A variety of materials are used in construction. One of the most popular is brick. Walls made of this material are durable, resistant to aggressive environments. However, the brick eventually becomes unusable. In the presence of repairable damage, repair or restoration of the brickwork of the outer walls is carried out. Let's take a closer look at what it is.
General information
Restoration of old brickwork includes a complex of various activities. First of all, an assessment of the condition and quality of the wall is carried out. After that, cleaning is performed, the removal of crumbled elements. The next step is the preparation of restoration solutions and filling them with voids.
In practice, it often happens that in a building one brick wall is damaged, while the rest remain intact. In such situations, demolishing the entire building is impractical. It is much more economical to carry out the restoration of brickmasonry. Rates per m2 vary depending on the severity of the damage, the age of the building itself, and other factors.
Causes of destruction
Violation of the structural solidity of brick walls is caused by various circumstances. The main cause of destruction is the shrinkage of the structure. A year or two after the erection, the structure shrinks. Accordingly, the restoration of the brickwork of the new building will be required in any case.
Walls put some pressure on the foundation. This causes its deformation over time, which, in turn, negatively affects the condition of the base: a crack occurs. She goes higher, destroying the wall.
Weather conditions are of no small importance. With constant exposure to precipitation, a small crack increases in size.
Another cause of destruction is wall deflection. It occurs as a result of increased pressure of the ceilings and vaults of the building. In such a situation, experts recommend first determining the exact cause of the damage, and then deciding whether it is necessary to restore the brickwork. The price per m2 of wall can reach a significant size. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the economic feasibility of restoration work.
Counter drilling
Among all methods of brickwork restoration, this method is considered the most reliable and cheapest.
Restoring the wall is as follows. At a certain level, a chain or in a checkerboard pattern at a given distance are madeholes. In thick walls, they are drilled on both sides opposite each other. The holes are filled with a hydrophobic solution (in liquid or cream form). Mineral slurry is added to restore masonry static.
Partial analysis
As the name implies, this brickwork restoration technology involves the dismantling of the damaged section of the wall. Waterproofing is laid in it and closed with new bricks.
The disadvantage of this method is the high cost and waste of material.
Microwave Drying
A microwave field is created in the wall using an autonomous electrical system. It provides the conversion of moisture into steam, which exits through the capillaries. Different-pole electrodes are introduced into the wall and the ground, to which current is supplied.
This method allows you to remove excess moisture from the masonry and prevent further destruction.
Saw method
This method of brickwork restoration is considered the most expensive. Its essence is as follows.
Masonry is sawn horizontally. The resulting opening is filled with waterproofing material, and the gaps are filled with mineral suspensions that help restore the static masonry.
The disadvantage of this method is the frequent incompatibility of suspensions with old masonry. This leads to stratification of the compositions.
Laboratory studies
This stage is one of the mandatory steps in the process of brickwork restoration.
For analysis from differentsections of the wall are sampled. They are examined for the presence of sulfates, nitrates, moisture and s alts.
It is not always possible to detect water in the masonry capillaries by visual examination. Samples from at least three sites are required for laboratory testing. They are studied and the percentage of water in each is established, then the results are compared. If the indicators are high, a cutoff is made.
S alt content is studied in a similar way. If their high content is detected, measures are taken to eliminate their negative impact on the wall.
In addition to superficial cleaning, cupping is also performed. It involves the conversion of s alts into an insoluble form. In this case, a special chemical treatment is carried out. It allows you to stop the hygroscopic swelling of s alt, which prevents it from reaching the surface of the masonry and destroying the wall.
If salinity is very high, light porous solutions are used. The compositions are applied directly to the masonry. Their task is to draw out s alts, after which the solutions are knocked off the wall and thrown away. Then do repeated laboratory tests. If the s alt content has not decreased enough, the solution is applied again. If their number has decreased, they proceed to the next stage of recovery.
Injection
It is carried out during the restoration of seams in brickwork. Injection is carried out with mineral, epoxy or polyurethane compounds that do not allow moisture to pass through. The choice of a particular composition is influencedmasonry condition, load and humidity.
The most suitable for recovery are organosilicon mixtures. Kerosene or white spirit is used as a solvent.
The crack is plugged, the composition is injected under pressure. Solutions are viscous and penetrate small cracks.
