Replacing Cracked Bricks

Q: We had a vicious winter and after inspecting the outside of our home, which is about 40 years old, I noticed that we have a couple of bricks that are cracked. Is this serious? Can I replace them or do I have to call in a masonry company?

A: A couple of cracked bricks on a house that is 40 years old is not a problem. However, the bricks do need to be replaced to avoid having water enter through the cracks in the bricks and entering the void between the brick veneer and the structural members of the house, which could cause serious damage to both the structural members and the interior.

If you only have a couple of cracked bricks and are reasonable handy, you should be able to undertake replacement of the bricks on your own.

One of the biggest problems you may have is matching the current bricks, which have been weathered, with replacement bricks.

I have a couple of pages of information on replacing cracked or damaged bricks that should assist you.

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Brick Fireplace Surround- How Do You Remove It?

Q: We have a large and ugly brown brick fireplace in the middle of the longest wall in our living room. i know it can be removed, my neighbor took his out, but alas now he has moved away so i cant ask him how it was done.

It is one layer of brick on the wall, about 5 feet tall. It does not connect to an out side wall, (we live in a condo) the hearth part is about one foot W by 5 feet L and it is 4 bricks tall.

What is the best tools or way to do all this? I am concerned mostly about the hearth, I think the wall will be easy.

A: The trick, in order not to make a monster mess is to remove the bricks from the top down. The first couple of bricks are the hard ones. Using a 3/8" carbide drill bit, drill into the mortar below the top set of bricks. Then using a concrete chisel, break away the rest of the mortar. Use a small hand 2.5 lb. hammer and tap the brick on the face until it comes loose. Once you have removed the first couple using the drill, the rest will just
break away once hit on the face.

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Exposing A Brick Wall In Kitchen‏

Q: I'm pretty new to home improvement so any advice would be welcome! We just bought a first floor apt in a 101 year old building in Brooklyn. One side of our kitchen has a brick wall which is covered with a layer of sheetrock and a layer of linoleum. It is ugly and we'd like to expose the brick. Given that the building is 101 years old--and the fact that ants seem to be coming through the bricks and through a crack in the sheetrock/lino layer--I wonder how much work we'd have to do to the brick so it wouldn't be crumbling into our food.

A: If it is an outside wall, then you are going to have to check the mortar between the bricks and possibly re-point. I would also suggest from a heating/ac standpoint that you want to put some sort of wall between the outside brick wall and the inside so that you can provide some insulation factor.

You will need to spray to remove the ants or use ant traps after you figure
out how they are getting in and seal accordingly.

You can paint brick with an insulating material, once you have fixed any
problems with the mortar and the bricks.

Pointing and replacing bricks can be a major exercise!

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