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This old brick flue in Burlington almost got me last week
I was cleaning a 1920s house, and the mortar was just crumbling. Every time I pushed the brush up, more chunks fell down. The owner said, "It was fine for my grandpa," but grandpa didn't have 100 years of freeze-thaw cycles. Had to stop and point half the thing before I could even finish the sweep. Anyone had to walk away from a job because the structure was just too far gone?
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quinn9687mo ago
Honestly, that freeze-thaw cycle is a silent killer. Tbh, I've seen brick steps just turn to sand under someone's foot from the same thing. Makes you wonder what else is quietly falling apart.
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rileynelson7mo ago
Yikes, @quinn968, my whole house is probably just a sandcastle now.
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park.abby6mo ago
Please. That mortar was probably fine. People get way too worried about old brick. My uncle's garage has had chunks missing from the joints since the 90s and it's still standing. Sometimes you just need to sweep it out and keep going. Stopping to point every little crack is how a two hour job turns into a two day invoice. Not everything is about to collapse.
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