Unless there's a serious structural problem, wide, top-to-bottom cracks in brick or concrete-block walls are easy to fill. And there's no need to be obsessed with perfection. Work through the broken bricks instead of trying to replace them. Time: about 3 to 4 hours for cleaning and initial filling; additional time depending on extent of damageWearing safety goggles, begin by cleaning all crumbling brick and mortar from the crack with a cold chisel and sledgehammer. Where the crack runs through a brick or a concrete block, use a brick chisel, angled into the crack, to widen and undercut the break. Enlarge the crack to a consistent width and clean the inside of the crack to its full depth, or as far in as you can reach. Wire-brush the crack, inside and out, to remove debris, then flush it thoroughly with water from a garden hose.Cracks that affect only a single layer of brick can be filled with mortar. Mix a small amount of mortar according to the directions on the package. Spread a little mortar on a scrap of corrugated cardboard, where it will dry quickly and reveal its true color.

Add mortar coloring to the mortar as necessary to match the old mortar, experimenting with the cardboard as you add coloring. When the dried test batch matches the old mortar, mix enough mortar to fill the crack and add coloring in the tested proportion.Spray the crack thoroughly with the garden hose. Fill the crack with mortar using a small, sharp trowel to force the mortar into the full depth of the crack. Treat the crack as one long joint, filling cleaned-out joints and the gaps in broken bricks or concrete block evenly all along the crack.When the crack is solidly packed with mortar, finish the surface with a jointer and the trowel. Match the old joints where the crack follows a joint: trowel the mortar to match the surface where the mended surface is block or brick. Let the crack cure thoroughly for at least 1 week. Spray the patched area lightly with the garden hose several times a day during the curing period.When the crack is very wide and deep, fill it with a thin grout mixture.

Wearing safety goggles, chisel out, wire-brush, and flush the crack with water to clean it thoroughly. Mix a small amount of filler, using 1 part Portland cement,1 part hydrated lime, and 6 parts sand. Mix the dry materials and add water slowly to form a thin, easily pourable grout. Add mortar coloring, testing the mixture on a scrap of corrugated cardboard, to match the color of the old mortar; then mix a bucketful of grout in the same proportions.Working quickly, spray the inside of the crack lightly to dampen it. Mask the lower third of the crack with duct tape set flat over the opening. Set a wide board flat against the wall to hold the tape in place, and wedge it firmly upright with a 2 × 4. 10 Home Repairs That Can Seriously Break the Bank Repair Your Christmas Lights How to Repaint Stained Walls How to Build a Mantel Shelf Will vinegar remove adhesives from plastic? Use a wide-mouthed funnel and a length of rubber tubing to fill the crack; you'll need a helper for this.

Push one end of the tubing over the narrow end of the funnel and set the open end into the crack. Used Patio Furniture For Sale HoustonHold the end of the tubing at least halfway into the crack and as near the bottom as you can reach over the board wedged against the wall. Bernese Mountain Dog Puppies For Sale Near MePour grout slowly into the funnel to fill the bottom of the crack. 80'S Prom Dresses Size 8Then remove the tubing from the crack. Rinse the funnel, the tubing, and the bucket thoroughly. Let the partially filled crack set for about 1 day. Then remove the board and the duct tape from the crack. Use a mortar jointer -- or thin metal rod bent to form a handle -- and a trowel to finish the crack, matching both joint and brick or concrete block textures.

Then fill the crack further. Mix a bucketful of grout in the same proportions as before. Working quickly, spray the crack lightly with a garden hose. Mask the crack with duct tape and wedge the board back into place against the wall. Using the wide-mouthed funnel, pour the grout into the crack as before. Let it dry for 1 day and remove the mask; finish the grout to match joints and brick or block. Repeat the filling and finishing process daily, section by section, until the entire crack has been filled. Be sure to mix and color the grout in the same proportion each time. Let the grout cure thoroughly for at least a week after the final application of grout. Spray the patched area lightly with the garden hose several times a day during the curing period. Finish either mortar-filled or grout-filled cracks by painting the patch to match the surrounding wall. For a painted wall, touch up the newly filled and cured crack with the same exterior paint used on the wall. To hide the crack in a brick wall, use cement paint the same color as the bricks.

Thin the paint and apply it carefully to the crack where it passes through bricks; repeat as necessary until the color is correct. Continue to the next page to put your concrete skills to work on potholes in your driveway. Home-Repair Safety Tips: Doing the job yourself doesn't save you money if you end up in the emergency room. Read these tips to make sure you work smart when doing home repairs.Home-Repair Materials Basics: Stock up on these frequently used items and you can be Mr. or Ms. Fix-It without six trips to the hardware store.Home-Repair Tool Basics: Does your tool box have what it takes? Learn what tools you're likely to be looking for when making repairs around the house. Ready-mix formula for concrete A board like an artist's palette Two caulking guns, in case one stops working A concrete block wall, whether outdoors or otherwise, can suffer damage due to weather, flooding, or accident. Readily available materials can fix some cracking in a block wall without having to tear it down and add new concrete.

Follow the instructions below and take care of this damage before it can cause problems Step 1 - Clean and Prepare the Concrete Blocks Check all areas that will need repair including cracks and holes. Then, use a metal file to smooth off any rough mortar bits around the damage. Wear work gloves during this process to protect yourself from some nasty scrapes. Once you're finished, clean off the concrete with a hose to get rid of any dust left over. While the wall dries, bring the rest of your materials up to the repair site. Step 2 - Mix and Apply Concrete Prepare the ready-mix concrete blend as per the instructions on the product. Work quickly so it stays flexible until the job is finished. Load the pointed trowel with concrete and slough off excess on the carrying board. Fill the mortar gap between blocks with it, holding the trowel at an angle and wedging the material in. Smooth over it with the point and edge of the trowel. Step 3 - Use Caulking to Fix Repairs that Need Adhesive

Slide the tube of general purpose caulking into a tubular caulking gun. Trim off the tip to as wide as your little finger to let the caulk flow out. Then, put the tip of the gun near the repair spot and squeeze until the sealant comes out. Completely fill the area with adhesive and smooth with a damp cloth. Step 4 - Use Mortar and Concrete Caulk to Fill Holes If your wall has holes as well as cracks, you'll need to use a slightly different material. Put a tube of combined mortar and concrete caulk into the caulking gun. Open it by cutting the tip off and squeeze until the contents come out in a bead. Fill the hole, working upward from the bottom. Apply in overlapping layers from side to side, using a generous amount. Clean off the trowel and use it to smooth the edges when complete. Step 5 - Repair with Concrete Epoxy for Leaks To repair a leaking concrete block wall in a basement, you'll need concrete epoxy cement to make a waterproof seal. Concrete epoxy cements expand as they dry to make a seal that can withstand a waterspout of several hundred pounds of pressure.