Brick

The damage to the brick in the PIC in post #1 is caused by frost.

Mortar to hard…as Bob Said. Brick need to expand and contract. The weakest brick will spall first. Tuckpointing 101. Going by the pics of course.

Manufacturing but may well be bad tooling.

RECOMMEND: Replace the SPALLING bricks.

OBSERVATION: Spalling brick lead faces on two tone clay brick units.

SUSPECT: Improper tooling on the bed head and butt masonry.

NOTE: The recommendation for pointing masonry after it is thumb tight is concave or a reversed struck or weather joint, using a pointing trawl or pointing tool.

The masonry bed at the head bed and but must not be too recessed below the leading edge of the brick. The 90% edge.
When the leading edge is exposed it is prone to absorbing water. Throw thermal expansion or the liquid freezing, frozen liquid can expand up to 10% its volume, the face of the brick expands and decomposes in layers.

Thank you for your input everyone.
Robert the recommendation to replace the bricks is a little unrealistic. The potential buyer is going to read your recommendations and may or may not make the purchase. I understand that it is our job to report on the findings / defects found during an inspection. We are not specialist. I would refer it to licensed contractor specializing in brick. The information about the bricks you added, I Thank you.

I just want tell you that just as important as finding defects it is our wording that athe buyer actually uses. We educate them about the future potential purchase.
Again thank you all
Ed Chatterton

A wider picture of the area would be helpful.

It might be a defect in the firing of that brick or spalled by frost, but it looks like that small area has been repaired and some movement has occurred at that window jamb on the left.
The mortar joints are excessive in size and look fairly freshly done. :slight_smile:

Marcel the bottom had a stucco coat that was separating. The picture shows a broken corner in the stucco the mortar between the bricks was redone 10years ago

Well, we are one step closer to know what happened.

Now is there a bigger picture? :):wink:

No sorry no other pictures from the inspection

How much of the wall had spalling brick? 1% - 5%

My recommendation is to replace the “spalling brick”.

Write a recommendation to have a masonry company evaluate the brick.
Why you throwing the baby out with the bath water?
Why you allowing your client to read the reviews?

Sorry for the edit.

Yes Robert, many products to seal brick.

They have to have vapor permeablity.

Sorry for the edit Marcel.
Yes like a water proofing spray, dam not the right word, BUT it must be the correct product for the brick units.

Marcel; I see to little being explained and a referral that is wrong!.

A professional should evaluate the on going situation/condition and stand on his/her on analyses and make a judgement call.

One learns to create a working hypothesis and refer.

This invitation of having the client read the MB opinions, and just that, vague opinions from what I have read, goes against everything I believe in.
If you can not preform the inspection and narrate condition which means at times refereeing a professional, then educate and wait before you do one more job.

Sorry, just the way I read it.

InterNACHI is not a gateway for clients to review other inspectors opinions.
This will make our association look like a laughing stock.
Inspection over the internet.

Sorry for getting upset.

Ed; Refer this to a professional please.
I feel, and do not take my word on this, you are walking down a slippery slope that can bite you in the rear end.

I do not know one inspector who is not afraid to refer an issue to a professional tradesman, technician, or SE.
I had my say.

Who said anything about clients reading message boards?
I was saying the the way you worded your first response may be read as unclear. I was making an observation. There is no slippery slope. Sorry that is all I have to this issue the report has been written and the issue is resolved. I posted in this forum to learn more and get other nachi Inspectors. Thank you all for your comments. I will not respond to any others on this topic because I do not have any other pictures. I Consider this thread over thank you.

Ed, sorry. I thought I read that.
Please excuse me.
Take no offence.
The post is removed.

I see bricks in pic #1 with a question of the repair process.
I thought I saw you mention stucco to Marcel.
I will review the thread
Sorry.

They are extruded, like spaghetti, and cut to size with a wire.

The potential buyer is not going to read my recommendations without the following please ED.
Read the upper portion please.
You do not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Any professional mason can give an unbiased review.
I do not see much wrong BUT I see very little.

Get up tomorrow and get me some images of all 4 side.
Stand back 20 to 30 feet.
Try to capture all the wall. North South East West.
should take you less than 5 minutes.
Tell the agent you are doing so. get permission as best as you can.
mention nothing other than the client is interested but wishes one request.
Provide professionalism.

Communicate via common email and CC.
or call me or leave me your number and I will call you…

More images are “greatly needed.”
Other than that I ask you to please not include me.
There is too little information.
It would be wrong for me to make an analyses.

Let me add this please.
Do not detract from Bob Elliott’s wonderful working hypothesis.
Bob made very import findings.
Bob narrated everything extremely well. He did a great job.
Some polish and he would narrate in shorter sentences and be precise within a technical.

Call me or leave me your number.

Robert we all read these forums mostly on phone and I myself read ur post incorrectly. This happens I will try to erase my post with the comment but unsure how. I do not post often but I read forum regularly.
Ed

It almost looks as if the brick was cut in half. Lol. Hope not.