replacing threed bricks at the base of a fire place pillar?

[robgil]

Is it just a case of chopping the crumbling ones out and putting in new ones? The same bricks were i think used for a long gone brick floor as ive found a half dozen of then here and there in the house and garden.

 

[biffvernon]

What are threed bricks?

 

[Penners]

They're bricks with length, breadth and depth.

 

[robgil]

Sorry guys , they are 'three bricks' typed on a stupidly small key board.

 

[Tom]

Do you have a picture of them ones that need replacing? Ultimately, it depends on the load bearing. If you can remove the three bricks without anything else collapsing then, yes, that's all you need to do. If you risk dislodging other bricks, then you'll need to provide support for whatever's above before you remove the three. If you have enough height at the base, you could use a strongboy sat on a block of wood, perhaps?

 

[robgil]

Here they are.

lower right pillar. You may have to right click and go to view image.

What do you think , can they be safely removed? The rest all seem sound enough.

 

[Tom]

OK, here's what I'd do. It doesn't look like you have much height to get a strongboy in there, so firstly I'd remove and replace just one on the second course up; probably the one on the outside as that seems to be giving less support anyway. Don't worry too much about the mortar at the front end but make sure the back half is very stable. I'd use a bit of slate to make sure it was a tight fit. Wait for that to go off. The repeat with the other one on the same course. Finally, remove the bottom one. The load bearing will be tranferred to the ones behind it, allowing you safely remove this front one, bed in the new one and point all round. Does that make sense? It definitely do-able. Someone else might have a better suggestion and maybe I'm being a bit cautious but that's the way I'd do it.

 

[robgil]

Sounds like a plan DWB, slowly and carefully seems like a good approach.

 

[Tom]

Exactly. Pics when you're done, please

 

[robgil]

I might start it this week end hopefully. Trying to get this room ready , or semi ready for Christmas.

 

[Tom]

At least you're in with a shout...I'm trying to get the whole house ready!! :lol: :roll:

 

[biffvernon]

Oh, I thought a threed brick was a techie term for some special brick, maybe the ones with rounded corners (they do have a name, I'm sure).
Anyway, I wouldn't panic. If it were me I'd do nought. There are bricks in a worse state holding my house up. But if you do want to replace them to make things look all smart and dandy then just take them out. The bricks at the front will not be taking any great load that the rest of the wall can't cope with. The rotten brick won't be doing much whatever.

 

[robgil]

I did think about putting slips in there but i have nothing to cut the brick with and i only have a few of these bricks so i dont really want5 to take a chance and break them. The bad bricks in the photo really do look a lot worst in real life.

 

[middi]

I agree with Biff.

I resisted the temptation of replacing the well worn out bricks in one of my fireplaces. As I am typing this I am sitting in front of the roaring open log burner and I can see all the marks, dents and crevices in the well sooted and rounded corner bricks where people used to sharpen their utensils on.
If you want to change those few front spalled bricks, repoint any loose mortar on all the ones above and then with an old screwdriver ( or purpose tool ) rake out the mortar and slowly remove the " bad" bricks and replace. Nothing is going to happen to the pier even if you remove all the lower third of the pier bricks in a stepped sequence as long as the above is sound and stabilised with repointing.

" Threed bricks" , you didn't by any chance get confused with the three holes in that engineering brick laying loose in the fireplace did you? :wink:
What the heck is it doing there anyway.

Middi

 

[robgil]

Those were to put my grate on to try and see how high it needed to be to stop the room filling up with smoke when i lit the fire. It didnt work , i put in a deflector plate which didnt work either. I bought them for the base of a pizza oven for the garden that i never got around to building.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Rob - has the cause of the spalling been sorted? I know nothing of bricks - but they seem to be laid direct on to earth there. Is this related in any way to their "failure"?

Either way, I'd be inclined to leave them. Replaced ones will probably still look "new" long after we're all worm food.

 

[robgil]

Dpm is the only thing i can think of , under a concrete floor. The sole plate and plinth on this side of the room have disintegrated as well. This whole wall was covered in a cement wall on battens nailed to the studs.
I am replacing them with old bricks , they are an exact match and i think were used for a floor that was pulled up to put concrete down as ive found a few of them around the house and garden.
These photos are being kind , its really worse than it looks here.
I know the bricks might look fresh but id rather repair it than watch it crumble away, and ive got some pointing to do anyway si i am sure it will look ok, well , it will look like its been repaired but there is no getting around that really , i just have to minimise the visual impact.

 

[Penners]

I'm sure the house will be ready for Christmas, Rob. Provided the family doesn't insist on a cosy Christmas. :wink:

 

[robgil]

Providing i win the lottery and have a few miracles thrown in for good measure.