the fine art of brickwork - Cracked Brickwork

Cracked Brickwork
Brickwork repair

[@davedavids2231]

such an amazing bricklayer truly skilled craftsman. been bricklaying for 12 years never seen anyone like you rob

[@tanyaroyredcar]

So glad that we have followed you. Rob, you are a very professional tradesman generally, not just a very competent bricklayer. This work is quite stunning and streets ahead of most of the repairs that are seen. Thank You! R & T.

[@robsonger1]

thank you, please keep watching.

[@johndaniells4440]

Amazing repair job Rob. You'd never know you'd been once complete, which I suppose is the desired outcome on this sort of job. Top draw mate.

[@66journeyman]

That is dam good repair. I’ve been in this game nearly 40 years and there’s not many like you Rob👍🏻

[@MMGJ10]

It's amazing that you only have 66k subs. I believe you are the best bricky I've ever seen. You take whatever time is necessary to get the job done correctly and your skills are top notch. I've been laying brick for about 20 years now and have worked with probably a thousand bricklayer. Cheers man

[@paulashford4155]

As a non bricklayer, it looked daunting job. Nicely done and informative.

[@Kushert]

You are a true professional

[@jeward88]

Fantastic work Rob. Clearly whoever repointed isn't aware that mix can't be stronger than brick being used. Looks brilliant 👌🏼

[@stevensdbuild9524]

Beautiful work as ever Rob! You are an inspiration!

[@robsonger1]

Thank you Steven

[@louf7178]

Would never have believed that was salvageable (especially at that quality of repair).

[@dolf92]

Excellent repair, The neighbour repair wont and will crack again. You need to go back to good solid bricks. All your work Rob is excellent from a retired brick. Keep up the good work. Manny

[@robsonger1]

thank you very much Manny,

[@charlesdickinson8494]

A true professional. It’s a pleasure watching you

[@philnewman1110]

Made me laugh regarding the neighbour repairing there side! Excellent video, well done!!

[@garethhope1]

Great work Rob. A class tradesman at work!

[@criartoros]

Wow you saved that house. Brilliant work

[@thecorbies]

Amazing work and results there Rob. Never heard of heli bar before but looks useful. Brilliant that you had the neighbours for comparison. I know which I'd rather have. Regards Mark in the UK

[@robsonger1]

thank you Mark, and thank you for watching

[@fabiandegussion5134]

Rob great work. That type soft brick would look absolutely lovely Tuck pointed.

[@robsonger1]

Tuck Pointing, such a brilliant technique. Please have a look at a great website of a man I worked alongside for a short while. Colin Gladstone Tuck Pointer. His skills are completely another level.

[@bretleversha]

Impressive work Rob, well done

[@extde]

Cool. Huge repair work. Nice result.

[@senorstronk]

nice work

[@markdwyer100]

Fantastic job nice save on the house

[@tomsmith9185]

Quality job! Great to see you using a type of lime rather than cement!

[@robsonger1]

thank you

[@MrRobinlowe]

Loved it nicely done.

[@zombiejonathan7171]

Good work rob keep the videos coming ! As a young brickie I love to learn stuff off brickies like yourself. Can you please do a video on mitre corners on letterboxes or mitre window sills ? Thanks

[@stevejohnson6111]

My dad was in the trade over 50 years, apart from his military service in WW2 and around late 60s early 70s my dad, and most of his colleagues would always put a shot of Squeazy, a well known brand of washing up liquid at that time, into the compo mix every mix. The thought was at the time was it made it easier to trowel but unbeknown to them it spelt disaster. The chemicals in the squeazy reacted with the cement and eventually broke down the bonding leaving just powder

[@robsonger1]

yes, I've seen that myself in some peoples work, but not recently. Lime is the best admix, with just a hint of plasticiser

[@stevejohnson6111]

@@robsonger1 is that what they used to call 'flemish bond' stretcher, stretcher, header.?

