Many people believe that a brick building requires little or no maintenance to keep it safe from natural hazards. But this is not the case. Over time, brick buildings deteriorate, allowing moisture and water to seep into the joints, windows, and walls, resulting in expensive property damage inside and outside the home, particularly if the bricks are old. Brick restoration is restoring the quality of a brick building by repairing damaged bricks, repainting the bricks to revitalize the color, and replacing missing bricks.
The good news is that DC Byers in Grand Rapids has your back. Our skilled building restoration team has extensive expertise in all masonry repairs. With many years of experience, we will give your building the best brick restoration possible.
Here are some pointers to help you restore your commercial property’s brick exterior:
Brick Replacement
You first need to find the bricks that need to be replaced, mark them and cut the joints between them. When removing broken bricks, you must be careful not to damage the good bricks next to them.
When you take out broken bricks, work from the top down, but when you put in new ones, work from the bottom up. Before replacing the bricks, you must ensure the holes are clean, and you have removed all the old mortar. The size of the brick must be right for its new home, with little room for mortar. Mortar is put in the hole and a small amount on the brick to ensure it stays securely in place.
Implement Mortar Repair
This repair is used when it is impossible to replace the existing brick. Usually, brick repairs are done when less than half of the existing bricks have been damaged or when it will be difficult to find a similar replacement brick. Here, we at DC Byers would use a repair mortar that can be made on-site from lime, sand, and brick dust from the building.
Clean the Brick
With discoloration or efflorescence of a brick wall, the bricks lose their color and appear whitish and discolored because of excessive rainfall and harsh weather conditions. The right move would be to clean that brick masonry to revitalize its colors. It is best to start with the mildest detergent and work your way up when cleaning brick masonry.
Use a detergent such as Trisodium phosphate (TSP), which is a regular laundry detergent. If this does not work, you can try acid magic, Vana Trol (for white brick), or 600 (for red brick). When cleaning brick masonry, it is important not to use a metal brush because it will scratch the masonry. Second, the acids in the products might eat the metal and leave rust stains on your brick wall.
Restoring and replacing bricks in the brick masonry of your building adds to the property’s value. Even if the building is old, if the structure is well cared for and in good condition, it generates an appeal to buyers. DC Byers’s team of experts understands this concept and will ensure the brick masonry’s restoration will reflect its worth.
When it comes to brick restoration, you should seek professional assistance. We guarantee the best professional solution to your brick restoration problems at DC Byers/Grand Rapids. With our many years of experience, we can assess your brick problems and provide the best solution in the shortest amount of time. Call us at 616-538-7300 and feel free to ask any questions; our experts are there to help you