Chicago is often cited as one of America’s greenest cities.  Buildings with lower operating costs and better indoor environmental quality are more attractive to a growing group of corporate, public and individual buyers. High performing building features will increasingly enter into tenants’ decisions about leasing space and into buyers’ decisions about purchasing properties and homes. Brick remains one of the most sustainable building materials in the world.  When looking at  sustainability, it is important to evaluate  a product’s life cycle from a number of perspectives.  Factors  might include energy efficiency, recyclability, fossil fuel depletion, habitat alteration, ozone depletion, water intake, human health and more.

With an average life of 100 years, brick has clear advantage over vinyl which last 50 years, or wood, which lasts 20-25 years. According to the Brick Institute of America, manufacturers have reduced the energy required to manufacturer brick to 1,239 BTU per pound from the approximately 4,000 BTU per pound required in the past.

Very little waste is produced in manufacturing and building because bricks are inherently recyclable.  Once water is extracted, a pound of clay material yields almost a pound of brick once water is extracted. During the manufacturing process, any materials that are left over after one run of bricks has been fired can simply be re-mixed into the next run. On the construction site, brick debris can be incorporated into the landscape or used for other projects.

The materials used to manufacture brick are abundant and readily available. The Brick Institute of America reports that most brick is manufactured from materials that are an average of 15 miles away from the plant.  There are two or more plants within 500 miles of 49 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas within the United States.

Brick walls are heavy and dense, so they absorb heat and slow down its transfer through the wall.  This moderates temperature changes, slowing down heat gain in summer, and storing heat in winter. This is called its ‘lag time’.

Tuckpointing Chicago Brick Buildings

Outside of tuck pointing once every 30 years or so, very little maintenance is required on brick buildings.  Shamrock Tuckpointing helps building owners  identify problem masonry joints so they can be tuckpointed to keep water from penetrating and deteriorating the brick. During the tuckpointing process, joints are cleaned and new mortar is put in place. This ensures you get a full 100-year-life out of your brick.

As a building owner, you can feel confident promoting the green nature of brick. Contact us for tuckpointing and brick repair on your Chicago-area buildings to ensure maximum sustainability.

Nearly five inches of rain hit the Chicago area on Thursday. If you thought you might have a water leak in your building, you surely could confirm it this week. Before you replace or repair your roof, you should consider if masonry issues are the source of the problem. There are two kinds of leaks that stem from masonry-related problems, saturation leaks and void leaks.

Saturation Leaks

It may surprise you but masonry is not entirely waterproof. Brick does absorb water. When water passes through or absorbs entirely into the porous surface of a masonry wall to the extent that moisture finds its way into your living space it is called a saturation leak.

Saturation leaks don’t show up every time it rains. That’s because light rain won’t provide enough moisture for the masonry to become saturated and transfer completely through the wall.

Saturation leakage becomes a problem when the water shows up in some occupied or living environment, causing noticeable damage to ceilings, walls or floors.  Staining is more often the sign of a saturation leak, rather than water drips or puddles on a floor. Efflorescence or a powdery white substance also appears with saturation leaks. If under wallpaper, efflorescence will give a bumpy like appearance. Paints will eventually blister and crack if efflorescence is present on the wall.

A common area where saturation leaks are found is where the chimney passes through the roof. However, whenever water can run down or moisture is held against a masonry wall (snow) there is a possibility for saturation leaks. Look for failed gutters or downspouts that may be streaming water onto the masonry.

Problem masonry areas can be treated with a water-repellant sealant that reduces the porosity of the masonry. Consult a tuckpointing or masonry professional to determine the right sealant for your building.

Void Leaks

Leaks caused by stress cracks, holes, or missing mortar can sometimes look similar to a saturate leak. Exterior walls should be inspected for problems that could cause or contribute to a saturate leak. It is not uncommon for leaks to have multiple causes. Unlike a saturation leak, void leaks usually occur almost every time it rains. Water streams are visible running down a wall or spread out from a center point of origin. These leaks are usually isolated to a single area.

