[Appelation Controlee]

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

Thanks.

[JimK[_2_]]

On 13 May, 15:08, Appelation Controlee wrote:
There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

Thanks.

assuming you need to preserve the brick can you glue something to it
and wiiggle it back/out? - fix it with no-more-nails or similar??

Cheers
JimK

[Tim Watts]

On 13/05/10 15:08, Appelation Controlee wrote:

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

Thanks.

Assuming it can't fall down the cavity, put one or two screws into it
from the front. The holes can be filled and a little of the brick dust
to you keep from the drilling can be dusted onto the wet mortar to
disguise the holes.

--
Tim Watts

Hung parliament? Rather have a hanged parliament.

[Andrew Gabriel]

In article ,
Appelation Controlee writes:

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

That looks like a pile of bricks, not a wall.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

[Toby]

"Appelation Controlee" wrote in message
.. .

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how
to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

Thanks.

Is that a wall of your HOUSE?

Can you take a picture further back, showing the whole wall?

I have never seen a wall bulit with so little morter!

[Paul Herber]

On Thu, 13 May 2010 15:08:54 +0100, Appelation Controlee wrote:


There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

vacuum cleaner

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

There is the proof that the mortar is there to hold the bricks apart (by 1mm), not to
stick them together.



--
Regards, Paul Herber, Sandrila Ltd.
http://www.sandrila.co.uk/

[Bruce[_8_]]

On Thu, 13 May 2010 15:08:54 +0100, Appelation Controlee
wrote:

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv


The smooth face suggests Lancashire (Accrington) or similar brick to
me. That means that you should be able to pull it out using one or
preferably two small suction cups. Liberally wet them (and the brick)
with Fairy liquid, and Bob's your uncle.

[dennis@home]

"Appelation Controlee" wrote in message
.. .

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how
to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

Cut a couple of strips out of a bean tin and bend the ends over a bit.
Slip in and hook the brick out.
Wear gloves.

Thanks.

[Bruce[_8_]]

On Thu, 13 May 2010 18:20:25 +0100, Cicero
wrote:

They're probably 'Accrington Nori (Iron)' bricks


Funny, that, because I posted the same information 18 minutes before
you did. ;-)

[Appelation Controlee]

On Thu, 13 May 2010 15:08:54 +0100, Appelation Controlee wrote:

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure how to
go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and the
brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with next-to-nothing
to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

Thanks to all for the practical suggestions - yes, the bricks are
Accrington ("Acky" being the term used by the guy who fitted our new
windows).
I'm thinking of using urethane foam to bed the brick once I manoeuver it
into position, before "dressing" the pointing gap.

[js.b1]

Empty frogs :-)

[clot]

Appelation Controlee wrote:
There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure
how to go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and
the brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with
next-to-nothing to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

I'm puzzled as to why that brick is loose?
Was it like that before you moved into the house?
Have you caused the damage to the bottom RH corner of the brick and adjacent
bricks in trying to rectify the situation?
Were/ are there any services in the inner leaf that corresponds to that
location? TV socket, water services, electrical?
I note also that the frogs seem to have free bits of mortar.

Surely there has been human intervention to cause the current state?

Might be worth considering these aspects and following the good advice from
others, remove the brick to inspect.

Has the house got cavity wall insulation? Has a previous owner had
insulation blown in and not wanting the brickwork damaged, had bricks
removed at suitable intervals to have the insulation blown in. All others
having been re-mortared and this one forgotten?

Interesting.

[Appelation Controlee]

On Thu, 13 May 2010 23:18:10 +0100, Clot wrote:

Appelation Controlee wrote:
There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls, and I'm not sure
how to go about sorting it out.
Mortar lines are very slim, so there's not much space to operate, and
the brick has slid back a little, into the cavity space, with
next-to-nothing to get hold of.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this?

The offending item can be seen he http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

I'm puzzled as to why that brick is loose?

Me too - it's in a sheltered corner where it's not readily visible.

Was it like that before you moved into the house?

Must have been, but it was much later when I noticed it.

Have you caused the damage to the bottom RH corner of the brick and adjacent
bricks in trying to rectify the situation?

No - having noticed the problem, I've been trying to think what could be
done about it.

Were/ are there any services in the inner leaf that corresponds to that
location? TV socket, water services, electrical?

None.

I note also that the frogs seem to have free bits of mortar.

Surely there has been human intervention to cause the current state?

I agree - it's difficult to think how it might have otherwise occured.

Might be worth considering these aspects and following the good advice from
others, remove the brick to inspect.

I'll be doing that.

Has the house got cavity wall insulation? Has a previous owner had
insulation blown in and not wanting the brickwork damaged, had bricks
removed at suitable intervals to have the insulation blown in. All others
having been re-mortared and this one forgotten?

No, there's no cavity wall insulation.

Interesting.

Yes. Thanks for your thoughts. :-)

[Weatherlawyer]

On 13 May, 22:18, "Clot" wrote:
Appelation Controlee wrote:

There's a brick adrift in one of our outside walls,
The offending item can be seen he *http://bit.ly/bw3Guv

I'm puzzled as to why that brick is loose

Clot, you can see that the three bricks have been jabbed at.

They used soft mortar on those hard bricks. Lime and sand usually. And
since there is so little of it, the brick just gave in and the project
was suspended by the look of things.

There would be just enough mortar left to make retrieval difficult for
someone so stupid as to hit it with a chisel hoping to put a wire or a
pipe in there.

AC, if all the above suggestions fail, put an old saw in there to chop
up any mortar that is frustrating things. It should then slide out on
the blade.

Since it is a sheltered spot, why not just leave it alone?

[Appelation Controlee]

On Tue, 18 May 2010 19:24:44 -0700 (PDT), Weatherlawyer wrote:

-----------------8
Since it is a sheltered spot, why not just leave it alone?

Good advice, I guess, but we intend selling soon so it might attract
unwelcome, and disproportionate, attention.