Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the 60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside walls.Anyone know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin

"penfold" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the
60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think
could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside walls.Anyone
know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin



Frost damage is caused usually by moisture in the bricks freezing and
thus expanding and exfoliating the outer layers. Silicone treatments
are supposed to prevent the water penetrating, so the theory is
feasible. However, where is the damage? If it is below the damp proof
course, then the likelyhood is that the wrong sort of bricks were
used.

AWEM

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...

"penfold" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the
60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think
could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside walls.Anyone
know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin



Frost damage is caused usually by moisture in the bricks freezing and
thus expanding and exfoliating the outer layers. Silicone treatments
are supposed to prevent the water penetrating, so the theory is
feasible. However, where is the damage? If it is below the damp proof
course, then the likelyhood is that the wrong sort of bricks were
used.

AWEM



Thanks for the reply.
They are fairly low down so it is possible.
If this is the case what is the course of action?

Colin.

"penfold" wrote in message
...

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in
message
...

"penfold" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the
60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think
could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside
walls.Anyone
know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin



Frost damage is caused usually by moisture in the bricks freezing
and
thus expanding and exfoliating the outer layers. Silicone
treatments
are supposed to prevent the water penetrating, so the theory is
feasible. However, where is the damage? If it is below the damp
proof
course, then the likelyhood is that the wrong sort of bricks were
used.

AWEM



Thanks for the reply.
They are fairly low down so it is possible.
If this is the case what is the course of action?

Colin.



One often sees a vertical cement render plinth fitted to cover the
damage. On one of my houses it had such a plinth comprising a sandwich
of slate with cement either side. I would be concerned about bridging
the damp proof course.

Below dpc less porous bricks should be used.

AWEM

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...

"penfold" wrote in message
...

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in
message
...

"penfold" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the
60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think
could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside
walls.Anyone
know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin



Frost damage is caused usually by moisture in the bricks freezing
and
thus expanding and exfoliating the outer layers. Silicone
treatments
are supposed to prevent the water penetrating, so the theory is
feasible. However, where is the damage? If it is below the damp
proof
course, then the likelyhood is that the wrong sort of bricks were
used.

AWEM



Thanks for the reply.
They are fairly low down so it is possible.
If this is the case what is the course of action?

Colin.



One often sees a vertical cement render plinth fitted to cover the
damage. On one of my houses it had such a plinth comprising a sandwich
of slate with cement either side. I would be concerned about bridging
the damp proof course.

Below dpc less porous bricks should be used.

AWEM



It seems to be the same bricks above and below the dpc. Would it be possible
to add some sealant to the bricks below the dpc as a preventative measure?

On Tue, 6 Mar 2007 11:12:54 -0000, "penfold"
wrote:


"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...

"penfold" wrote in message
...

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in
message
...

"penfold" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the
60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think
could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside
walls.Anyone
know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin



Frost damage is caused usually by moisture in the bricks freezing
and
thus expanding and exfoliating the outer layers. Silicone
treatments
are supposed to prevent the water penetrating, so the theory is
feasible. However, where is the damage? If it is below the damp
proof
course, then the likelyhood is that the wrong sort of bricks were
used.

AWEM



Thanks for the reply.
They are fairly low down so it is possible.
If this is the case what is the course of action?

Colin.



One often sees a vertical cement render plinth fitted to cover the
damage. On one of my houses it had such a plinth comprising a sandwich
of slate with cement either side. I would be concerned about bridging
the damp proof course.

Below dpc less porous bricks should be used.

AWEM



It seems to be the same bricks above and below the dpc. Would it be possible
to add some sealant to the bricks below the dpc as a preventative measure?

I'm not convinced that would work cos lots of the damp in the below
dpc bricks will be migrating from the ground rather than falling
directly onto the face of the brick. A French drain would keep the
bricks drier and also helps to stop water splashing onto the wall

Anna

--
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repair and conservation
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

penfold wrote:

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the 60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside walls.Anyone know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

I would be wary about adding impermeable coatings like this until you
are sure of the source of the moisture - you may in fact make matters
worse. What type of wall is it, solid or cavity? It could be a simple as
someone having repointed with an inappropriate mortar in the past.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
penfold wrote:

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the 60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside walls.Anyone know
of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

I would be wary about adding impermeable coatings like this until you are
sure of the source of the moisture - you may in fact make matters worse.
What type of wall is it, solid or cavity? It could be a simple as someone
having repointed with an inappropriate mortar in the past.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/



Hi John,

Its a cavity wall. So yes Im not sure for definate what this is a symptom
of,
could be damp or frost. Is there an obvious way of telling? (apart from the
obvious
of feeling the bricks to see if they are damp).

Colin.

On 6 Mar, 09:50, "penfold" wrote:

Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the 60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside walls.Anyone know of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin

a waterproof coating would prevent evaporation, thus worsening things
considerably.

A French drain gives more brick surface area exposed to air, thus more
evaporation, thus lower water content. But for all I know it might be
just a case of lowering ground levels a bit. Ground should be at least
6" below floor level. Or removing rubbish etc that keeps sun and wind
off the brickwork.


NT

wrote in message
ups.com...
On 6 Mar, 09:50, "penfold" wrote:

Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the 60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside walls.Anyone know
of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin

a waterproof coating would prevent evaporation, thus worsening things
considerably.

