What do I do with crumbling bricks in loft?

[turbojetsilver]

I'd put a 50/50 mix of SBR/water on first (to encourage it to soak in) then slap a second coat on neat.

It will be like milk on the first coat, cream on the second. It will definitely stick everything together.

My guess would be that they were just rubbish bricks, intended for internal use where they were going to be plastered over.

Whether you do or don't put a slurry over it should be decided after the SBR. My bet is it will probably be pretty tough at this point and won't need it, in fact you could create more problems by putting a surface over if this then starts falling off.

But, if you do want to render it then the SBR will be the perfect primer anyway, you've done what anyone rendering a wall should do first anyway.

I've bought some Everbuild 503 SBR and will apply this as you've recommended. If it indeed does hold the wall together completely with no further crumbling then I might just leave it at that because I don't mind what it looks like as long as it stops chucking dust down the loft hatch onto the cream carpet! Will report back with how it goes, cheers!

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

It will look just the same but wet and shiny looking, with a bit of a weird purple tone to it.

Everbuild stuff is absolutely fine, and usually the best price going. Their parent company is Sika, I suspect the Sika branded stuff is exactly the same for a higher price.

 

[foxhole]

Plasterboard also adds a fair bit to the wall and it is already a tight fit getting things up the loft hatch with the great big RSJ in the way!

Per yourself and RrogerD I might give this SBR a go- thanks. Worth noting though that I did already try to use a vaccum it and the vaccum started taking whole chunks out of the crumbling bricks. It's to the point where I reckon some of those spalled bricks could be removed entirely with the vaccum cleaner - and I'm not exxaggerating!


What proportions would you say you used? I assume it must have been thin as anything for the brush marks from application to not be super obvious after painting?

Plasterboard would add around 10mm is that what you consider a fair bit?

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Plasterboard would need plastering, including edge beading around the corners and curves. It's just a loft space! It would be expensive, pointless and way too fragile, absolutely no reason for anyone to think in this direction!