Key considerations for masonry rehabilitation

Cracked or crumbling masonry can lead to water infiltrating a building. Once water finds its way inside, you can end up dealing with wet floors, mold, damaged sheet rock and paint, and stained ceiling tiles.

Visible damage to the exterior masonry or water damage to interior surfaces not only creates costly maintenance issues, but it can also impact how employees and customers perceive your company. If you don’t take care of the physical building, it can reflect on how you might take care of customers as well.

Fix little problems before they become big problems

Anytime two pieces of masonry come together, there’s a joint. In most cases, the material that seals those joints isn’t designed to last more than about five years. As the seals deteriorate, they allow water to seep into cracks and work its way into the interior of your building.

Spalling, where small pieces of masonry break off, can also occur over time due to damage from the sun, wind, and rain. Falling pieces of masonry create a safety hazard in addition to impacting the look of your building.

The best approach to masonry rehabilitation is to regularly inspect the entire surface and fix small problems before they become major problems.

Match grout or other seals for a uniform look

When it comes to repairing masonry, it’s important to properly match the grout or seal color when doing repairs. A building where grout repairs are an entirely different color advertises the fact that you have problems with the masonry. While it’s good that you have fixed them, it’s better to ensure they blend aesthetically to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the repairs.

Experienced masons understand the different types of mortar that can be used for different applications, as well as the process required to test different grout mixtures to ensure a good match to the existing color. Color matching can take a little extra time to test how different grouts will look when completely dry, but it’s worth the additional effort for repairs that blend in with the existing surface.

If you need help repairing cracked or crumbling masonry or regularly inspecting your masonry to prevent problems, call us. We would be happy to help.