Cracked Brick and Foundation Failure
If you have noticed cracks in the brick or stone masonry siding on your home and it was not recently struck by a runaway automobile, you can be fairly sure that you have had some foundation movement.
Foundation movement does not always mean that the foundation should immediately be repaired. It could simply mean that you need improve on your maintenance program. You do have a maintenance program, don't you? No? Read my article on Foundation Maintenance Programs.
Getting back to the cracks in your brick. You must understand that bricks are very brittle and a small amount of movement can cause hairline cracking. It is cracks become more pronounced that cause the most concern.
Expansion Joints
Depending on the age of your home you may or may not have expansion joints in your brick siding. These serve the same function as the expansion joints in your sidewalks and driveway. Anything as brittle as brick needs to have some wiggle room, this helps to keep hairline cracked from forming
Masonry Contractors
A good masonry contractor can repair the cracks in the brick and match the existing mortar well enough that unless you know where the repairs are, you cannot find them. Your masonry contractor can also install expansion joints at strategic locations around your home. It is usually best to install them on one side of a window. The window can actually act as part of the expansion joint.
If your movement is minimal this will sometimes solve your problem. Sometimes you will need to repair the foundation. In all cases you should be diligent about performing preventive maintenance to keep cracks from reappearing. You may want to read my article on Preventive Maintenance.
The problem is that it is difficult to know exactly what steps to take. Your brick contractor wants to sell brick repair and get paid, your foundation contractor wants you to choose foundation repair. How do you choose what to do? That is the difficult part.
Taking Your Chances
If you do the brick repair and there is more movement then you will have to pay to have it repaired again. Most masonry contractors will not provide a warranty against re-cracking. On the one hand you lose money if you are forced to redo the brick repair and on the other hand doing foundation repair when your do not need it costs you money too.
Conclusion
It is sometimes hard to choose the right path, sometimes it helps to bring in a third party, someone who is an expert in both areas to help you make your decision. It is unfortunate but you could end up losing money either way you go.
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