Brickwork and render

Cracked brickwork, rusting lintels and drummy or loose render all start the same way: movement or water. A corroding steel lintel expands and lifts the brickwork above it, mortar joints open up, and render lets go of the wall behind it.

Repairs are matched to the cause: stitching cracks, repointing open joints, replacing damaged bricks and lintels and treating the steel, and patching or re-rendering where the finish has failed. Done early, it keeps the wall sound and the water out. Left alone, it becomes a structural repair.