[@oldmanfromyork]

Don't underestimate how hard this type of work is.. Got to be very careful to not damage surrounding bricks or loosen them as it can become a bugger. Quality video rob.

[@robsonger1]

thank you again. Keep watching as I have a good few in the prep stages. I'll be up north in about a month, Lancashire...lets have a pint

[@oldmanfromyork]

@@robsonger1 Thats bloody miles away! Im way over in York. You are the man though, a real inspiration. When i was learning bricklaying ( already 12 years as a spread) your videos were so useful. Thank you.

[@robsonger1]

miles away??? I've got to drive nearly 6 hours to get there...but the ale is worth it...Pride or Pendle, the best ale in the world

[@oldmanfromyork]

@@robsonger1 Lancashire west coast, York east coast! Besides im not a good drinking buddy.. As i hardly ever drink, and when i do its wine.. I blame all the working abroad in Puglia. Was rebuilding chimney stacks and it was 31c... At 7am only 2 weeks ago. 😓

[@robsonger1]

I wish I could send pictures, I've just been doing stack repairs again, they are so common. As I was working I had to call on a nearby neighbour who's stack has a huge lean on it. people never look up.

[@chrisclarkson4844]

Cracking job mate ;)

[@anewcareerinanewtown]

Excellent work

[@robsonger1]

What's you new career and in which town?

[@anewcareerinanewtown]

@@robsonger1 Rob it's just a reference to a song. I've just realised I should have got you in for my latest job which I've done myself - crack stitching - cracks all over an alcove wall. I'm over in Stoke.

[@scienceexperimentsforhomee261]

Did you work out the reason for the cracking occurring in the first place? Will it crack again? Was there any internal cracking? ps I'm a structural engineer!

[@JohnnyMotel99]

That's how it should be done! Nice finish. Not a lot of tradesmen would make a bother to match the mortars.

[@amkwisme8843]

Absolutely lovely.

[@robsonger1]

thank you

[@golfinguna]

It is unfortunately a problem that has been about for many years. Amateurs pointing lime sand work with sand and cement. Nice video.

[@george7844]

Great job ! Must big up the neighbors for watching learning and avin ago not a bad effort if he ain't a bricky ! Just acid wash required lol

[@george7844]

@captain planet yeah that was my job odd brick here and their I eventually learnt the drier the mortar the less likely you are to smear it everywhere lol especially on blues and red engineers I hate those things lol

[@andytraverse]

or maybe the neighbours side will just crack again after a while.

[@piee683]

Tidy work

[@40ymasprobandoapps33]

Woow! Excellent job Rob. I thought it would be very difficult to repair the wall.

[@robsonger1]

thank you!

[@johnsomerset1510]

Good video and great repair work EXTERNALLY but what about the mess on the INSIDE of this sold wall?

[@welshbrickie]

very neat job matey

[@robsonger1]

thank you, and thanks for watching. more on their way

[@simonfredrick3029]

Did you use a cement lime mix or just lime? I have used heli-bars a few times now and so far they have prevented any further cracking.

[@robsonger1]

It was a 1:1:6 (OPC, hydrated lime, sand)

[@Beardmondy67]

.. Superb work, Rob,..

[@chungbui1802]

Great. How would you tackle it on the third floor property. I see big gap between the front and side wall. Scary stuff.

[@richardsinclair9449]

That was brilliant and I did not know of the heli bar

[@suckers0]

You mention sand and cement is too strong for soft bricks. Did you just add lime to the sand/cement or is this an all lime/sand mortar?

[@robsonger1]

yes, hydrated lime was added to grey cement to make the joint slightly softer and also to get the best colour match possible. Please watch the video "Mortars" which explains a little better the different mixes. thank you so much for watching.

[@andytraverse]

if house was built with lime mortar I would of used lime mortar perhaps hydraulic lime NHL 3.5 (no cement)

[@richpurnell6520]

Hydrated lime does nothing but make the cement more pliable when mixing.

