In a masonry wall, the mortar that binds the bricks or stones provides both the cohesion and the watertightness of the whole. Over time, this mortar can crumble, hollow out and disintegrate, leaving open, powdery joints.
Common causes
freeze-thaw cycles that attack an already porous mortar, natural aging, original mortar of poor quality or unsuitable composition, repeated water infiltration, or movement of the wall that stresses the joints. Walls exposed to the weather and poorly protected at the top (capping) deteriorate faster.
Signs to watch for
hollowed, powdery or missing joints, mortar that comes away with a finger or a pointer, bricks that move or sound hollow, associated efflorescence, mortar fragments at the base of the wall.
Why you should not ignore it
disintegrated joints open the way to water, which enters the wall, accelerates the deterioration of the bricks (frost, spalling) and can reach the structure or the interior. The masonry also loses cohesion. Preventive repointing, done in time, generally costs far less than a full rebuild, which makes tracking the condition of the joints especially worthwhile.
What a professional assessment reveals
Deteriorated mortar joints let water into the masonry, where it freezes and degrades it from within. An assessment gauges the extent of the damage and the risk to the wall, to tell simple repointing apart from a deeper problem, a finding from a pre-purchase inspection.
Vous soupconnez ce probleme dans un batiment ?
Une inspection le confirme, le documente et le chiffre, pour decider en connaissance de cause.
Inspection preachat Bilan de sante du batiment (BCA) Demander une soumission