Leak diagnosis is no easy task, but experienced masonry professionals can help identify problems and find solutions. Shamrock Tuckpointing can keep your Chicago masonry buildings free from leaks.

We’ve seen a number of moisture issues appearing on relatively new commercial shopping centers recently and the culprit has been failed caulking.  It serves as an important reminder to building owners and property managers that while caulking is a small part of a structure, it plays an important role in keeping a building watertight. Both new and old buildings can be vulnerable to failed caulking.

The wrong caulking or improperly applied caulking is a major cause of moisture problems. Moisture stains are a sign that the caulking has failed.  Look below windows or near the roof line.  Windows and roofs are especially prone to water penetration.  By conducting regular inspections and paying attention to minor repairs, building owners can avoid major repairs down the road.

Reasons for Caulking Failure

Sometimes shoddy construction can lead to a leaky facade.  In the rush to finish a job or faced with inadequate supply, a contractor might use whatever caulking is on hand, rather than what was specified. Use of the wrong sealant with masonry and concrete can cause  discoloration, stress on concrete or even spalling.

In other cases, joints that are too narrow or wide can cause the caulking to fail. If the joints are too narrow, the expansion of the substrate can cause the joints to close too much and extrude the sealant. Later when the building contracts, the caulking is no longer in the joint. If a joint is too wide (more than one or two inches, depending on the sealant), the sealant may sag out of it.

Misapplication may also be due to weather.  Brick or masonry must be completely dry to get proper adhesion with caulking. Applying when moisture is present causes the sealant to lose viscosity. It is too thick to properly tool.  Similarly, applying caulking when it’s too hot can cause the sealant to sag or even flow out of the joint.

At Shamrock Tuckpointing we take caulking seriously. With careful selection of the proper sealants for the job and application, we make your commercial building watertight.

 Our first dusting of snow fell last night and people are asking if it is too cold for tuck pointing in Chicago. Some of these people are buying or selling a house and want to have tuck pointing completed as part of the sale.

Temps Should be Above 40 Degrees for Tuck Pointing in Chicago

Generally, tuck pointing in Chicago is best done when the surface material is above freezing and future temperatures are above 40 degrees. If you can’t wait until the weather gets warmer, you can try to keep the area warm enough using tarps and portable heaters.

If facing cold temperatures, there’s a possibility that the mortar won’t generate enough heat especially when wind and frost are a factor. While curing, ice crystals may form jeopardizing the mortar integrity.  Last  year the weather was so mild we were able to tuckpoint through December without any problems.  If you think you would like to get the job done now, give us a call and we will assess the situation. If it’s best to wait until Spring, we’ll let you know.

Owners of brick buildings have a lot to worry about these days:  the cost of taxes, insurance, and other “must-haves” keeps rising.  Sold as a maintenance-free exterior, many owners don’t realize that brick requires regular inspection and periodic maintenance. Putting off routine inspections and minor repairs can seem like a good idea in the short run. However, in the case of masonry repair, you’ll likely pay the price.

For example, a brick chimney with cracked mortar or a deteriorated chimney crown is a fairly minor repair. However, once masonry starts to deteriorate, the rate of deterioration grows exponentially.

Chicago’s freezing and thawing cycles work to turn small cracks into crevices, quickly.  Other forces may be at work as well, including rusted metal adjacent the brick, incorrectly formulated mortar, and moisture trapped behind painted or improperly sealed brick.

Left unattended, minor masonry problems can result in not only an unsightly appearance, but also in an unsafe structure that could potentially collapse or prevent proper ventilation.  In the case of a chimney, a total rebuild may be necessary.  Lack of knowledge about brick maintenance has serious consequences.

Sometimes the source of a masonry problem isn’t always obvious. For example, water that enters through a cracked chimney crown can leak down and cause problems elsewhere.  Similarly, water in the soil can also move upward through capillary action.  A masonry repair professional is trained to diagnose the source of the problem and provide a permanent solution.

If you are concerned, contact us and we’ll come out and take a look. An early assessment may prevent structural failure later.