House bricks 'splitting'?

ally18

Hi,

Last week I noticed some bits of brick on the floor outside my house. They look like they have come away from the house directly below the eaves above a window. I can clearly see the bricks where the 'front' or 'side' is missing so it looks like these bricks have split.

Can someone tell me what causes this and is it likely to be a serious problem? The rest of the side of the house looks ok apart from a couple of other areas but these above the window look quite bad. This is all before the temperature dropped as well.

Thanks

System

could be that water has got into the bricks and then frozen (the expansion will cause some splitting)
but then again, if they are right under the eaves they shouldn't be getting wet!

UncleZen

Sorry, I misread your post. Yes when the face comes off its caused by the freeze-thaw process.
panic over.

phill99

UncleZen wrote: »

Subsidence is a possibility.
If the crack splits the brick, its very bad, if the crack follows the mortar, its less bad, but still....bad.

This is a brilliant forum. It allows people with zero knowledge to pass their mis-informed opinion and thus cause the OP paranoia.

It isn't subsidence.

If the face of the brick has pulled away it is casused by (as the_r_sole) suggests freeze thaw action.

Its often an indicator that some repointing is necessary as the top of the brick that is normally covered by the pointing mortar is exposed, moisture sits on it, is absorbed just behind the face of the brick. The water then expands as it freezes in the cold weather over a period of time. thius constant expansion and contraction of water causes the face of the brick to pop off.

Check your pointing, and ideally, get the damaged bricks replaced.

quietheart

phill99 wrote: »

This is a brilliant forum. It allows people with zero knowledge to pass their mis-informed opinion and thus cause the OP paranoia.

It isn't subsidence.
n and contraction of water causes the face of the brick to pop off.

Check your pointing, and ideally, get the damaged bricks replaced.

love your post (as someone who has nearly had a nervous breakdown because of plaster cracks being diagnosed on mse as housefallingdownitis)

Doozergirl

Phill99 is right, it's called 'spalling'.

DTDfanBoy

If it happened as the OP states "This is all before the temperature dropped as well." it's highly unlikely to be spalling, especially when you consider the position of the brickwork in question.

I'd be grabbing my ladder and having a closer look at the area in question, even if you don't have a ladder check the corners of the window frame, both internal and external, for any signs of cracking. It would also pay to have a look in the loft around that general area for any signs of movement.

tony6403

Had this type of problem with some Hepworth Class B engineering bricks (normally for drains but on this occasion used as facings ) - they fell apart after about three years for no obvious reason.
The company sent out a rep. who took away some damaged bricks. Turned out that one pack had not been fired properly. Hepworth repaired the damaged bricks.

ally18

Hi,

Thank you all for your replies.

The house was built in 1930 so the bricks are old so it isn't a manufacturing problem, it must be as some people have said the frost has got into them. I can't access the loft as it is a loft extension and unfortunately, I don't have a ladder so it looks like I will have to get someone in to look at them. All the affected bricks are laid end ways to the wall and there is just a line of them directly above the bathroom window as a kind of lintel?

Can you advise, do they need replacing immediately or would it be ok to leave them until after winter?

Thanks again for all your help.

phill99

Leave them until after the winter. They won't get worse, your house won't fall down and no kittens will die as a result.

Meepster

phill99 wrote: »

Leave them until after the winter. They won't get worse, your house won't fall down and no kittens will die as a result.

LMAO Love it...