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Everybody’s seen brick walls at some point in their lives. Some have it at home – either as part of their traditional home or as a fancy element of a more modern home. And some places use brick walls in public places to give the area a more charming look while some historical places endeavor to preserve ancient brick walls. To do this, people hire brick contractors to do the work in Tulsa, OK or wherever they may be.
Why choose brick walls?
You have to admit, brick walls have a certain charm that simply cannot be replicated by any material. How come? Bricks represent history, tradition, and the beauty of simplicity. Just take a look at how brick evolved through the years! Apart from those, it is also one of the toughest building materials which makes it ideal for any construction project, especially for residential homes. But, even though the material is tough, it doesn’t mean that it’s not susceptible to damage or wear and tear.
How do brick walls get damaged?
A number of things can cause damage to bricks such as frost attack which is a common problem for older bricks. Other damages can also be caused by structural brick foundation collapse caused by pressure from wet earth due to drainage problems. But, did you know that most brick damages can actually be avoided by getting regular brick maintenance from brick contractors like the ones from Tulsa, OK or local contractors in your area?
How is brick wall damage avoided?
First and foremost, avoid water damage! Why? One, it can cause the mortar joints or the bricks to crack. Two, salt crystals left behind by tide lines caused by seeping groundwater can also cause bricks and mortar to break down. Furthermore, freezing and thawing cycles can aggravate brick damage to water-soaked bricks. So, instead of spending a lot of money for extensive repairs in the future, make sure to attend to these problems as early as now.
Second, don’t put-off cleaning your brick walls. Sometimes, a white coating can be seen on new brickwork. What’s that? This coating contains various harmless salts derived from the mortar and bricks, but leave them to accumulate and they may well be the number one cause of brick damage. So, get rid of it! How? Don’t sandblast the brick walls, simply brushing off the white stuff will do.
Third, do repointing in places where the mortar joints have become soft. What is repointing? This is done by removing the damaged mortar carefully and replacing it with fresh mortar. There is a specific process followed when repointing mortar joints and that is why this job is best left to expert brick contractors. Otherwise, your brick walls might end up even more damaged.
It is also important to note that although some of the maintenance work can easily be done, simple mistakes can also do more harm than good. So, if you want to make sure that your brick walls are properly taken care of, better hire brick contractors to do the work instead. Call Brick 1 Masonry now! They’re not just simple brick contractors in Tulsa, OK, they’re also one of the best!
