How To Repair Loose Mortar And Fire Bricks In My Fireplace

How to Reset a Loose Brick

Updated: Jun. thirty, 2022

A elementary repair can relieve a whole brick wall

FH01MAY_LOOSBR_01-3 Family Handyman

Learn how to clean, reset and tuckpoint loose bricks. A loose brick can ultimately lead to major problems – even a wall collapse – only the gear up is simple.

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Clean bricks before remortaring

Photo 1: Scrap out one-time mortar

Flake away the former mortar with a cold chisel or flat utility chisel. Concord the chisel at a low angle, work it in under the mortar and hit the chisel with short, low-cal hammer blows. Dust out the cavity using a whisk broom and dampen it with water to improve mortar adhesion.

Photo 2: Clean the brick

Knock the mortar off the erstwhile brick by property the chisel at a high angle and hitting it with rapid, low-cal blows while moving the chisel tip speedily over the surface of the hardened mortar. Clean the brick with a wire brush and rinse it off with water.

Photo 3: Utilize new mortar

Employ a 1/ii-in. layer of mortar to the bottom, both sides of the cavity and the tiptop of the brick. Slide the brick into the cavity.

Photo 4: Indicate the mortar

Pack the mortar oozing from the joints with a brick trowel and iii/8-in. wide pointing tool. Add more mortar by sliding it straight off the trowel and into the joint. Finish the joint surfaces to match the shape of adjacent joints.

When a brick works loose, you can't merely shove mortar in effectually information technology and expect the repair to last. Pull it out and fix it right.

Information technology'll accept you at least 20 minutes to remove a loose brick from a wall and clean off the old mortar from both the wall cavity and brick (Photos 1 and two). If possible, reuse the erstwhile bricks. New brick will never friction match the texture or aged color of the original.

When resetting bricks, follow these guidelines:

Select bagged mortar mix, not sand or physical mix.
Wear safety glasses. Besides wear waterproof gloves; mortar contains alkaline metal chemicals that can burn you.
Add latex additive to the water and mix the mortar in a shallow container (like an quondam dishpan) to the consistency of peanut butter.
Mix modest batches of mortar. Hot, dry weather and direct sunlight can reduce the viable working time of the mortar from 60 minutes to 30.
Immediately clean mortar smears off brick faces using a soft-bristle brush (a wire brush may leave rust marks). If the mortar dries, you'll have to use chemicals to remove it.

Required Tools for this Project

Accept the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—yous'll salve fourth dimension and frustration.

You'll too need a whisk broom, a soft-bristle brush and waterproof gloves.

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials set up alee of fourth dimension. Here'southward a list.

Originally Published: June xx, 2022