Avoiding Brick Blunders And Breakdowns

Tips for navigating brick restoration

I wrote this post to share what I learned after multiple mishaps with bricks. Although brick repair and maintenance can be routine, if the mason or materials are wrong, things can go very badly. Here’s what to know and what you should watch out for.

Bacon’s Castle is the oldest brick dwelling in North America and was built for Arthur Allen and his family in 1665. Photo via Mostly Dross.

The oldest brick home in America is now over 350 years old. Brick is an extremely durable material, and brick buildings can last 100 years or longer.¹ The nice thing about brick is that it mellows with age and gets better-looking over time. However, brick requires maintenance as exposure to moisture, rain, and sunlight will cause wear and tear. Usually this means a yearly cleaning and repointing every few decades in order to maintain its look and function.

Over the years, I’ve had my fair share of issues with bricks being removed and gaps being left unfilled or improperly filled, the consequences of which were so severe that they caused structural issues. The vast majority of homeowners will not deal with serious issues like I have, but even regular maintenance can go wrong if it’s not done correctly. If you want your bricks to last without problems, you can’t abuse them.