DIY Network

Replacing a Damaged Brick From "Complete Fix-It" episode CFI-107

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Before chipping out the old brick, break up the mortar using a diamond-tipped grinder. When you apply the new mortar, make sure it mounds up slightly higher than the old mortar line. You want some of it to be squeezed out when the new brick is put in place. The secret to a nice mortar joint is extra mortar, pushed into the space with a jointer: too much is better than too little. Neatness doesn't count! Then, when the mortar will accept a thumbprint, run the jointer along it to smooth it out. Finally, simply wipe off the excess.

Note: Illustration A, Illustration B, Illustration C, available using

Chipping Out a Brick

1. Chip the brick out of the wall using a cold chisel and a small sledgehammer ( illustration A, click above to view) or a ball-peen hammer.

2. First break the mortar around the brick, then break the brick into pieces small enough to be removed with a pry bar or the end of the chisel.

3. Buy a replacement brick from a masonry supply center. If necessary, take a piece of the old brick to find a match.

1. Chip away any old mortar. Wet the cavity thoroughly.

2. Mix a batch of mortar and use a pointing trowel to spread a 3/4-inch layer on the bottom and sides of the opening (illustration B, click above to view).

3. Also "butter" the top of the brick with a 3/4-inch-thick layer of mortar (illustration C, click above to view).

1. Place the brick on a mason's hawk or the back of a trowel, and slide it into the opening until the brick face is flush with the surrounding surface.

2. If necessary, tap the brick in with the handle of the trowel.

3. If mortar does not squeeze out from around the brick, the joint is too thin; remove the brick, add mortar, and reinsert it.

4. Scrape away excess mortar with the edge of the trowel. Strike and smooth the joints.

5. Wait 30 minutes or until the mortar has set just enough to hold a thumbprint.

6. Using a jointer with a shape that matches the original joints, "strike" the joints: Press them to form a watertight seal. Strike the vertical joints first, then the horizontal joints. Wet the jointer with clean water and drag it smoothly, leaving a concave impression.

7. Use the edge of a pointing trowel to scrape off excess mortar forced out of the joints by the pressure of the jointer.

8. Using a wet piece of burlap or rough cloth, wipe mortar off the brick face. Allow the new mortar to cure, keeping it damp for at least three days: Mist the surface occasionally with a garden hose or, in hot weather, use duct tape to hang a wet cloth on the surface and moisten the cloth periodically.

Note: To order the new HGTV's Complete Fix-It book, see Resources, below.

Illustrations (Copyright) Time-Life Books 2000.

RESOURCES :

HGTV's Complete Fix-It
Author: HGTV