A French drain gives more brick surface area exposed to air, thus more
evaporation, thus lower water content. But for all I know it might be
just a case of lowering ground levels a bit. Ground should be at least
6" below floor level. Or removing rubbish etc that keeps sun and wind
off the brickwork.


NT


Hi,

Thanks for the response. The offending brickwork in question is along the
side of
the house next to a tarmac drive, so I think putting in a French drain might
be
tricky. Its only seems to be a few random bricks around the wall not an
entire area
which I why I thought it may not be simply damp, although they are all
towards the
bottom of the wall.

Colin.

"penfold" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
On 6 Mar, 09:50, "penfold" wrote:

Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the
60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think
could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside
walls.Anyone know
of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin

a waterproof coating would prevent evaporation, thus worsening
things
considerably.

A French drain gives more brick surface area exposed to air, thus
more
evaporation, thus lower water content. But for all I know it might
be
just a case of lowering ground levels a bit. Ground should be at
least
6" below floor level. Or removing rubbish etc that keeps sun and
wind
off the brickwork.


NT


Hi,

Thanks for the response. The offending brickwork in question is
along the
side of
the house next to a tarmac drive, so I think putting in a French
drain might
be
tricky. Its only seems to be a few random bricks around the wall not
an
entire area
which I why I thought it may not be simply damp, although they are
all
towards the
bottom of the wall.

Colin.



Chop them out and replace them if it is only a few. It may simply be
variation in the bricks firing when made

AWEM

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...

"penfold" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
On 6 Mar, 09:50, "penfold" wrote:

Hi all,

I have recently moved into a newly aquired property, built in the
60's.
The brickwork seems to be a bit crumbly in places which I think
could
be symptoms of frost damage(?) I believe this can be prevented by
painting some sort of silicone sealant onto the outside
walls.Anyone know
of
such a probuct and/or where to get it?

Thanks in advance.

Colin

a waterproof coating would prevent evaporation, thus worsening
things
considerably.

A French drain gives more brick surface area exposed to air, thus
more
evaporation, thus lower water content. But for all I know it might
be
just a case of lowering ground levels a bit. Ground should be at
least
6" below floor level. Or removing rubbish etc that keeps sun and
wind
off the brickwork.


NT


Hi,

Thanks for the response. The offending brickwork in question is
along the
side of
the house next to a tarmac drive, so I think putting in a French
drain might
be
tricky. Its only seems to be a few random bricks around the wall not
an
entire area
which I why I thought it may not be simply damp, although they are
all
towards the
bottom of the wall.

Colin.



Chop them out and replace them if it is only a few. It may simply be
variation in the bricks firing when made

AWEM




That had occured to me. As I understand it you can't mix and match different
brick types
due to expansion etc, is that correct? If thats the case is there an easy
way to determine the
type of bricks used in a wall?

Thanks again.

Colin.

penfold wrote:

tricky. Its only seems to be a few random bricks around the wall not an
entire area
which I why I thought it may not be simply damp, although they are all
towards the

Your property may be too new for this to be a consideration, but the
other one to watch for is where the bricks are soft and the place was
built with a lime mortar. The mortar is softer than the brick and
accommodates a small amount of movement for expansion etc. Also much of
the evaporation will occur from the more permeable mortar rather than
the brick. This all works fine until someone repoints a bit of it with a
hard cement based mortar which is harder than the brick. Any evaporation
now has to occur from the brick surface (meaning it stays wetter for
longer and is more susceptible to frost damage), you will sometimes get
more white salt deposits on the bricks, and any movement or expansion is
not tolerated. Nett result is one good frost and the front of the brick
spalls off.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:07:43 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

penfold wrote:

tricky. Its only seems to be a few random bricks around the wall not an
entire area
which I why I thought it may not be simply damp, although they are all
towards the

I'd lay bets that you are getting splashing on the wall as rain
bounces back from the tarmac pavemnet. That would account for only
occasional bricks being affected and mostly low down

You can solve this problem by laying astroturf on the path

Anna
--
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repair and conservation
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

"Anna Kettle" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:07:43 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

penfold wrote:

tricky. Its only seems to be a few random bricks around the wall not an
entire area
which I why I thought it may not be simply damp, although they are all
towards the

I'd lay bets that you are getting splashing on the wall as rain
bounces back from the tarmac pavemnet. That would account for only
occasional bricks being affected and mostly low down

You can solve this problem by laying astroturf on the path

Anna


Thats certainly possbible although the offending wall is under a carport and
semi sheltered.
Its more possible at the moment since the recent high winds have reomoved
half of it....

On Wed, 7 Mar 2007 17:38:44 -0000, "penfold"
wrote:


"Anna Kettle" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:07:43 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

penfold wrote:

tricky. Its only seems to be a few random bricks around the wall not an
entire area
which I why I thought it may not be simply damp, although they are all
towards the

I'd lay bets that you are getting splashing on the wall as rain
bounces back from the tarmac pavemnet. That would account for only
occasional bricks being affected and mostly low down

You can solve this problem by laying astroturf on the path

Anna


Thats certainly possbible although the offending wall is under a carport and
semi sheltered.
Its more possible at the moment since the recent high winds have reomoved
half of it....

A rethink then ... Has the carport been there since the 60s too? Could
it be old damage?

Anna
--
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repair and conservation
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642