[@andytraverse]

Darren Kemp adding hydrated lime to cement is a completely different thing to using Hydraulic lime mortars, or lime putty mortars, both of which were used for building before portland cement came along.

[@james20620]

Good job well done👍

[@ericherrera5392]

Hello I am curious how much you charge for work like this. I am in the buisness of foundation repair and see stuff like this a lot. Great work as well!

[@tuckpoint2]

Awsome work

[@robsonger1]

thank you, and check out Colin Gladtsone's website, Colin Gladstone Tuck Pointer.....his work is awesome.

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

Where did you get the HeliBars from? It's a UK based product . Excellent workmanship!

[@reneejuhl524]

I laughed so hard! I wish they would have explained how to match the color because it's wet when you mix it and a totally different color when it dries. Great stuff.

[@kierenboimufc5940]

Renee Juhl test some

[@atheeqfiaz181]

How much does it cost for this kind of repair

[@craftpromasonry7234]

love the video. What software did you use to create this video?

[@philb8654]

Very nice work

[@kierenboimufc5940]

Rob also sand cement mortar is wrong of 9inch walls as damp gets in and can’t breathe through the lime mortar as cement point is stopping it then people complain when they get damp inside

[@Elfin4]

So how will lime stop damp ?

[@jpabmx]

Great repair! What type of mortar mix did you use? Lime? Any portland? What's your ratio for a structural repair like that?

[@robsonger1]

it was a 1:3 hydraulic lime to match the existing mortar

[@jpabmx]

@@robsonger1 very nice!!

[@michaelstevens3479]

Lets suppose that it is not a continuous footing, IE bays have seperate footing to party wall which is what they did when digging by hand.Ground will move forever

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Lovely tidy job there Rob , a good brick match always helps too . That was some serious cracking and a lot of it ! The house could just do with some new windows now .

[@robsonger1]

haha, I think they are to be looked at very shortly.

[@Frenchwine15]

As ever Rob you have indeed done a very neat job however, I do question why put Helix bar in place with resin bonding as like the Opc cement mortar it is too strong and prevents movement within the bonded brickwork. Pity the neighbour did not get you to do there side though, as not only have they knocked value off there house it will knock value on the house you repaired. I know from experience myself though that it can be tough to convince some customers of the need to do the job right just once.

[@robsonger1]

We've done several repairs on various walls and buildings where there has been substantial movement most of which have been on lime masonry. In every case the structural engineer/architect have all specified heli-bar and resin. I hope you enjoy watching, there are several on their way

[@Frenchwine15]

@@robsonger1 Hi Rob as I suspected you are doing what the engineers are specifying and rightly so because then there is no come back on you and I would do the same thing. How ever I am fortunate that my brother is a chartered civil engineer and he and I both agree that the bond is only as good as the compressive strength within the brick work. Therefore as these bars and resin are supposed to help with lateral force mean that they are only as strong as the mortar surrounding the bar and resin. You must however cover yourself and do as the architect or resident engineer his instructed but, it doesn't mean they are right. Keep doing want you do though as the finish result does look very good. like me it looks like you take pride in your craft rather than rushing like many others seem to do.

[@marspierce.8267]

I never seen the heli bar like that before does it really work well

[@andytraverse]

Rob those were some serious cracks, what I'm interested to know is, did the cracks also run through the inner skin of bricks or just the outer? as it's laid in Flemish bond which is a very strong bond. Great work by the way.

[@robsonger1]

yes, the crack goes right through the thickness of the wall. I will stitch the internal soon. thank you, and thanks for watching

[@faceofyah527]

@@robsonger1 hi rob great work.. Do u do jobs in kent uk? I may have job similar to the one here and u seem to be an excellent builder

[@arrealhandymanservice4459]

Wow nice work

[@JohnnyMotel99]

Just a quick question, what mortar would you use for precast Portland stone blocks? The old mortar is very light grey, so I am suspecting a pale sand or even Portland dust mixed with white cement. Would I need lime on precast blocks?

