If you have a brick wall in your house, condo, or business, you will need a mason at some point. This is especially true in Canada, where changes in the weather can cause brick or stone walls to fall apart over time.

Depending on how bad the damage is and where it is, masonry problems can have terrible results, like water getting in, heat escaping, or foundation problems that could make your building unsafe. It's important to be able to spot the signs of wear and tear in masonry, so our experts have put together a list of the 6 most common signs of damage.

How Important Good Mason Work Is

Most problems with masonry are caused by changes in the way the soil around the house feels. The ground can lose its strength because of weather, thawing, and other things. It pushes against the facade, which makes the bricks and mortar give way. Since they can't be bent or shaped, they crack or break.

 Because things freeze and thaw in Canada, this happens often. Since the soil turns to mud in the spring before the summer heat has a chance to dry it out, changes in the soil's texture happen more quickly than in a more temperate climate. Because of these things, there can be a lot of problems with masonry. As the outside layer of protection for your home, masonry must be strong and well-kept. Cracks, deterioration, and "bull's-bellies" can cause a number of building envelope problems, such as water or air leakage and damage to interior walls, which, over time, can weaken your building's structure. home.

 But how will you know when to call a residential mason or a commercial mason before a wall falls or crumbles? Check for these six signs of early wear:

1. Beef Belly

If you look at your wall and see a part that looks swollen, you have an ox belly. This is a very common problem with stonework. After water builds up behind the bricks, it shows up. Mold and rust then form, attack the anchors, "grow" on the bricks, or even soften the wood behind the bricks, causing a hollow instead of a swelling. Loose bricks could fall off if this problem isn't taken seriously. If the belly-of-beef is at the bottom of the wall, it is even more important to act quickly because the weight of the wall rests on this section, which is now weaker. This is a sign that a bigger problem is hiding behind your wall and needs to be fixed, since the wood frame may have been attacked.

 Putting a glue-like grout into the cracks is sometimes all it takes to fix everything. On the other hand, most of the time the damage is too bad, and you may need to redo part or all of the facade of your building. When you do a visual inspection once a year, you can find problems early and save money.

2. There's a Crack in the Wall

Cracks can be either quiet or noisy. Active cracks get bigger over time, while passive cracks stay the same size. It's important to keep an eye on the cracks that are already open. Passive cracks are easy to patch up. They are often caused by the way things naturally grow. For a mason, it's not hard to fix these kinds of cracks. He injects something like urethane or epoxy into the crack. He can also put a joint that can move. Both solutions don't cost a lot of money and must be done to avoid a big problem, like water getting in.

 If you have active cracks, you need to fix the problem at its source. Just plugging the cracks won't work in the long run, because the crack will come back. This kind of crack could be a sign of a bigger problem with the structure.

3. Burst Brick

A spalled brick is a common problem in masonry. It can be caused by too much water or by low-quality bricks or mortar. When the brick soaks up too much water because it has been frozen and thawed many times, it can break. One solution is to find out where the water is getting in and fix it quickly as you fix your broken bricks. If the problem isn't fixed, it can spread like a virus and affect the bricks around it. In fact, because the broken brick is no longer doing its job, the weight on the bricks around it can cause them to break as well.

 To fix up your facade, a professional could just take your broken bricks and turn them over. If the problem isn't taken care of quickly enough, the whole facade may have to be redone so that you can start over on a good note. He might also suggest that you put in pillars to make sure your foundation is strong enough.

4. A Lintel Made of Angle Iron or Rusty Steel

An angle iron or lintel is a long L-shaped piece of metal that is put behind a row of bricks above a window or door. When a window or door is opened, it makes a hole in the wall. The lintel is there to help hold the weight of the bricks. On the other hand, if water gets in through the cracks, these lintels can rust and swell, making them useless. If the lintel is swollen, it can make the bricks come loose or bulge.

 A mason will come and take out a few rows of bricks and replace the old, rusty lintel with a new one that is in good shape.

 5. Brick Efflorescence

Because of efflorescence, the surface of the brick looks white. Mineral salts in water from bad weather or from the ground react with the more alkaline compounds in the cement to make this visible white streak. It is normal for it to show up in climates like ours, but it is possible to stop it from doing its damage. If the problem is small, the stains should go away on their own or can be brushed off. If the stains don't go away, it could mean that the surface has too much moisture. Because of this, it is strongly suggested that you call in a certified expert who has the skills to solve your problem at its source. Muriatic acid can be used for the second. This item is very strong and dangerous to use,

6. Fixing Bricks or Mortar That Are Broken

Another very common problem with masonry is that the joints of your facade start to fall apart. Most of the time, these last joints are used to hold all of your bricks together. They also keep your siding from getting wet. When your mortar falls apart, it stops being able to do this, so you need to act quickly. At this point, you should call a masonry expert to hollow out the joint until it's about an inch deep. It is important not to just put a thin layer on top of a joint that is falling apart. This is a short-term fix that will only hide the real problem. It is important to make a hole in the seal. After that, your contractor can seal the joints by first wetting the surface that will be grouted to keep as much water in the mortar as possible. The latter will then be pushed down into the cavity and packed down. For better adhesion, your mortar should have lime in it and your joints should be wet before you lay them. Lastly, for the best drying, keep your surface and mortar at a temperature between 5°C and 30°C for at least 72 hours. Your expert will have the tools needed to keep this temperature stable throughout the year.

This problem can have big effects, which is why choosing the right backyard masonry contractor is also important. So, we suggest that you find an expert in the field and ask him how thick the mortar layer should be on the joints that have broken apart. If the contractor isn't very skilled, he or she will only use a thin coat, which could make the problem come back quickly.