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Front Home Elevation - Repairing Mortar Cracks

2,353 Views | 7 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by tgivaughn
coastalAg
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AG
My front elevation has stone in addition to the brick and the mortar has cracked in certain places in the stone. My inspector didnt find any foundation or structural issues and thinks these cracks are from normal expansion and contraction.

With the understanding that the color wont match exactly, can I just fill the cracks with fresh mortar? Any other simple recommendations?




JP76
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https://www.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-10-oz-Mortar-Repair/3043222
TexAg1987
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You can repair it, but it will crack again.
You are missing expansion joints.
coastalAg
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AG
JP76 said:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-10-oz-Mortar-Repair/3043222
This looks like the ticket. Thanks.
coastalAg
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TexAg1987 said:

You can repair it, but it will crack again.
You are missing expansion joints.
Fair point. I guess Im ok with that given the thousands it would cost to redo the entire wall.
BrazosDog02
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AG
Expansion joints won't help you. That type of crack will happen no matter what. It's the kind that you either have right now or you will have in the future. There is no world in which they do not occur.
bam02
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Agreed. And to be honest those probably would bother me at all if it were my house. I doubt it's an eyesore to anyone but you.
tgivaughn
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Agree with QUIKRETE
Agree with might happen again,
especially IF all these are near an outside foundation corner.
It is here that tar paper or equal is placed (or in your case missing) on the foundation, under the masonry
so that expansion down the wall allows the end masonry to "slip"/move.
Consequences w/o slip paper include minor cracks such as yours and even the "nose" of the foundation corner to break free/off.

OTHER
a) Plastic shrinkage could be afoot when masonry was laid and the weather vs. mortar mix allowed too fast drying
b) Our reacent kill-everything extreme weather cycles from 15F to summer drought can cause such movement between various materials, even masonry types.
c) The wall ties (studs into masonry joints) may be insufficient, all did not get a good anchor or come loose.
d) Sometimes during the build, enough falling mortar behind the wall can cause havoc in many ways.
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