To prevent delamination of the composition, fine sand is added to it. Otherwise, only the liquid component will penetrate into the depth of the crack, and the base will remain at the top.
Important points
Sometimes, when restoring, you need to save old materials, for example, if you are working with historical masonry. In such cases, weak points must be identified already during a visual inspection. After that, the degree of strength of the materials is determined by the laboratory method. With a low index, the wall is strengthened with solutions containing silicon.
Brick is restored with the help of restoration mortars, and seams - with special seams. In terms of strength, grain size and color, they must match the samples. The necessary parameters are determined in laboratory studies.
Solutions
There are three types of restorative and suture compounds:
- Based on lime.
- Cement containing.
- Acrylic.
The choice of a particular mortar is influenced by the strength of the masonry, as well as the requirements that apply to the object.
Epoxy and polyurethane are rarely used in practiceformulations. Lime mixed with sand is used to restore the walls of old buildings. If in such a masonry there are seams and bricks of different colors, color imitation is allowed. For this, azures with the addition of dyes are used.
Modern technologies make it possible to restore masonry for at least 10 years. Creamy or liquid water repellents based on silane-siloxane are used as preservatives. Silicone compounds and siliconates are less commonly used. Creamy water repellents are considered the most effective.
Do-it-yourself brickwork restoration
To restore the surface you will need the following tools:
- Drill.
- Punch.
- Chisel.
- Hammer.
- Trowel.
- Metal brush.
Before starting work, you need to fix the wall.
The do-it-yourself brickwork restoration technology is as follows.
Bricks to be removed and adjacent seams are cut using a drill with a special nozzle.
Joints along the perimeter of the destroyed brick are knocked down with a hammer and a chisel. In this case, you should act carefully so as not to damage neighboring whole masonry elements. They must be carefully cleaned of the old solution. Pre-bricks are wetted with water.
Next, prepare the solution. An additive is added for a better grip. You can also add color if needed.
The mortar should be laid out on all sides of the hole formed from the removed bricks. The composition layer is notless than 2 cm. Whole bricks are soaked in water, smeared with mortar from all contact parts. They are inserted in place of removed damaged elements.
To shrink them into the holes, they are lightly tapped with a trowel handle.
Stands and other fasteners can be removed after completion of work.
Brickwork Restoration: Prices
Today, many companies offer their services in the field of repair. Their cost, of course, differs in each region.
As a rule, companies offer comprehensive services for structural bonding of cracks, reinforcement of masonry, cut-off device. Their cost is formed from the price of work and materials. The first, in turn, depends on the volume and complexity of restoration measures. The cost of the material is calculated based on its quantity and unit price, including delivery to the site.
Currently, in most cases, an injectable (injected) composition is used for restoration. His choice is determined by the goals of recovery, the degree of complexity of the problem. The more pores and cracks in the masonry, the more material and working time are naturally needed.
In addition, the formation of the cost of work is influenced by factors such as:
- The need to reinforce the masonry.
- Working conditions.
- Building height.
- Need to heat work area.
- Remoteness of the object.
- Delivery requiredrestorative material from another region (on order).
- Additional costs (transport costs, etc.).
In St. Petersburg, for example, the average prices for restoration activities are as follows:
| Types of work | Unit measurements | Price (RUB) |
| Strengthening masonry by injection | m2 | 6600 |
| Anti-capillary (cut-off) waterproofing device | m. p. | 3600 |
| Applying a 3 cm layer of sanitizing plaster | m2 | 850 |
|
Preparatory work:
|
m2 | 750 |
| Injection | kg dry mortar | 30 |
| Filling cracks with restoration mortar | m2 | 3500 |
| High Precision Cementing | ||
| Preparatory work (cleaning, dusting, degreasing) | m2 | 200 |
| Cementing | kg dry mortar | 30 |
As you can see, the cost of the entire complex of works can be quite high. At the same time, additional costs may be required for laboratory tests.
In case of significant damage to the masonry, it is better to turn to professionals. If the cracks are small, then it is quite possible to cope on their own. This, however, does not apply to buildings with historical masonry. The fact is that for its restoration it is necessary to have certain experience and knowledge. In addition, laboratory research is indispensable.
