Brick houses feel solid and comforting from the way they feel grounded, or the strength they seem to carry. Brick makes old and new houses look great but even the sturdiest homes need a little attention now and then.
You may have noticed a few hairline cracks that weren’t there last year, or a white powdery film starting to show up on the walls. This can also be accompanied by leaking water inside the house after heavy rain.
Many of these issues can be handled without tearing everything apart. With a bit of guidance you can learn to know what to keep and eye on, what’s normal aging, and what calls for real repair. Below are common problems with brick houses and how to fix them.
- Cracks in the Walls
Brick walls aren’t supposed to look perfect forever. Over time, they shift and change just like everything else in a home.
Cracks often show up quietly and slowly, which is why they catch people off guard. But these changes don’t always mean disaster.
What Causes Brick Cracks?
Cracks can come from a few different places. One of the most common reasons is the natural settling of your home’s foundation.
Over time, soil shifts or compacts unevenly under the weight of the structure, which causes movement in the walls. These movements might be subtle, but the bricks and mortar feel every bit of it.
Temperature changes can also play a part. Bricks expand in heat and contract when it gets cold. In regions where the seasons change sharply, this constant movement can add stress to the structure, leaving behind visible cracks.
When You Can Fix It Yourself
Some cracks don’t require much more than a simple repair. If the lines are thin and don’t seem to grow or widen over time, you can often fill them with mortar repair caulk or patching compound.
Make sure the crack isn’t letting in water or air before you call it a finished job. A quick inspection after a rainstorm can help you check for leaks.
Cracks wider than a pencil, ones that form a staircase pattern along the joints, or those that appear suddenly all suggest your home might be shifting more than it should. These situations usually need professional attention.
- Water Leaks
A brick wall might look solid, but it’s not waterproof by nature. Bricks are porous, and so is the mortar that holds them together.
Rain, snow, and even humidity can work their way in if they wear down over time. You might notice signs like damp patches, musty smells near the wall, or white stains that weren’t there before.
How Moisture Makes Its Way Inside
Over the years, weather exposure wears down the protective layer bricks naturally have. Mortar joints start to weaken, and small cracks open up.
These tiny spaces are all water needs to start creeping into the wall. Once moisture gets in, it often stays there, especially in shaded areas that don’t dry out quickly.
If rainwater pools near the base of your house or your gutters overflow, the bricks can stay wet far longer than they should. That constant contact eventually leads to internal dampness, which can spread through insulation and into the interior walls.
Simple Ways to Block Moisture Early
The easiest way to stop moisture is to keep it from getting into the wall in the first place.
- You can start by checking the mortar. If it looks cracked or hollow in places, repointing it with fresh mortar helps seal off those gaps. This not only keeps water out but also restores the strength of the wall.
- You can also apply a breathable sealant designed for masonry. These let moisture escape from inside but prevent new water from soaking in.
If moisture has already gotten into your walls, you may need to take further steps. Brick that stays damp for too long can weaken and start breaking apart and you might also face mold problems inside the home.
In these cases, improving drainage around the property often makes a big difference. Extending downspouts, clearing out gutters, or reshaping the ground around the house can help move water away from your walls.
- Mortar That’s Falling Apart
Mortar doesn’t get much attention when a brick wall is failing because it’s not the part of the wall that catches your eye. However, it is what holds everything together and when it starts to crumble or disappear, your bricks lose the support they need.
You might notice gaps between bricks, sand-like dust at the base of the wall, or joints that seem recessed or hollow when you press on them.
Why Mortar Breaks Down Over Time
Rain, wind, temperature swings, and time all wear on mortar joints. As the years pass, it can start to dry out and weaken, especially in older homes where the original mix wasn’t built to handle today’s weather patterns.
Once mortar begins to erode, the wall starts shifting, loosening the bricks and making space for water and pests. Using the wrong type of mortar can speed up damage.
In some cases, repairs done with modern cement-based mixes on older bricks cause the surrounding material to crack or fail sooner than it should.
Repointing and Tuckpointing
When mortar is just starting to wear down, you can often handle the fix yourself. Mortar repair caulk or pre-mixed patching products are widely available and work well for small cracks or shallow gaps.
When most of the mortar in a section has crumbled or gone missing, you need repointing. This involves removing the old mortar to a certain depth and packing in new material that matches the original in strength and flexibility.
Repointing takes time and care because the wrong mix can do more harm than good, especially in older brick homes. Hiring a mason with experience in matching historical mortar can make a big difference.
- Efflorescence
You might walk outside one morning and see a powdery white layer on your brick wall that wasn’t there the day before. It rubs off easily but keeps coming back.
That’s efflorescence, and while it looks like a cosmetic issue, it usually points to something happening underneath the surface.
