The internal face of my early nineteenth century property has a fair number of spalled bricks; about one in every 10 to 20 bricks has a deteriorated crumbly face. This has only become evident because I have exposed a few areas of brickwork that have been hidden for more than 180 years behind lath plaster or tongue and groove panels. The walls are solid nine inch brick and the outside face is ironically in perfect condition. It seems to me that because the inside face was to be hidden behind lath plaster and timber panelling, the quality of the internal stretcher bricks used were inferior and altogether softer than those used on the outside face. The quality of workmanship on the hidden face is also inferior to that outside with bricks almost thrown together in places with no care for their appearance. All the brickwork is held together with lime mortar and whilst this is relatively firm to the touch it can also be a little powdery when running a finger over it. Any ideas on how I can stabilise this surface, I’ve brushed the loose debris off where I can back to a solid surface and I’m sure that the air that is now freely passing over it must be helping. Should I perhaps use a masonry stabilizer on the spalled bricks? I’m also a bit worried on what might be out of site and out of mind behind the other lath plaster coverings and I don’t really want to take this down as its all quite firm and in good condition.
- Thread starter michael
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chuckey
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I too have got this in an old outhouse. My lime (internally) has turned to dust and the bricks have spalled, but on the outside, the wall seems to be OK, though it is covered with white wash/concrete paint?(neighbours). I had presumed it was the moisture evaporating inwards that some how caused this. Must get round to fixing it up properly someday.
Frank
Frank
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There's spalled and there's spalled!
If it is just the surface of the bricks and you have given it a good brush then I'd leave it for another 100 years to see how it gets on.
If it is just the surface of the bricks and you have given it a good brush then I'd leave it for another 100 years to see how it gets on.
One other question. If the unexposed brickwork behind the remaining lath plaster (the remaining 90% of the building) is in a similar condition which I think it probably is, then I wont be able to access this to give it a brush down. Do the bricks deteriorate quicker if they are not brushed down?
Lime
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No.michael said:
michael said:
I don't think that brushing down makes a big difference to the life of the bricks.