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Window Frames and Problems with Brick and Stone Masonry

Window frames create a lot of problems with brick and mortar and stone masonry. Let’s look at a variety of them.

Brick and mortar window sills often have issues with cracked or porous mortar

Porosity in the mortar allows water penetration into the brick masonry and maybe into the building structure.

Porous mortar has been ground out and repointed. We cover repointing or tuck pointing porous and deteriorated mortar here.

Window Frames protrude into the plane of the brick cladding and create hard points which constrain the movement of the brick. This constraining creates differential movement and potential cracks. We cover what causes cracking brick and mortar in detail here.

Cracking Brick in a stairstep fashion is caused by irreversible brick expansion by moisture absorption. Our content on why bricks crack helps explain this natural force.

Repairs to mortar have been made and an expansion joint has been added to absorb any future movement of the brick. We discuss expansion joints here.

Windows also create cracking and porosity problems because window frames and brick have different rates of expansion by temperature and other natural forces acting on them.

Mortar is not flexible and will crack often at junctures between different building materials. Mortar also does not bond well to plastic or a smooth painted surface. The next two images illustrate this problem

You can see the crack above between mortar and the window frame. Wind driven rain could conceivably penetrate into the building structure through such a crack.

Here the crack mortar has been ground out and the joint rebuilt with an elastomeric sealant.

Lintels supporting the brick over window spans are also a source of brick masonry issues.

The problem here is a gap between lintel and the underlying brick. A Brick Doctor mason is going to solve this porosity problem with a horizontal expansion joint.

The white cord here is a bond breaker to allow the elastomeric to create a unbounded hinge between the steel lintel and the the brick masonry.

The elastomeric sealant has been placed over the bond breaker and the joint is in the process of being tooled for proper bonding.

Expansion joint is complete. The elastomeric has been covered with sand to match the existing and not ruin the appearance of the wall. More info on expansion joint here. Details about proper brick and mortar matching here.

Here is a beautiful window frame where a defective lintel has allowed the cast stone to rotate forward and break the bonding between cast stone and the brick wall. The result looks dangerous

You might also see the crack in the vertical mortar joint along the right edge of the window. Differential movement between brick and the window frame has fractured the mortar.

Lintel has been replaced and the cast stone resecured to the wall.

Repairs are complete. And you can see the new expansion joint along the right edge of the window.

How Can We Help You with Porosity Problems around Your Windows Surrounded with Brick and Mortar Cladding?

Over the years, Brick Doctor has done just about everything when it comes to repairing and restoring the porous and deteriorated joints between windows and brick. We know what we are doing. Let us know if we can help you.

Don’t take our word for it. (Check out our 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 windows and 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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