You have a stone or brick house, and you know a few things about masonry. Your house is very durable, and it has been years since it encountered an issue. Suddenly, one day, a huge crack appears. Should you fix it by yourself? Although it is very tempting to treat this as a DIY project, it is strongly advised that you get professional masonry repair experts to handle the job. Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t do masonry repair on your own.
Masonry Repair is Dangerous
It not right to think that masonry repair is easy and without risk since all you have to do is to add more mortar to the crack. But neither is true. Furthermore, putting more mortar to the crack won’t make it disappear. Masonry repair requires a lot of preparation, and it can get very dangerous sometimes.
Cracks don’t always appear near the ground, so for those that are far too high for anyone’s reach, you will have to use the ladder. It means that you are under the risk of tumbling down if you’re not careful. Also, masonry repair gets extremely dangerous when you need to repair a structurally weak section because the whole structure might collapse. These are the reasons why you shouldn’t do it on your own. Always call an expert.
There Might be Underlying Problems
Cracks and efflorescence are not the main problems in themselves. They are indicators of other problems hidden from plain sight. It’s easy to think that everything is finished now that the cracks are gone. But in reality, if you don’t handle the big issue, those nasty cracks will just come back again.
The worst part is that it’s very difficult to detect those hidden defects if you are not equipped with the tools or the knowledge about the job. So whenever there is a sign of defect on your walls or chimney, call an expert so that they can give you an accurate report of the situation. Your house will be safe from minor annoyances only when you deal with the bigger issues.
It May Cost You More
It’s true that masonry repair costs quite a bit since you have to pay for the labor, equipment, and materials, as well as some other extra expenses. But if they are very well-spent, then you’re good to go. Experts won’t waste your money on unnecessary fluffs. On the other hand, DIY kits may be extremely cheap, but they lack a lot of tools that you need for a comprehensive repair project. You’ll need to buy those tools separately, which costs you extra.
Furthermore, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll succeed on the first try. You might even end up making it worse, thus costing you even more. All these extra costs stack up. Eventually, it just doesn’t make sense to do this project on your own anymore.
Doing masonry repair on your own might sound fun and economic at first, but the experience will get tedious and frustrating later on. You don’t have to do this alone! We at Omega Masonry will gladly help you with any masonry repair project that you have. With our years of experience in the field, our experts will not fail you!