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Corner Cracks and Corner Pops in Brick Masonry- a Closer Look

We will look in more detail at these two brick and mortar cracking phenomena because they so often sojourn together.

We will look at corner pops first.

We have images of several corner pops on this page. They look so different because of the materials unique reaction to stress beyond material yield, but they are all a cosmetic problem and not a serious structural failure of your foundation.

Corner Pops are a result of a lazy builder. Let us explain.

Cracking at a building slab foundation corner is caused by the expansion of the brick at a corner (all brick undergo irreversible moisture expansion – more details here) while concrete slabs cure by hydration which causes concrete to shrink.

Conscientious builders therefore separate these two materials with a bond breaker, like black plastic, to reduce friction and tension between the foundation and the brick supported by it.

Sometimes builders get in a big hurry and do not carefully extend the black plastic over the corners as they should, so the expanding brick and mortar push outward, and with no bond breaker, get a purchase on the slab, popping off a corner of the foundation… hence the name, corner pop. ​

Corners pops are a cosmetic problem not a structural issue and are easily repaired.

There are stable and reliable solutions to cracking of brick and mortar in your home.

Cracking issues can be prevented with proper placement of expansion and control joints, while brick cracks are being repaired. We go into detail with movable joints which absorb movement instead of the brick and mortar moving and being stressed.

And, of course, corner pops are repaired with a layer of bond breaker in the process to prevent further friction and popping.

Let’s take a look at corner cracking now

Corner cracks result from irreversible moisture expansion in bricks. The particular design of your home- long walls or location of windows and door and garages, create constraint on brick creating differential movement which thus stresses the brick and mortar which results in cracking. We discuss the natural forces which stress brick in detail here. You might have missed that on your journey through our website.

Bricks start expanding after coming out of the kiln for several years due to to irreversible moisture absorption. Long brick wall sections lengthen and push on the intersecting wall which often produces a brick and mortar crack as illustrated above.

Brick masonry walls as they grow in length from irreversible moisture expansion are susceptible to cracking where they intersect at outside corners. These cracks appear at the head joint which is the name of the outside vertical mortar joint on the end of the wall. Image courtesy of Brick Institute of America.

And, of course, brick corner cracks can be caused by a combination of stresses…

A possible combination of building corner stress and a mortar cold joint cracking from stress created around the hard point of the garage opening created this jagged crack.

Cracked Mortar replaced & expansion joint added to absorb movement in the building corner.

How Can We Help You with Concerns about Corner Pops or Cracked Building Corners?

Over the years, Brick Doctor has done just about everything when it comes to repairing and restoring corner pops and wall cracks at building corners. We know what we are doing. Let us know if we can help you.

Don’t take our word for it. (Check out our testimonials and reviews). And, even better, ask a neighbor for a recommendation. We have done tens of thousands of projects all over the DFW Metroplex since 1986, including for some of your neighbors.

Have any particular questions or concerns about brick or stone or mortar at your home? We can help.

Brick Doctor is always ready to answer your questions, address your concerns or provide an estimate for repairs designed for the scope of your needs.

We look forward to assisting you. Reach out today. Contact us

972-234-0900
817-540-1800
info@brickdoctor.com

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