But if water is unable to enter the brick in the first place by water-proofing, then why would bricks need to dry out?
Dry out from what?
But if water is unable to enter the brick in the first place by water-proofing, then why would bricks need to dry out?
Dry out from what?
From inside the chimney and you also get sulfuric acid from burning fuel .
Warm smoke expands the Brick and drives in the moisture cooking after fire goes out also sucks in more moisture.
Chimney cap extending out over Chimney with a drip edge is a huge help,
…Cookie
Now if a chimney has so much condensation from interior issues (rain drops, sulfuric acid accumulation) and these bricks need to wick all the way to the opposite side of the brick (without drying out on its own), then you’ve got some serious issues inside that chimney.
This might help shed some light on the subject.
How Brick Crumbles
Brick is amazingly durable and an excellent insulator, which is why it’s so widely used and has been for centuries.
Older brick homes usually feature solid brick construction. Most modern brick homes, however, are made with brick veneers. These surfaces give the appearance of solid brick at a lower cost.
Both solid brick and brick veneer is applied with mortar, which is cement, sand, and lime mixed together with water. Both substances are solid yet porous, with mortar being more so. In wet climates, and especially climates that experience extreme temperature swings, water-repellant coatings are sometimes applied to brick buildings to preserve their finish.
Both types of brickwork can deteriorate for a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s just one thing that causes the problem; other times it’s a number of things that come together to create havoc.
Spalling describes brick that is shedding its topmost layer.
Spalling happens when moisture inside the brick expands and contracts due to temperature changes. It causes brick to lose its topmost layer. It is more of a problem in climates with temperature extremes, and especially in areas where there are repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Spalling can also indicate mortar that is too dense or too high in cement content. Mortar should never be denser than the brick it holds in place, but it definitely can be.
When it is, it’s stiffer than the brick that it surrounds, and it won’t allow the bricks to expand as much as they need to when they get wet. Because of this, stress builds up inside the brick because the mortar doesn’t let the moisture escape to the surface of the brick where it can evaporate. Instead, the surface cracks off due to the pressure.
Properly installed and maintained brick is less likely to develop spalling. That said, about the only way to fix spalling when it happens is to replace the affected bricks with salvage or replica pieces. Depending on the extent of the damage, it might be possible to remove individual bricks, clean them, and put them back into place with the undamaged side facing out.
For more extensive damage, painting the brick or applying a breathable, water-repellent coating might slow down additional deterioration.
Cracks
Cracks in brickwork are pretty common and can happen either along mortar joints or in the bricks themselves. Typically, they’re caused by things like structural movement, construction defects, temperature and moisture extremes, mortar problems and/or erosion, and tree roots growing too close to foundations. If you see cracks in mortar, these factors are most likely to blame.
Cracks in bricks, however, can indicate more serious problems, such as unstable soil, uneven weight distribution, and foundation problems.
Brick veneer sidings typically will develop cracks along mortar joints. Very rarely do the bricks in these surfaces crack.
Hope this helps.
Marcel
This happens all the time with every fire .
…Cookie
I understood this was a common problem up north. Brick chimneys were the main problem. As I heard it explained, bricks on the main house structure normally kept from freezing by the warm room somewhere behind the brick (even if behind insulation and wall structure). However, bricks in the chimney, especially the upper, fully exposed portion of the chimney, are GOING to reach freezing temperature throughout during cold weather. So if any water has entered the brick, which is typically going to happen at some point in the brick’s age, it then freezes and the brick spalls.
Knew of people removing chimneys and replacing chimney exterior with siding to avoid this. Other options were attempting to waterproof the exterior of the bricks, insuring a good, wide rain cap, and crossing your fingers. Even on 20 year new brick, it was pretty common.
That is a very good site for fast reference indeed.
One of the biggest issues with chimneys is lack of a proper chimney cap.
Here is an example of what happens over the years without one.
;)
The bricks have been painted reducing the longevity. The masonry bedding will degrade very fast if the area is prone to wet damp conditions.
Bricks and all cement, masonry product has to breath.
IE: be able to dry out once they have retained moisture.
That is common spalling.
I bet the crown is cracked or no crown at all. It was flanched, cement is tapered from 4 inches high at the liners to 0 at the lead edge of the brick so the water run away from the top of the chimneys brick courses.
I prefer crown.
You are pointing out a mith.
A brick with solid reputation will last 100 years.
Maintenance is the issue with all systems in a residential building Mr.Johnson.
Most brick problems are from masonry bedding degrading leaving a bricks exposure open to weather.
There are many brick types and all do not work with every type of finish jointing.
Concave, convex, struck, weather, flush, raker, etc.
Each finish or jointing is particular to the brick being applied.
You have southern brick styles and brick that are bylawed in the province of Quebec where I live and learned about the trade.
It was done again in the early 1980’s to prevent the mixing of materials. They had adverse affects in Quebec along with a host of other product.
The maintenance for this is called tuck-pointing or brick pointing.
The first 32second of an inch is the water proof side of a clay brick.
If weather is absorbed by the masonry unit and many freeze cycle occur before proper maintenance you will have spalling and masonry bedding will degrade.
Hope that helped a bit.
I have the same truck Mr.Cyr.
I will send you photos of crown form.
I have not forgot.
I have pictures now and have to create a index or materials of how to make one.
I have never even thought the process out but in my head as I look for materials and building on the job.
That reminds me of the Citadel Brick Robert. Nice looking brick and very absorbent.
Was not a good brick to use in the summer. Mortar dried to quick.