Question: Good evening, Sir. What a great opportunity you provide to us readers, the ability to learn through your experience and sharing information, so that we have the confidence to try DIY. Thank you.
My question may have been answered previously, but I am a newer follower and not quite sure how to locate past information. With that said, I hope you are willing to cover the topic again, if it is a duplicate: There are columns outside my home, which are covered in brick. Unfortunately, some of the bricks have come loose and/or have fallen off.
Luckily, they are intact still, so can be reused. My problem, though, is not knowing the proper method to reinstall them properly, so that we aren’t dealing with this issue time and again. Are you able to help with this, please? Thank you so much.
— Eric J.
Answer: Eric, not a problem at all, just a bit of labor and materials for you. First, acquire quick-set mortar from a big box store. Take the loose and fallen bricks, clean them of all previous adhesives and soak them in water. Soaking them allows them to not absorb the new adhesive quite so fast.
Mix the quick-set per instructions and apply to the side of the brick that will be attached to the pillar. Allow these to dry, then add mortar in between the bricks, to finish off the job. This should take care of the problem; you may want to keep extra supplies on hand for future repairs. Best of luck.
Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].
