# How to Repair Spalled Brick
Damaged mortar or brick can become saturated with moisture from your home's exterior or interior. During cold seasons, this water can freeze and expand, causing cracks in the brick. Over many winters, this process can cause the brick face to fall off. Brick that has begun to crumble in this way is referred to as "spalled." Unfortunately, spalled brick is impossible to repair without replacing. Once a brick has begun to crumble, it cannot be reassembled.
Things You'll Need
- Masonry drill
- Masonry bolster
- Hammer
- Brick
- Mortar
Instructions
-
-
1
Drill holes in the mortar at all four corners of the spalled brick. The holes should be small enough to do this without touching or damaging the other bricks in the wall.
-
2
Tap in a masonry bolster between the brick and the mortar, on all four sides of the spalled brick. The mortar should start to crumble and fall out. Repeat this process with increasingly large bolsters to widen the hole around the spalled brick.
-
3
Remove the brick if it is loose enough. If it is not, continue to tap around the brick with a bolster until the brick will come free.
-
4
Line the sides of the hole with fresh mortar and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Insert the new brick and insert more fresh mortar into the hole around the brick using a narrow tuck pointing trowel.
-
1
Exterior Home Repair
- How to Properly Repair Crown & Brick Chimney
- How to Repair the Erosion of a Brick Wall
- How to Repair a Refractory Brick in a Fireplace
- How to Repair Brick Concrete Steps
- How to Repair a Nail Hole in a Brick Wall
- How to Repair Brick Mortar Inside Fireplaces
- How to Repair a Brick Porch's Stairs
- How to Repair Crumbling Painted Brick
- How to Repair a Crack in a Brick Fence
- How to Mortar a Brick Patio
- How to Repair Brick Mortars
- How to Repair a Brick Walkway
