Front Porch Brick Repair: What You Need to Know

Your front porch is the entryway into your home, so naturally you want it to be inviting. But if you have structural damage to your front porch, it’s going to be an eyesore. If you live in the Midwest, then most likely you battle have cracks, mortar crumbling, or missing bricks due to Mother Nature’s freezing and thawing.

Don’t you think it’s time to fix the damage? Here’s what you need to know when it comes to repairing the bricks on your front porch.

Removing brick
If you want to try to repair your front porch on your own, you need to start by removing the loose brick. Depending on the condition, you may not need any more than a pry bar.

Structural compromise
Oftentimes, the damage that you see is just the tip of the iceberg. So it’s important to check and see if your underlying issue may extend to the structure, like a support wall or cement block. If so, we recommend you bring in the masonry experts. (Even if you don’t have structural damage, we’re still happy to help.)

If your front porch damage hasn’t compromised your structure, continue removing the loose bricks. As you go, we recommend cleaning off the old mortar and stacking the bricks off to one side for later use.

Preventative work
One thing you need to keep in mind as you work on your front porch is that repaired brickwork can suck up moisture from the ground. To combat this, we suggest digging a 2-foot deep trench and filling it with crushed stone.

You also want to make sure that you have a solid connection to your support wall. Every few feet, nail a metal brick tie to the wall.

At this point, you’re ready to reinstall your old brick. Start at the ledge in the support wall. When you get to a tie, just bend up the end and rest the brick on the top. Cover it with mortar, and you’re good to go.

If you have any questions or need help with your front porch brick repair, call B+E. We’ll be happy to come out and assess your damage with a free quote.