Some of the mortar between the bricks on my house look deeper than they used to, almost like the mortar is disappearing. Is that something I should be concerned about?
Answer
Absolutely. Mortar is the glue that holds the brick together, and when it starts wearing away, water has an easier path into the wall. Once that happens, freeze-thaw cycles can start damaging the surrounding brick too. If the mortar is visibly receding, that’s a pretty good indication the wall should be evaluated to determine how much deterioration is present. In many cases, the areas that look the worst aren’t the only sections affected. It’s common for deterioration to extend farther along the wall than a homeowner initially realizes.
