What Is Spalling Brick—and Why Should You Never Ignore It?
Have you noticed pieces of brick flaking off your chimney, retaining wall, steps, or other masonry around your home?
That damage is commonly called spalling, and it’s more than just a cosmetic problem.
What Is Brick Spalling?
Spalling happens when the surface of a brick begins cracking, flaking, or breaking away.
Moisture is often a major contributor. Water enters the porous masonry, and repeated moisture exposure and temperature changes gradually weaken the brick.
Eventually, the face of the brick can begin falling away.
What Does Spalling Look Like?
Watch for:
- Flaking brick surfaces
- Pieces of brick on the ground
- Cracked or crumbling bricks
- Pitted or rough brick faces
- Bricks that appear softer than surrounding masonry
- Mortar deterioration around damaged bricks
One damaged brick may be a relatively simple repair. Widespread spalling can indicate a much larger moisture problem.
Can Spalled Bricks Be Repaired?
It depends on how much damage has occurred.
Individual deteriorated bricks can often be removed and replaced while surrounding masonry remains intact. If deterioration has spread throughout a large portion of the chimney or wall, more extensive masonry restoration may be necessary.
Simply covering damaged brick doesn’t solve the underlying problem.
The source of the moisture should also be identified and corrected whenever possible.
Don't Ignore Falling Pieces of Masonry
If pieces of your chimney are beginning to show up on your roof or around your home, it’s time to have the masonry evaluated.
Catching spalling early can mean replacing a few damaged bricks instead of rebuilding a much larger section later.
Contact Us
Tualatin, Oregon 97062
(503)713-7777
integritycahs@gmail.com
Oregon CCB#: 250379
Licensed, Bonded and Insured
Serving Tualatin Oregon and communities west of the Cascades
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