Spalling Brick in Cleveland: Causes, Prevention, and Proper Repair
If you own a brick building in Cleveland, you have likely seen spalling — the flaking, chipping, or crumbling of the brick face. It is one of the most common masonry failures in Northeast Ohio, and it is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed.
Many contractors offering "brick repair" in Cleveland treat spalling as a surface problem. They patch the face, apply a sealant, or skim-coat mortar over the damaged area. These approaches fail because they do not address the mechanism that caused the spalling in the first place.
What Causes Spalling?
Spalling occurs when moisture trapped inside the brick freezes and expands. The expansion creates internal pressure that exceeds the brick's tensile strength, causing the face to pop off. This is a freeze-thaw failure, and Cleveland's climate — with its 50+ freeze-thaw cycles per winter — is one of the most aggressive environments for this type of deterioration.
But the freeze-thaw cycle is the mechanism, not the cause. The real question is: why is moisture getting inside the brick?
1. Incompatible Mortar
This is the most common cause of spalling in Cleveland's older housing stock. When a contractor uses modern Portland cement mortar (Type S or N) to repoint a building that was originally constructed with soft lime mortar, the new mortar is harder than the brick. Moisture that would normally escape through the softer mortar joints is instead forced through the brick face. The brick becomes the weak link, and it spalls.
2. Improper Sealants
Applying a waterproof sealant to brick sounds logical — keep the water out. But brick is a porous material that needs to breathe. A film-forming sealant traps moisture inside the wall assembly. That moisture has nowhere to go, so it migrates to the brick face and causes spalling. Only breathable, penetrating sealants should ever be used on masonry — and even then, only when specifically warranted.
3. Failed Drainage
Water pooling at the base of a wall, splashing back from hardscape, or being directed toward masonry by improper grading all increase moisture loading on the brick. Over time, this excess moisture saturates the masonry and accelerates freeze-thaw damage.
4. Rising Damp
In older buildings without proper damp-proof courses, ground moisture wicks up through the masonry by capillary action. This is particularly common in Cleveland's older neighborhoods where foundations are stone or early concrete block.
Why Surface Repairs Fail
Patching a spalled brick face with mortar or applying a sealant over the damage does not stop the moisture from entering the wall. The patch will eventually pop off — usually within one to two winters — because the same freeze-thaw pressure that destroyed the original brick face will destroy the patch.
Proper Spalling Repair
- Identify the moisture source: Is it incompatible mortar, failed drainage, rising damp, or sealant entrapment?
- Eliminate the moisture source: Replace incompatible mortar, correct drainage, remove inappropriate sealants
- Replace damaged brick: Spalled brick cannot be repaired — it must be cut out and replaced with a compatible unit
- Match the mortar: New mortar must be compatible with the replacement brick and the existing masonry assembly
- Monitor: After repair, monitor the area through at least one full winter cycle to confirm the moisture source has been eliminated
The Veteran Masonry Difference
We do not patch spalling brick. We diagnose the cause, eliminate the moisture path, and replace damaged units with properly matched brick and mortar. It is more work than a surface patch, but it is the only approach that produces a permanent result.
Seeing spalling on your building? Request a free estimate [blocked] or call (216) 213-5403.