Crumbly bricks - easy DIY covering?

[A911DOM]

I have a few bricks in one of the garden walls which are getting a bit crumbly. Is there a product widely available in the big DIY chains that I could use to cover this up without any particular skills or specialist tools...

Not wanting to go overboard, just a quick fix to make good for now.

Cheers

[robinhood21]

Have a look Here and click on the 'repair brickwork' it might help or give you an idea on what to do.

[shirt]

is it the mortar that is crumbling or the brick itself?

if the former, simply repoint the wall. if its the latter, then either:

lightly damaged - remove the loose brick & wirebrush, then paint with a watered down pva solution [cheap] or a waterproofing treatment.

heavily damaged - replace it. chase the pointing from around the brick, drill several holes in the face of it until it collapses / comes out or you can chisel out the rest.

[A911DOM]

Cheers chaps, I had seen that site on my searches actually.

I think / hope its only really surface damage to the bricks, and was looking for a 'cure all' type of solution to the problem (being ever hopeful).

Something like a 'ready mix render' that could be applied to the wall to tidy and protect from further damage. Does this sort of product exist or do I just need to apply the methods as mentioned above when I inspect exactly how bad the brick damage is?

[shirt]

you can render them yes, just replace the loose bits and go for it. as its a garden wall and not going to cause you any problems with damp, it might not be worth the hassle.

[B17NNS]

Sounds like the bricks are starting to shale (faces popping off).

Often caused when the weather gets into them, they freeze and then pop.

A couple of coats of Thompsons waterseal should prevent further damage.

You could chop out the offending bricks and replace them, however chances are that over time the other bricks (being the same type) will fail in the same way.

I'd render it with sand and cement personally but not easy to get a decent finish unless you know what you're doing. Happy to give you a step by step guide though if you fancy having a crack at it.