Spalding White Brick on a country house
Spalding white brick on a country road – that’s the problem. It’s a house that grew from a blacksmith’s outbuilding, into about 3000 finished interior sq ft. In my book it couldn’t have a better site, on a dirt road with mature maples, a big pond and the sound of birds. The problem? The lower part of the house is veneered in a white brick, “enamelled” cement bricks, that have been shedding their facades over the years. The house is otherwise made of traditional materials, cedar clapboard painted white. There is bluestone used in walkways and stoops. My question- what is a good permanent way to fix the problem? Remove the spalding veneer and replace with fieldstone veneer? replace with stucco? Cover the spalding brick with stucco (is that possible without inviting disaster?) It’s my house and it’s a problem to be tackled this Spring. Anybody got a suggestion?
Replies
U had the brick repointed within past few years?
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
I actually had the front porch brick removed and replaced by a mason. The front porch has a bluestone floor and I failed to waterproof it one year, then the brick began to rapidly deteriorate. This brick is not really the best choice for the house in looks, stucco or fieldstone would be better and at this point, (no pun intended) I'm looking to change it to one of those.
You mean spalting, don't you? Faces popping off due to moisture or thermal expansion. The clay used for the bricks is where the problem lies, just like my house. My bricks are red/orange and pretty lightweight with the biggest problem on the west face of the house. Very brittle.
yes, I sure do. Any suggestions?
I have heard that sealing the brick after a long dry spell can help but don't have anything first-hand.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I think you both mean "spalling".
right you are
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Yeah, you're right. For some reason, it sounded right at the time. DOH!!!
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Well, it was kind of picky of me, (and my spelling is really bad) but.... I think there may be a word "spalting" or "spaulting" that is when wood gets a fungus and it colors it and makes it sort of porous. Woodworkers prize spaulted maple and so on.
The bad thing is that I know what spalting is and it never occurred to me that my correction was wrong. Also, I first learned about spalling about thirty years ago. YIKES!
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Thats age man! You start second guessing stuff that you never used to first guess!
I saw the post in the list, thought he left out the "u" and might be talking about a baseball glove or tennis racket!
I never second-guesses it at all. I was just wrong. Might be because I went out last night and erased third grade. :-{)
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Hmmm... third grade, that may have been erased some time ago I'm not sure!
Was that when we learned......yep, must have been erased!
I was out in the hallway for most of third grade for being bad. Most everyone else supposedly learned Michigan history that year. No big loss.
It's me again - you know, the one with the spalted, spalled, spalded or otherwise broken white brick house. Yes, you guys are onto the problem - the house has this white brick veneer on just the LOWER portion, and water is likely getting in from above. Now, the white brick's gotta go - even if it was in good condition, and truth be told it mostly is, the lady of the house says she hates it. so- what to do? The local masons are more interested in building new spec houses nearer the city, it seems. is there a national or NE regional company that's got a good stucco product?
Take this as a starting place for discussion - none of it for certain because I am not a mason and not familiar with that product but there are certain principles that apply to all masonry.
Spalting is generally caused by moisture from the back side of the material ( interior) finding its way to the outside. It is probably getting as far as the porcelan surface where it locks up until it freezes and that action blows the surface off.
There can be a number of reasons why that moisture is there to begin with.
Mayeb no weepholes were left when the work was done long ago, or maybe they got closed in via more recent work or a rising elevation of the lanscaping. Any masonry will let rain water get in on the wind. Weep holes must be there to let it out again . If there is water being trapped, the spalting may be the least of your problems. Mold could be having a party in the walls also.
Another source for moisture could be simple migration from the interior, depenmding on what and whether you have for insulation and vapor barrier and ventilation.
Or it could simply be wicking water up from the ground.
It sounds like uit is far gone enough to warrant at least an exploratory invasion of the veneer in a spot or two to see exactly what is going on before you make full-fledged plans. probably an upgrade to a quality brick or stone veneer is in your future, but make sure that it is done right, with weeps and tarpaper behind it.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
You hit the nail on the head with your analysis, but I think his water source may be higher.
He indicated that only the lower portion is brick, with painted white cedar clapboard above it. Most likely the water is entering somewhere in the clapboard and the brick interupts whatever drainage plane may or maynot be there. With the age of the house and it evolved from an old blacksmith shop, you can bet there may be multiole issue in addition to the brick.
Dave