Outer Brick Leaf Replacement - Implications & Cost?

[machineage]

Hi all

I'm about to start work extending / making changes to my bungalow. It was built in 1980 - and one elevation was built with new bricks at the time - the other elevations were formed from an existing building dating back to the '20's.

The new brick elevation was painted before I bought the house - and upon removing the paint I have uncovered the probable reason it was painted in the first place. See HERE for the story.

I am now wondering about the implications & cost of replacing the outer leaf for all the reasons I mention in the thread above - in addition to the fact the newer bricks really clash with the old ones. I would say it's in the order of 800 or so bricks of standard (215x65mm) size. A new exterior door is also to be inserted into this elevation which could be done at the same time.

Anyone have any thoughts / rough idea of cost?

Thanks!

 

[machineage]

I'm wondering if I should have posted here all along re: my dilemma? Anyway I am still in a quandary - and I wondered if anyone could advise regarding two scenarios.

Please have a look HERE for the story and the two possible avenues I have decided upon.

Many thanks

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

Have you investigated sandblasting to make the surface of the "new" bricks more even? this will also strip the paint! Try and get a contractor to do a sample in an inconspicous place. Its a really dusty/dirty procedure, but quick.
Frank

 

[ree]

Strip what paint? The paint has already been removed.

OP, The last thing you want to do to any brickwork or stone is to sandblast it. Sandblasting is a very last resort.

What is meant by "making the surface of the "new" bricks more even"?
To sandblast down to the depth of the chips would be to remove the face of all those bricks - to deliberately spall them.

OP, why dont you post a pic of the full brick panel in question, and show an outline of the proposed doorway on it. Perhaps dismantling the panel, and reversing the bricks is the way to go.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

I would describe the bricks as being dark red and glossy with non glossy light red blemishes. It could be if they were light red and non glossy, the blemishes would not show as much.
Frank

 

[machineage]

Hi - thanks for the replies

Maybe I should reiterate here what I have posted before - this includes an image of the problem wall and an update at the foot of the post including a plan drawing to highlight the walls:

Well I finally got around to removing the masonry paint on my bungalow which was built in 1980 (I really dislike painted brickwork!).

Anyway - it has indeed exposed the probable reason the bricks were painted in the first place. I thought it was due to the large 'spots' left by the cavity wall insulation drilling which was installed before my time here - however it seems the bricks have in fact spalled in places - mostly around the edges.

Upon closer inspection of the painted wall - I can indeed see many bricks which have similar damage.

I'm in a real dilemma now as to what to do

Any thoughts / ideas?

Here's the wall I just stripped of paint

Untitled

• machineage
• 16 Jul 2014
• 2

Here's a close-up of the typical damage

Untitled

• machineage
• 16 Jul 2014
• 2

A couple of pictures of one wall yet to be stripped - with damage lying beneath the paint

Untitled

• machineage
• 16 Jul 2014
• 2

Untitled

• machineage
• 16 Jul 2014
• 2

POST 2:

The chimney is built from the same bricks - and several of them have the faces completely blown off. Considering the bungalow is only 34 years old - I suspect these are just crap quality bricks. My worry is that now I am stripping the paint off - they will continue to deteriorate.

It wouldn't look so bad if the bricks were multi facing bricks which would disguise the chips. Them being a solid colour makes it all the more obvious.

They actually cover just one elevation of the house - the other elevations being incorporated into what was an existing building dating from the '20s. Those are traditional multi bricks which look much more appealing.

I am seriously considering having the outer leaf replaced to match the older walls - save for the fact the bricks are of differing sizes and the upheaval / expense...

POST 3:

I am actually extending the bungalow and moving a few things around (bricking up a window - creating a new door opening etc).

My first job was to be rid of the paint - which has thrown up this dilemma.

Here is the 9 metre stretch of painted wall. There is another 1 metre painted stretch not picture here (the one I have been stripping). In the widest section of this wall a new door is to be inserted.

Untitled

• machineage
• 18 Jul 2014
• 2

Here is what the other walls look like for the original older structure - and form the remaining three elevations - quite a contrast! These are imperial bricks

Untitled

• machineage
• 18 Jul 2014
• 2

So I am pondering the situation if I retain the bricks: stripping the paint (there's no way it's staying!) leaving me with chipped / spalled / poor quality facing bricks - having to find matching bricks for the extension / to replace the very badly damaged bricks (including those which have been damaged by the cavity wall insulation drilling) - matching the pointing - the possibility of continued deterioration of the bricks once stripped of paint.

Or - I replace the entire outer leaf with bricks more closely matched to those of the older structure / remaining three elevations. It would save me having to strip the paint from this wall - and the new door could be inserted during the process.

I am wondering what the cost would be to replace the outer leaf - and how difficult a job it would be. The outer leaf is non-load-bearing save for supporting the windows (the trussed roof is supported on the inner leaf). Maybe a question for the building section of the forum?!

POST 4:

This is a dilemma I am still yet to resolve...

Could anyone give me an idea of the cost comparison for two scenarios:

1) Replace the 1980s metric brick outer leaf of the painted elevation shown above which incorporates three windows & will have a new door opening fitted. The bricks would be as close a match as possible to the older unpainted imperial multi-bricks shown above which form the remaining elevations. Also build the new extension with newly acquired matching bricks for the outer leaf (block inner leaf).

2) Leave the outer painted leaf in situ and apply render board and finish with modern acrylic / polymer coloured render. Build new extension with block outer leaf & finish with the same render system.

Just down the road from me a house has been renovated and new garden walls erected. The garden walls were built from concrete block to which I thought 'they're never just gonna paint that are they?!' Anyway over a couple of days the guys fixed panels to the walls & front elevation of the house - and finished it by troweling on some form of roughcast finish which appeared to be in powdered form?

Anyway the end result looks good - and I thought - 'maybe that's the answer to my dilemma'... I would prefer a brick finish and do away with these awful quality / poorly matched bricks - but I fear the cost and improbability of finding a suitable metric match are against me.



FOLLOW UP:
Here's a basic plan drawing of the house - sorry for the poor quality but the forum software wouldn't allow anything better

The modern metric bricks which have been painted are highlighted in blue. I have stripped one section of this wall as detailed above with images and noted in the plan drawing. I have also noted the new entrance to be inserted into this wall. There are two walls to be constructed - highlighted in red / hashed. All of the other elevations & walls including the boundary walls are constructed from the old imperial bricks pictured in a previous post above. These have not been painted.

Untitled

• machineage
• 2 Feb 2015
• 1

I have always read that taking the face off bricks by sandblasting or by equally deleterious methods is to be avoided at all costs. I have stripped the wall section using a SARA stripper which leaves the brick faces intact.

 

[machineage]

OK - I have come up with another solution and one which I quite like the idea of if it would be deemed acceptable - brick slips!

The walls highlighted in blue above are formed from dot / dab plasterboard - thermalite block inner leaf - 50mm cavity with blown knauf wool insulation - brick outer leaf.

Would these walls be suitable for an exterior insulation & brick slip installation?

I am wondering about the cavity wall insulation already in situ - and the possibility of interstitial condensation or other issues by using two layers of insulation at two points within the wall structure...

Again many thanks for any advice