
Sometimes, the mortar can react to water and expand, which will in turn push the bricks out of alignment. If your structure is fairly old, this can be a common problem.
- Parging
A shoddy construction company will sometimes cover bricks that are structurally unsound with a layer of this material. It resembles a smooth stucco, but its purpose is really just to hide defects within poor masonry work.
- Wooden beams and lintels
If you’re the owner of an older building, you may have noticed that your building is supported with wooden frames. However, recently we’ve discovered that these wooden frames can’t always fully support the weight of bricks. In the event of a fire, they’re also more likely to burn and potentially collapse your building.
- Sand lime mortar
Although this type of mortar was commonly used during the 20th century, it does have a fairly high risk of failure. It can be rinsed away when exposed to enough water due to it being water-soluble.
If you’re looking for a professional masonry construction company that won’t cut corners, look no further. Get in touch with DelPrete Masonry today!
At DelPrete Masonry, we offer professional masonry restoration for your building or structure. DelPrete Masonry is a commercial masonry construction and restoration company that services Baltimore and the surrounding area. For more than 25 years, we’ve been performing quality masonry work for a wide variety of clients with different masonry needs. We’ve built a solid reputation for ourselves in the Baltimore area as a leading commercial masonry service. For more information, please contact our office today at 410-683-0650 or email us at mike@delpretemasonry.com. We serve Baltimore City, County, Harford County, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County. Keep up with our blog for masonry related information, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.