When it comes to architecture, Victorians never shied away from brickwork –  in fact, they embraced it, with many buildings being predominantly made from brick. 

If you own a Victorian property with its original brickwork, not only are you incredibly lucky, but you’re most likely looking to preserve it. In this blog, we will be taking a look at how to do just that, plus how to restore any damaged brickwork you may have. 

What types of bricks did Victorians use? 

Victorian buildings used a plethora of brick types and what type was used tended to depend on where in the UK something was built. Red, yellow and clay bricks were all popular options.

Significant London landmarks built in the Victorian era, like Tower Bridge and the Elizabeth Tower, used specially made bricks like the Wienerberger’s Smeed Dean London Stock brick or bricks outsourced from other parts of the country. 

How do you take care of your brickwork?

As with Victorian woodwork and brasswork, the more you work to preserve brickwork, the less likely you’ll have to restore it. Here are a few easy methods you can use to protect your property’s interior and exterior brick structure. 

Regular checking

We’d recommend inspecting your walls and other brickwork at least once a month. You should check for cracks, breakage or loose bricks. This can help you catch any minor issues before they get out of hand. 

Gentle cleaning

It can be tempting to powerwash brickwork, especially on the outside of your home, but this can cause damage in the long run, including weakening the mortar between bricks . You should keep your bricks clean to ensure they remain looking their best and don’t deteriorate. 

The best way to clean brickwork yourself is the softwashing method. Avoid harsh chemicals and brushes and instead, opt for a pH-neutral cleaner and a soft washer. Softwashers are like powerwashers, but they’re designed to be more gentle and are perfect for historic buildings.  

The cleaning solution you use to clean bricks should be diluted professional-grade sodium hypochlorite, more commonly known as bleach. This should get rid of the three Ms; mould, mildew and moss, all of which can deteriorate your brickwork if left untreated.  

Alternatively, to clean small areas of your external brickwork, you can use a nylon-bristle brush along with a gentle water-vinegar solution. 

Repointing

Repointing is the process of cleaning damaged or decayed mortar from your brickwork, and replacing it with fresh mortar. It’s ideal for bringing life back to your walls and keeping them strong. This is something you can do yourself or hire a professional to do. If you do choose to take the DIY approach, you can achieve it in a few simple steps.

Step one: Make space 

Clear the surrounding area of all furniture and decor, covering the floor and what you can’t move with sheets. If you’re focusing on the exterior, cover plants and flowerbeds too. 

Ensure you’re doing this on a day with good weather so everything can dry properly. 

Step two: Clean and remove

Make sure the wall or bricked area is clean (no debris). Then you’ll have the task of removing the old, possibly damaged mortar from the affected areas. You can start this with your hands, especially if the mortar is already loose but, if you come up against some tough spots, you can use a specialised tool or just an old screwdriver. When you get a little deeper, you will most likely need a hammer and chisel.

Spray the damaged areas with a bit of water to prevent any further cracking. 

You’ll only need to go around 10mm deep and make sure you’re careful around doors, windows and light switches. 

This process will create a lot of dust and debris so make sure you clean the bricks again after this. 

Step three: Time for fresh mortar 

This may be the part that you’ll need a builder for as the new mortar will need to be specially formulated for your brickwork. A professional will also be able to evaluate how much you’ll need and make the right amount for you, plus they’ll colour match it. 

If you are repairing the masonry completely solo, make sure you use mortar that is colour matched and appropriate for your period property. Lime mortar is always a good option for historical brickwork, especially if it’s granite, as it allows everything to breathe and prevents spalling (deterioration). 

Then you can apply your mortar yourself. You’ll want to start where damp is most likely to occur, the bottom, and then work upwards, applying the mortar left to right in the horizontal grooves which should also fill the vertical lines. Every gap should be filled and you should look out for air bubbles. We recommend using a gauging or plastering trowel to do this. 

Leave to dry for 2-4 hours, but don’t do anything further until you know it’s definitely dry. If you touch it and no fingerprint is left behind, you’re good to go. 

A lot of Victorian walls will need weather struck and cut pointing, which was a popular choice in the 19th century as it helps water easily run off the bricks. This will be better done by a builder.

Step four: Final touches 

Use a wire brush to remove any excess mortar so that you’re left with a somewhat hollowed mortar face. Then take a step back and hopefully admire your handiwork, making sure you’re happy with the overall look. 

Surface treatments

If you’ve already completed the repointing process, or you think your masonry just needs a refresh, you can make a historic surface treatment part of your restoration. 

There’s colourwashing (a vintage treatment method for lime mortar), where you mix water, pigment, potash alum and glue and add it as a protective layer over the bricks. This can stain but for those wanting a revamp, this can be part of the appeal.

A mixture of water, chalk, and glue used as a protective layer is called pencilling. Then there’s Stucco, a thicker coating popular before the 1900s, which is basically sand and lime. Both of these are old-school methods of restoring brickwork and preventing damage. 

Stucco can be used alongside a limewash (a lime and water mix, possibly with salt or milk). 

Painting

Modern paints, like latex-based ones, can create damp and spalling on historic masonry and ruins the lovely patina that older brickwork has. If the previous owners have painted the brickwork, this could be damaging it and you might want to remove that old paint before repainting.

We’d recommend using a protective limewash or clay paint externally instead. Indoors, it may be tempting to try and find a ‘breathable’ paint but we’d recommend avoiding it. Exposed brickwork is bang on trend and can really give a space character.  

Replacing missing bricks

Whether a brick has crumbled away or fallen out, you may now be on the hunt for a replacement to ensure the structure doesn’t suffer. You can have a supplier match the colour and texture of the existing masonry or you can do that yourself. 

Try to match the brick type as closely as possible (taking size into consideration) and, if you know the brick type, be on the look out for exact matches or replicas.

Insuring your Victorian property

If you’re preserving your brickwork, you clearly care about your period home which is why you’ll want the right insurance. Adrian Flux is a broker that understands this and will help find home insurance to suit you.
Call 0800 369 8590 for a quote or book a callback at a time that works for you.