Best Ways to Prevent Flaking of Old Brick on a House

You live in an older brick home. It’s beautiful, but the bricks are starting to flake. Obviously you can’t replace all of the bricks and replacing the bricks would be too costly anyway. What can you do to prevent brick flaking on your home? Here is the best way to prevent further flaking of the old bricks on your home.

Many times the reason your brick flakes is because it is absorbing water and then drying out and flaking over time. Brick homes that are located in areas where temperatures freeze are more prone to this problem. The home absorbs water and then freezes in the winter months. When spring arrives, the thawing process begins and the brick begins to flake as it unthaws. The best way to prevent your brick from absorbing water and later flaking would be to apply a protective waterproof sealant to the bricks. You can purchase this sealant at any Home Depot, Lowe’s or you local hardware store. The application process is easy and you can do it yourself.

Many people try to seal portions of the brick with silicone to prevent water leakage. This actually causes future flaking because the silicone traps the moisture into the brick. If your brick is flaking because of a leak, then the leak must be repaired first and the brick replaced. The Brick Institution of America recommends having the leaking section redone by a professional in order to preserve the remaining brick and match newer brick with the old.

Either way, fixing the flaking of your home’s bricks is not something that should be put off for several years. Once you notice the flaking, you know there will be more future flaking. If you do not have flaking yet, but know many homes in your area are prone to flaking, you should seal the home with a waterproof sealant to prevent future flaking. It is easier and cheaper to be proactive about flaking brick rather than allowing the brick to deteriorate over time and then needing to replace the flaking sections of your home.