the gable end of my property is starting to show wearing to brickwork,should i get them replaced or rendered?

Question

the gable end of my property is starting to show wearing to brickwork,the actual bricks have started to crumble and are allowing water to penetrate through to my internal wall.i have had two builders round to my house,one say replace the bricks from £1000,another one says put water seal into concrete and get it rendered for £800,im now stuck to what to do,i believe the bricks are knackered,so would it be best replacing the bricks or to have all my gable wall rendered,any help would be appericated.thanks

Answer 1

Whatever you do, don't have it rendered. I'm a surveyor, and I can guarantee that it will create more problems than it will solve; the only time I would ever consider rendering a property would be to a non-traditional construction house (ie, concrete,steel etc), and even then it should include insulation. What almost always happens over a period of time is that sulphates from the brickwork start to eat into the render, causing it to delaminate. Then it starts to crack, which allows rainwater to penetrate, which not only worsens the cracking, it also gets trapped between the render and brick surface, with the end result that it soaks through the brickwork and manifests itself on the internal wall as dampness. So once the render has started to allow rainwater to penetrate it will all need to be hacked off and redone. A further disadvantage to having your gable rendered is that disreputable builders and homeowners often use rendering to disguise structural defects, and this is a trick that any building surveyor worth his salt will be wise to. Whenever I carry out a homebuyer's survey or other building inspection, I always flag up a rendered gable end as cause for concern, and advise clients to either walk away or use it as a tool to negotiate the price down.
If the brickwork isn't too badly spalled then I would suggest repointing and an application of a masonry sealant. If the brickwork is very badly worn, then consider having the outer leaf of brickwork taken down and rebuilt. This will be obviously the most costly option, but it will give you the added benefit of new wall ties, and you will recoup the outlay in the added equity to your home.

Answer 2

hi,
i would get it rendered, repointing isnt a good job if your bricks are crumbling.To replace the whole gable end sounds like a big job if you ask me.
I recomend you get it rendered with a nice wet dash with a lot of water proofer in the mix providing that it isnt crumbling down arround you. The plaster will hold the couple of broken bricks together and seal it to stop damp
Now you can get a silicone based mix known as k-rend which will completly seal your building and will stick to even smooth brickwork to prevent you scudding the house first.
Check it out on the internet though a search engine to see if it is stocked locally.
But at the end of the day the decision is up to you. I cant see the building, but thats what i would do. good luck

Answer 3

the property is obviously old check first with council if you are allowed to render the gable ..will be very expensive if you render it and then reinstate it ..water seal works for a while but is not a long term solution ..remember your house is your most expensive possession and you don't want to devalue it ..a lot of Victorian bricks are laid in lime mortar and are easily removed ..most can be turned round and relaid ..you can buy bricks new which have a weathered look ..i would recommend that you do stick with brickwork ..it will be easier to sell at a later date .

Answer 4

I have a builder right now at my property and he is ding a similar job but just pointing mine a lot cheaper but without seeing the actual state of your brick work rendering will be like putting on a smart dress without any good foundation underware get some more quotes before you decide though

Answer 5

replace the damaged brickwork and dont cover the problem do it right and save money in the long run

Answer 6

i have to agree with john j above,rendering with plenty of waterproofer will solve any problem with a aged wall

Answer 7

K Rend Problems

Answer 8

How the hell do we know what state it's in or what it looks like and above all do we care?
It's your money you do what you need to do
Please stop putting silly questions on here because we just don't give a f**k OK

Answer 9

have them cut out and replaced...good luck matching them , tho...