Understanding the problem
If the bricks in your siding or brick wall are breaking apart, simple patching probably won't work. Any patch material
you apply will just
pop out again unless
you solve the underlying expansion/contraction problem. The bricks in this photo, which are recycled Chicago-commons (a
soft brick used at the turn of the
last century) are cracking because they were set
with one of the newer, nonflexing
Portland cement mortars. The bricks move slightly with changes in weather, but the mortar doesn't.
If you have a problem like this, there are two choices. Either reuse the old bricks but with the
right mortar (lime mortar or lime putty), or rebuild with new bricks.
Pick a brick that's harder and more weather resistant.
