My disaster in home repairs

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Recently I noticed that the mortar around the window casements was severely compromised and the wood around the windows needed painting - in places there was no paint left. I got mortar repair caulk and paint at the hardware store. The more I tried to squirt caulk between the bricks, the more bricks fell out. The paint looked white in the can but after I applied it, I could see right through it - it seemed almost colorless. You might say, "Hire a professional.", but I've had so many contractors rip me off, I am shy about them now.

bricks.jpg
 

Would be such a shame to allow this to progress, Deb.

My husband looked at the picture and said hiring a professional wouldn't cost a lot, and the job itself could be easily accomplished in a half a day. My husband estimates somewhere around $200 - $300.

I'd phone around, and when you settle on someone, ask them to provide references, and follow-up on those references. There's no need to be burned by anyone.

One thing my husband noticed... the slope of the sill is wrong. It's not allowing for proper runoff.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Would be such a shame to allow this to progress, Deb.

My husband looked at the picture and said hiring a professional wouldn't cost a lot, and the job itself could be easily accomplished in a half a day. My husband estimates somewhere around $200 - $300.

I'd phone around, and when you settle on someone, ask them to provide references, and follow-up on those references. There's no need to be burned by anyone.

One thing my husband noticed... the slope of the sill is wrong. It's not allowing for proper runoff.
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Absolutely agree. Bricks are your foundation and really important. For a job that important and in need of skilled labour, I’d definitely hire a professional. Quite often the quote is free but not always. Getting a few quotes and picking the best price would be your safest bet.

Some things you can’t cheap out on snd this is definitely one of them. Your home is supposed to be your biggest investment so caring for it is a wise decision. You knew enough to hire professional tree cutters to cut your trees down. It’s expensive but it’s also specific skilled labour that can be on the dangerous side so it’s money well earned in my opinion.

It may contribute to heat loss throughout your house and possibly leaks. Definitely hire someone.
 
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Did you start at the outer edge or in the middle of the damage? Just wondering.
Also was it paint or was it sealer?
 
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I know very little about construction but I've owned a lot of different properties and know a little about repair and maintenance. If this were my house, I'd be worried about wood rot behind the brick rather than the outside appearance of the brick.

That's just from looking at the picture, of course.
 
Try several tubes of Quikrete Mortar Repair. We used it to seal cracks in a brick building and it worked great. We bought the tubes and used a caulking gun to apply it.
039645860021.jpg


The wooden window sills are so dry, it may take several coats of paint to cover them.
 
Keesha said:
Absolutely agree. Bricks are your foundation and really important. For a job that important and in need of skilled labour, I’d definitely hire a professional. Quite often the quote is free but not always. Getting a few quotes and picking the best price would be your safest bet.

Some things you can’t cheap out on snd this is definitely one of them. Your home is supposed to be your biggest investment so caring for it is a wise decision. You knew enough to hire professional tree cutters to cut your trees down. It’s expensive but it’s also specific skilled labour that can be on the dangerous side so it’s money well earned in my opinion.

It may contribute to heat loss throughout your house and possibly leaks. Definitely hire someone.
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The longer its left, the more expensive it will be to put it right Deb.
 
debodun said:
Here the can of paint, you tell me.

View attachment 110080


An this is what the window sill looked like after the paint dried - looks more gray then white.

View attachment 110089
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Have dear husband sitting here with me right now, and he says that's a good choice, though yearly maintenance may be required.

He also apologizes for not noticing the shallowed-out centre of the sill this morning. Have the slope checked, but dear husband said it may be alright.

Moisture and wetness infiltration is a serious concern with open brick joints. Driving rain, blowing snow, any/all moisture can and will result in damage within the structure, so prompt attention to the repairs is paramount.

If your budget doesn't allow for all windows to be repaired, start with one or two, and select the windows in the worst shape, and in addition to, the windows that receive the most punishment as far as adverse weather in concerned.

One or two windows this year, another one or two next.
 
The most mortar erosion is in areas that are under roof corners where the roof angles come together forming a valley. This channels the rain runoff right in those spots. See pic (red circled areas).

house_front.jpg
Gemma said:
Try several tubes of Quikrete Mortar Repair. We used it to seal cracks in a brick building and it worked great. We bought the tubes and used a caulking gun to apply it.
039645860021.jpg


The wooden window sills are so dry, it may take several coats of paint to cover them.
Click to expand...

That's the exact product I used where the mortar was just missing. That has almost a too wide tip to get between my bricks. Maybe the standard space between bricks was diffenent 120 years ago. My mortar spaces are about 1/4 inch.
 
debodun said:
The most mortar erosion is in areas that are under roof corners where the roof angles come together forming a valley. This channels the rain runoff right in those spots. See pic (red circled areas).

View attachment 110171


That's the exact product I used where the mortar was just missing. That has almost a too wide tip to get between my bricks. Maybe the standard space between bricks was diffenent 120 years ago. My mortar spaces are about 1/4 inch.
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Deb. That is where I would start with repairs, the worst spots... tackle those first. As far as products that claim to do the job, dear husband's words to you are, "please don't look to an easy fix, because it won't last".

Your home is so grand and beautiful, would be so nice to know it's repaired right.

One thing I notice is the lack of downspouts. My husband hasn't seen these pictures yet, but I'll have him look at them tonight and will add more.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Deb. That is where I would start with repairs, the worst spots... tackle those first. As far as products that claim to do the job, dear husband's words to you are, "please don't look to an easy fix, because it won't last".

Your home is so grand and beautiful, would be so nice to know it's repaired right.

One thing I notice is the lack of downspouts. My husband hasn't seen these pictures yet, but I'll have him look at them tonight and will add more.
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There are downspouts at the front. One on each side. The top level doesn’t seem to have any visible downspouts but perhaps they are at the back of the house.

Hey Deb. Do you clean out your gutters from leaves and stuff? If you don’t then this can contribute to your current problem. Proper drainage is crucial. Cleaning gutters and downspouts need to be done at least once yearly.
 
Yes, every fall I clean the gutters. I get out on the porch roofs, skitter along the edge as I scoop the dry leaves out and check the downspouts for blockage. You are correct, there are no gutters on the top of the roof. I looked into it several years ago. The guy came, took one look, snapped his trapperkeeper shut, said it was too far off the ground to work on, and took off. Are these guys are only used to working on ranch houses?

I posted updated photos of my house here:

https://www.seniorforums.com/threads/updated-photos-of-my-house.50173/
 
gennie said:
I know very little about construction but I've owned a lot of different properties and know a little about repair and maintenance. If this were my house, I'd be worried about wood rot behind the brick rather than the outside appearance of the brick.

That's just from looking at the picture, of course.
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I agree. I think if they pull or tap on the sill, it will probably crumble away from hidden rot. I'd start there, before doing any ? tuck-pointing ? to the brickwork.
 
debodun said:
Yes, every fall I clean the gutters. I get out on the porch roofs, skitter along the edge as I scoop the dry leaves out and check the downspouts for blockage. You are correct, there are no gutters on the top of the roof. I looked into it several years ago. The guy came, took one look, snapped his trapperkeeper shut, said it was too far off the ground to work on, and took off. Are these guys are only used to working on ranch houses?

I posted updated photos of my house here:

https://www.seniorforums.com/threads/updated-photos-of-my-house.50173/
Click to expand...
Oh dear. That’s probably your biggest problem. Your house has no way of effectively getting rid of water which will ruin your windows and roof and definitely isn’t something you can do yourself.
Have you called any contractors yet?
Another idea might be to get a contractor who works for a hardware store. Someone who is highly recommended and accountable for his/her work.
 

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