[@robsonger1]

hi Rob...good name by the way.. what I would do is definitely a sample panel of various mixes, proportions, sands and cements. Make a note of each one and allow 7 days to dry, then see what your closest match is. As I always say, I would include lime in any mix (apart from drainage and waterproofing areas)

[@mohammedrafiq2672]

time served

[@chpa4972]

Can you do a video on best mortar strength and mix for different brick strengths please

[@robsonger1]

Hiya, have you watched my video 'Mortars'? It gives various mixes and applications in it. If you need more information then please let me know Thank you

[@chpa4972]

@@robsonger1 Thanks Rob, The 'Mortars' video is very helpful. I'll ask a question there to stay on topic. Keep up the great work!

[@TurinTuramber]

I hope you are expensive, you are a artist. Too many crooks in the game.

[@robsonger1]

I'm as cheap as chips

[@neilu.k.1364]

Hi rob, any developments with the bricklaying workshop idea ? Also our subtitles suggest the house was built with sand/lime yet you have used cement/sand/lime in your mix, won’t that damage the building?

[@robsonger1]

the house was repointed in a cement mortar so I had to match it to keep the colour the same. The workshop idea is happening, I have a couple of friends who will hopefully build a couple of arches that will feature in a series of videos that will be started very soon.

[@neilu.k.1364]

Thanks for the reply, will your workshop be open to others? - interested in popping over to learn a bit more

[@mr.wizeguy8995]

Vertical crack usually means that there is too big thermal movement and therefore there should be control joints but i didn't see any on wall.

[@metallitech]

It looks like a lime mortar construction (flexible) which had been incorrectly repointed with strong cement mortar.

[@CTporO]

What is the price for that job? Thanks

[@walks0155]

Hi Rob, Excellent work and great video. Please can you tell me the name of the brick bond? As it doesn't seem to repeat. It is very unusual. I paused the video @ 0:18 showing the wall. Many thanks Andy.

[@aus71383]

Looks like Flemish bond to me (I am no mason/bricklayer, just enjoy the quality and learning) - where the sections of the building connect the bond is broken by a brief section of stretcher bond. Rob would figure out a way to make it all fit perfectly by laying it out in advance. Lots of great videos on his channel.

[@krakenhackenla]

Think it's called monk bond.

[@brando6BL]

@@krakenhackenla No mate, it's not Monk bond. More like a bastardized form of flying Flemish. What we might call broken bond, Brooke Bond or mebbe Basildon bond. Or 007... that was the joke when I was learning :)

[@garethwhittle191]

Would the resin not be to hard for bricks also

[@stewartrs4276]

Nice vid rob but what coursed the bricks to crack

[@gT-mv4wv]

On a n old house some times the footing lets go or they sink if its a brick footing the sand stock bricks fret away hence the cracks

[@harry.godwinson1]

hi rob. great job. can I ask what is the bond. initially I thought Flemish but on closer inspection I now think not. regards

[@SpaceCowby]

I thought Flemish Garden Wall but with two stretchers but a quick google has it as Monk Bond, i have never heard of it tbh.

[@markmaddison5312]

All are patterns on a theme just names even bastard quetta etc

[@exmuffinman3586]

Was the cause of the crack determined and repaired?

[@stephenmitchell1270]

I was thinking that. If a subsidence crack, surely the heli-bar is only a temporary repair as you would need to find the cause of the problem, which could be a wide range. Plus he stated in the video it was a 'movement crack' which indicates a shifting of the foundation or ground below. Under-pinning may be required in the future, just have to monitor the crack and react when needed.

[@MrJFoster1984]

Getting into the remedial repairs mate?

[@jeromeduffy9270]

Interesting heli- bars. Makes perfect sense. Never saw them at Home store. Or resin. Good stuff. Shout out. Kirk dude Giordano, Mike Haduck.