What Causes That White Stain to Appear
Efflorescence shows up when water travels through the brick or mortar and dissolves natural salts inside the material. As the water moves outward and evaporates, it pulls those salts to the surface, leaving behind a dusty white coating.
It’s most common in newer walls or recently repaired areas, where excess moisture hasn’t settled out yet. This issue doesn’t happen unless water has a way in.
Cracked mortar, missing sealant, or poor drainage at the base of the wall usually plays a role. Once moisture finds its way inside, it keeps pushing those salts out every time the surface dries.
Cleaning It Off Without Damaging the Wall
This kind of buildup often shows up after rain or during humid seasons. You might notice it more on shaded walls or around spots where bricks look a little damp.
The first instinct is to grab a wire brush or pressure washer, but those can do more harm than good.
- A dry brush or a cloth usually takes off most of the visible powder without grinding it deeper into the surface.
- For stubborn spots, a diluted vinegar and water mix can help break it down gently.
It’s important to test a small area before cleaning the whole wall to avoid leaving behind marks or stains that don’t go away. Once it’s cleaned, check the wall again in a few days to see if the buildup returns.
- Brick Faces That Are Flaking Off
It’s frustrating to walk past a wall and notice the outer layer of your bricks starting to chip away. Maybe it started with just a few flakes, but now there are full corners missing or rough patches where the brick used to feel smooth.
This kind of wear is called spalling, and once it starts, it tends to spread if not addressed. Your bricks shouldn’t feel soft to the touch or break apart easily.
Why Brick Faces Start to Break Down
Moisture is the main reason bricks begin to flake or chip. When water gets into the surface and the temperature drops, that moisture freezes, expands, and puts pressure on the brick from the inside.
Over time, this repeated cycle causes the face of the brick to burst outward or crumble away. Poor drainage around the base of the home, missing mortar, or the wrong kind of sealant can all add to the problem.
In older homes, harder cement mortars that trap moisture can speed up surface damage. Once the outer layer peels off, the rest of the brick is left more exposed and vulnerable.
Replacing Damaged Bricks
If the damage is limited to just a few bricks, they can be carefully removed and replaced without disturbing the rest of the wall. A mason or skilled homeowner can chip out the bad brick, clean the opening, and install a matching replacement with fresh mortar.
You just need to make sure the new bricks match the strength and type of the original. Using a harder or softer brick can throw off the balance of how the wall moves with changes in temperature.
Keeping water out is the best way to stop spalling from getting worse.
- Start by checking for loose mortar, damaged flashing, or places where water tends to collect near the wall.
- In some cases, applying a breathable masonry sealant helps protect the wall without trapping moisture inside.
It’s also worth reviewing how your gutters and downspouts are working.
- Aging Worn Out Brick
After years of weather exposure, brick starts to show its age. The color fades, the texture changes, and the once-sharp lines between bricks begin to blur.
It might not be cracking or falling apart, but it just doesn’t look the way it used to. The wall might feel a little washed out, like it’s lost some of the life it had when it was new.
What Time and Weather Do to Brick Surfaces
Sunlight breaks down pigments in the brick, especially on walls that face south or west.
- Constant exposure to rain and wind slowly eats away at the surface, leaving it rough or pitted.
- In damp climates, moss and mildew can also take hold, staining the brick and making it look older than it really is.
- As mortar joints wear down, the outlines of the bricks lose their definition, which gives the whole wall a softer, sometimes slumped appearance.
Even though the wall may still be strong, it doesn’t feel that way when you look at it.
Simple Fix Solutions
There are ways to give an aging brick wall a second wind without changing its character. A good careful cleaning can remove years of grime.
Using a mild detergent and a soft brush often works better than pressure washing, which can damage the surface. Repointing old mortar, even just in the most worn areas, can sharpen the look of the entire wall.
Fresh mortar not only helps the structure hold up better, it also adds contrast and clean lines that bring out the brick’s natural texture and color. If the surface has eroded badly or the color has become patchy and uneven, you might consider using a limewash or mineral-based stain.
Why Do Bricks Turn White? Causes and Solutions
Bricks are often seen as dependable, and they usually are. But like anything that’s been standing for years, they go through phases where small signs of wear quietly build into larger problems.
That chalky white dust you might see on your walls is a sign that water has found a way in, carried minerals to the surface, and left a trail behind. Efflorescence, for example, might seem harmless at first, but it connects directly to moisture problems that can lead to spalling, crumbling mortar, or foundation concerns later on.
The more familiar you are with signs like these, the easier it becomes to take action early, before a small fix becomes a major repair. Sometimes it’s a matter of sealing up a joint, brushing off some buildup, or keeping water away from the base of the wall.