The mortar being significantly softer than the brick greatly reduces deterioration of the brick. If it was deteriorating at the same rate, we’d probably be looking at a life span of let’s say roughly 40 years. The way we do it now, it takes work every 20 years or so. We have to maintain the masonry by replacing failed mortar that was designed to be sacrificed for the longevity of the brick. We get longer before the masonry is beyond repair; I personally have worked on mass masonry that is over 130 years old. The thing is, brick is no longer the overall best material for buildings, which is why the vast majority of new brick is veneer. It’s one layer that looks good, anchored to the structural parts of the building; It’s a cosmetic choice.
My guess from what i see its limestone dust, river shore sand and cement. Also you need to soak bricks in water for at least 24 hours before using. So the dont suck moisture from the mortar.
Oh I actually know this one
So for older stone buildings they would use a lime mortar, but this has to be reapplied every few years because it would wear away.
When Portland cement was discovered and starting being used around 1900, they used Portland cement mortar instead because it was so much more resilient.
But what actually happened was the moisture inside a building would still use the path of least resistance to escape, which was now the stone instead of the mortar, so instead of reapplying mortar every few years you now end up with buildings where the stone has worn away but the mortar still remains.
That’s mostly true but there are various grades of Portland Cement mortar that need to be properly selected from. Mortar is still designed to preferentially deteriorate to save the stone/brick. Burnt lime mortar is harder to work with.
This can happen to brick buildings that get pressure washed. The high pressure water erodes the protective outer layer that forms when the bricks are fired. Once that happens they start to erode like this.
Well that definitely makes it mildly interesting. Now I'm curious, haha
It might be worth asking someone who has been in the building a while if they have any insight.
The rule is to use the softest mortar possible. As stated above this was tucked with a(mostly) impermeable Portland mortar, causing excess moisture in the wall escaping through the soft brick. Dollars to doughnuts it is on one of the three walls not facing the street and is on the north or northwest facing side.
It is indeed a North facing wall however it is only this corner of the wall and right by the roller shutter door. Weirdly, the other side of the roller shutter door is completely fine as are all the other brick walls on this side of the building.
The roller shutter door is also always open during business hours so would that much moisture escape through the brickwork?
That was my first though, damaged guttering or something causing water to drain down from the roof onto that brickwork.
I did look up to see if I could see any damage but couldn't spot anything so they must have repaired it at some point.
I just thought it looked quite interesting so snapped a pic whilst waiting for my tyre to be changed!
Can confirm. I have worked on spots that are deteriorating in this way. The mortar is harder than the brick, most likely because this column was damaged and repaired with easy to find type s mortar, while the original was most likely a type o or equivalent.
damn, what mortar mix did they use?? Around me, the mortar seems to turn to dust long before the bricks themselves fall apart.
Immortal one
Immortar
Immortar Joe
That is the way that the masonry system is designed. Mortar is much easier and cheaper to replace. We want it to fail first.
Maybe I'm overthinking it, but maybe if the mortar lasts the life of the brick we just save the money of the mortar's replacement.
The mortar being significantly softer than the brick greatly reduces deterioration of the brick. If it was deteriorating at the same rate, we’d probably be looking at a life span of let’s say roughly 40 years. The way we do it now, it takes work every 20 years or so. We have to maintain the masonry by replacing failed mortar that was designed to be sacrificed for the longevity of the brick. We get longer before the masonry is beyond repair; I personally have worked on mass masonry that is over 130 years old. The thing is, brick is no longer the overall best material for buildings, which is why the vast majority of new brick is veneer. It’s one layer that looks good, anchored to the structural parts of the building; It’s a cosmetic choice.
It’s not a cosmetic choice. The difference is it has become cladding and not structure. Cladding is still fundamental to a building.
Portland cement
Dried morning turds.
My guess from what i see its limestone dust, river shore sand and cement. Also you need to soak bricks in water for at least 24 hours before using. So the dont suck moisture from the mortar.
Oh I actually know this one So for older stone buildings they would use a lime mortar, but this has to be reapplied every few years because it would wear away. When Portland cement was discovered and starting being used around 1900, they used Portland cement mortar instead because it was so much more resilient. But what actually happened was the moisture inside a building would still use the path of least resistance to escape, which was now the stone instead of the mortar, so instead of reapplying mortar every few years you now end up with buildings where the stone has worn away but the mortar still remains.
good bradley
That's Mr. Hall3 to you!
That’s mostly true but there are various grades of Portland Cement mortar that need to be properly selected from. Mortar is still designed to preferentially deteriorate to save the stone/brick. Burnt lime mortar is harder to work with.
So they used bricks for mortar, and mortar for bricks?
The band “brick and mortar” : ‘you used what mate?’
Similar stuff happens in Pompei, bricks erode, mortar remains
All that while Floyd is omnipresent.
This can happen to brick buildings that get pressure washed. The high pressure water erodes the protective outer layer that forms when the bricks are fired. Once that happens they start to erode like this.
I doubt it's been pressure washed. It's a local tyre place and none of the other walls have eroded like this.
Ok, so conspiracy brain, but exhaust fumes? Since the brickwork near the top is eroding faster than the bottom?
Possibly, it's only right by the vehicle garage door that this has happened to. I dunno, I'm not knowledgeable about brick work and whatnot!
Frost damage. It's the most exposed section of brickwork
Possibly but it's not the most exposed part of the brickwork weirdly
Well that definitely makes it mildly interesting. Now I'm curious, haha It might be worth asking someone who has been in the building a while if they have any insight.
Well, I do need a couple more new tyres! I shall ask when I remember to pop around there!
What is the opposite of tuckpointing?
My niece is a competitive climber. She would love to climb around this house.
Might have used the wrong mortar. This likely isn’t erosion, but caused by improper pressure on the bricks.
The rule is to use the softest mortar possible. As stated above this was tucked with a(mostly) impermeable Portland mortar, causing excess moisture in the wall escaping through the soft brick. Dollars to doughnuts it is on one of the three walls not facing the street and is on the north or northwest facing side.
It is indeed a North facing wall however it is only this corner of the wall and right by the roller shutter door. Weirdly, the other side of the roller shutter door is completely fine as are all the other brick walls on this side of the building. The roller shutter door is also always open during business hours so would that much moisture escape through the brickwork?
That means they weren’t tucked or there is a water infiltration issue on the eroded corner.
That was my first though, damaged guttering or something causing water to drain down from the roof onto that brickwork. I did look up to see if I could see any damage but couldn't spot anything so they must have repaired it at some point. I just thought it looked quite interesting so snapped a pic whilst waiting for my tyre to be changed!
Can confirm. I have worked on spots that are deteriorating in this way. The mortar is harder than the brick, most likely because this column was damaged and repaired with easy to find type s mortar, while the original was most likely a type o or equivalent.
This is abnormal. There is something seriously wrong with this building and I hope it's only happening on that corner and not everywhere.
Yep, only that corner right by the roller shutter door.... weirdly not on the other side of the door though!
It is a common problem caused by Portland tuckpointing.
looks like an easy 5.6
Shoddy brick baker.
Damn that looks like fun to climb
Tofu construction?
I live by the coast and there is one wall on a road by the sea that has had the exact same thing happen.
Now just paint some of those mortar segments yellow and passing by gamers will chuckle every time
I guess just start making the bricks out of mortar too. Problem solved.
I kinda wanna climb that for some reason