[@Zephieish]

What's the best mix for soft bricks? 5:1?

[@robsonger1]

Soft bricks need a softer mortar so it has to be a lime mix, please watch my video 'Mortars' and see if that helps you. Thank you for watching

[@flyingnukes]

unfortunately the neighbour did his repair himself.. loool

[@scottgeoffrey1793]

What causes this and what is best to avoid it? Thanks

[@127069]

a dry summer

[@oldhandyluke]

Wish we repaired homes like that in the us more often

[@Elfin4]

What was the depth of the helibar on the mortar bed and what was the cause of the original cracking ?

[@ellicopter1]

Old red brick house probably has no foundations, back in the day sometimes they just dug down to the clay and started laying bricks in the trench , especially in the lower class houses like the mill houses.

[@brando6BL]

Possibly fracking.

[@brando6BL]

@@ellicopter1 But they did widen the brickwork at the base of the walls to spread the load, the origin of the word footing(s).

[@ellicopter1]

@@brando6BL Thats correct, thanks for adding, im a carpenter so knowledge isnt complete on the oldschool brickworks. I find it interesting though, Also, these old non foundation houses will still be standing long after a modern timber framed brick skinned building will be... .

[@markgibbins4143]

👌

[@kierenboimufc5940]

Sand cement also stops damp from escaping lime mortar walls doesn’t it rob ?

[@robsonger1]

Thats more or less correct. Lime mortar is softer, it allows the wall to breathe (moisture to escape) and move over long periods of time. Cement doesn't, it is rigid and has no movement whatsoever, and any moisture taken in by the brick remains in the brick, so when it freezes the brick suffers.

[@Goodwithwood69]

A rare breed! Unfortunately!

[@elitechevalier4614]

What's a job like that typically cost

[@robsonger1]

from the chopping out, replacing and pointing on both sides took me 2 days and as it was local I charged my local rate plus materials. c£340

[@richpurnell6520]

Should have done some underpinning.

[@Mr00dear]

A few details left out in this vid.

[@louf7178]

Lol

[@misastorm4600]

Давно уже там ?

[@JayG2K]

why is the neighbours a bad job was it he didnt follow the bonding?

[@richardsinclair9449]

Is that subsidence damage?

[@robsonger1]

Yes, it was 'tell taled' for the insurance company and hadn't moved in the appointed time. Nevertheless, sufficient heli-bar must always be used in the repair of movement cracks. thank you very much for watching

[@johnbowkett5920]

Lucky it was vertical slip , and not horizontal .

[@daithi007]

3:05 if I paid for your high quality work and then my cheap-ass neighbors did a shitty eyesore job like that, I'd be pissed.

[@robsonger1]

I know I shouldn't, but I laughed. thank you for watching, lots more to come

[@NewmanAutomotive]

Think you're being a little unfair to the neighbour, the job looks pretty neat actually. Just wants the mortar staining cleaning off the brick face to make it less noticeable.

[@shardegoweendamconstructio2730]

Nice

[@misastorm4600]

Hello in the Russia 👍

[@robsonger1]

hello from the UK

[@misastorm4600]

Земеля) Мастер супер)

[@Ripper36068]

Shear failure rob, Shear failure!

[@wolfhachmuth7731]

Hope u are sarcastic.

[@markmaddison5312]

What the hell are you talking about smartarse

[@user-gl2du7vu2f]

💪👍👌

[@justsendmelocation5068]

Builders cracks

[@Ripper36068]

P.S shame about the neighbour!!

[@user-hg6vf6hu6o]

не показали что вокруг происходит может там вокруг какой нибудь котлован выкопан

[@user-bo8pc1ib4h]

Да они про это, не заморачиваются.

[@dreamdiction]

Trucks and buses crossing speed bumps generate seismic shockwaves which cause cracks in brickwork as far away as 50 yards.

[@AaronHahnStudios]

Scared to speak to people??