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2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 103

Masonry Veneer
Brick or stone veneer siding won’t wear out. But mortar can crumble and settling will cause cracks. In
either case, apply new mortar to keep moisture out of the wall and to improve the overall appearance.
Scratch out all loose mortar. Brush the joint to remove dust and loose particles. Then dampen the
surface and apply mortar to fill the joint. Tamp mortar into the joint for a tight bond. Use pre-mixed joint
compound and a jointing tool to keep the joint depths uniform. When repointing red brick, any mortar left
on the face of individual brick will cause a permanent stain. Washing or brushing the brick after
repointing tends to erode the joint you’ve just patched. Consider masking the face of brick when making
joint repairs, especially when the brick is going to be left its natural color rather than painted. Let the
mortar dry. Then pull off the masking tape. Finally, consider coating the entire surface with transparent
waterproofing seal.

Stained or discolored masonry can be cleaned with a water blaster or by brushing with diluted (22
percent) muriatic acid. Common household bleach will remove green mold from masonry.

Stucco Repair
Hairline cracks in stucco are normal as the stucco dries and ages. Simply recoat the surface with
masonry paint. Wider cracks, especially cracks that run diagonally, are usually the result of the
structure settling. To repair any crack too wide for paint, scribe out 1/4" of stucco along the crack. A
screwdriver makes a good scribing tool. Then fill the scribed line with stucco patch or caulk and recoat
with masonry paint.

Occasionally, cracks will be the result of defects in the stucco itself. For example, a grid of horizontal
and vertical cracks may indicate that the lath is working loose from the studs. A spider web of cracks
indicates that the scratch or brown coat is too thin or dried too fast. Under those circumstances, there
may be no alternative to removing and replacing the affected section.