Your 15-Minute Guide to Brick Masonry Home Care

If you live in North Alabama, you already know how our weather can be tough on homes. The mix of clay soil, heat, rain, and sudden temperature swings puts constant pressure on your brick masonry. Even when a house looks solid from a distance, small problems can slowly form under the surface. The good news is that you don’t need to be a mason to keep an eye on things. With a simple 15-minute walkthrough, you can spot early warning signs and stop small issues before they grow into expensive repairs.

Most homeowners only notice masonry problems when cracks become obvious or bricks start shifting. By that time, the repair cost is usually higher. Yet many early signs are easy to catch long before that. Think of this as a quick, seasonal “health check” for your home—something you can do once or twice a year. It won’t replace a professional inspection, but it can help you stay ahead of trouble.

Before you start, grab your phone for pictures, a coin or credit card to check crack width, and maybe a flashlight. You don’t need any tools beyond that. You’re simply walking around your home, paying attention, and taking notes. Once you get used to doing this, the whole process becomes surprisingly easy.

Start with the Front Steps and Walkways

Begin your check near the front entry. Steps and walkways deal with constant foot traffic and weather changes, so they show wear first. Walk up and down the steps and notice how each brick feels. If any brick moves or rocks under your foot, write it down. These loose spots often come from shifting soil or mortar that has worn away.

Next, look at the edges where the walkway meets the house. Gaps form here when the soil settles unevenly. While small gaps aren’t always a concern, they can let water in. And once water seeps behind brickwork, it slowly weakens the mortar. This is especially true in areas that stay damp after rain. If you see spots that always look wet, take a picture and add it to your notes.

Walk the Exterior Walls

Now move around the outside of your home. Walk slowly and look at the brick walls from different angles. Sometimes you can see a slight bulge or shift only when you step back a little. Pay attention to the areas near corners, windows, and doors. These spots take on more pressure because different materials meet here.

Check the mortar joints, too. Mortar naturally wears down over time, especially in our humid climate. If some joints look deeper than others, or if the mortar crumbles when you touch it, mark that location. Also, look for cracks. A hairline crack smaller than the width of a coin is usually not serious, but it’s still worth monitoring. Wider cracks, or cracks that run in several directions, may point to movement in the wall.

As you continue your walk, look for discoloration. Darker patches often mean the bricks are staying wet longer than they should. That can happen when gutters overflow, downspouts aim the wrong way, or the ground slopes toward the house. Water and brick never mix well. Over time, trapped moisture causes mortar to soften and lose strength.

Check the Chimney

Chimneys rise above the roofline, so they get hit with more wind, heat, and moisture. Even small changes in the chimney often spread to nearby areas if ignored. Stand back and check if the chimney looks straight. Then look at the mortar near the top, where weather hits hardest. If the joints look thin, flaky, or uneven compared to the rest, make a quick note.

Also check the gap where the chimney meets the siding or roof. A small separation is normal, but a widening gap can let water in. And once water enters around a chimney, it travels down into walls, ceilings, or fireplaces. The goal isn’t to panic—just to record anything that looks different or out of place.

Look at Retaining Walls and Garden Walls

Many homes sit on slopes or have raised garden beds. Retaining walls are common, and they need more attention than most homeowners realize. Stand a few steps away and see if the wall is leaning. A slight lean doesn’t always mean failure, but it’s a sign the soil is pushing harder than before.

Also look for small openings between bricks or blocks. Soil loves to escape through even tiny gaps. If soil is washing out, the wall will keep weakening until repairs are done. And don’t forget to check the areas around drainage openings. If the wall has no visible drainage points—or if they’re clogged—write it down. Good drainage keeps retaining walls alive.

Walk Across Your Patio or Outdoor Sitting Area

Finally, take a look at your patio or any brick masonry surface in your outdoor living space. Step on different sections and feel for areas that rise, dip, or move. Movement almost always means the base or the mortar joints are weakening. While this doesn’t require emergency repair, leaving it alone for too long creates bigger problems later.

Look closely at the surface of each brick. If the edges look like they’re flaking or the tops look like they’re wearing away, take pictures. This type of surface damage often starts small, but it spreads when the weather changes quickly.

Also pay attention to water after it rains. If puddles form in the same spot every time, drainage is not working properly. Poor drainage will always shorten the life of patios and walkways.

Sort Your Notes with a Simple System

After you finish the walk, sit down and sort your notes into three groups:

OK – Things that look normal but worth remembering next season Watch – Small issues like thin mortar, tiny gaps, or minor settling Call a Pro – Loose bricks, wider cracks, leaning walls, or repeated moisture problems

This simple method helps you stay organized. It also makes it easier for a mason to understand what you’ve seen if you decide to ask for help.

Know When to Call a Mason

If your list has several “Call a Pro” notes, that’s usually the point when homeowners reach out to masonry repair services near you for help. A good mason can explain what’s going on, look at the areas you flagged, and handle things like mortar repair, brick replacement, patio settling, chimney joints, and smaller retaining wall issues. Because they work with these problems every day, they can spot what needs attention right away.

However, if you see bigger warning signs—like doors sticking, bricks shifting on more than one side of the house, or wide structural cracks—you may need a foundation specialist instead. Starting with the right expert keeps the repair simple and prevents the issue from growing.

Final Thoughts

A 15-minute brick masonry check won’t replace a professional inspection, but it can help you stay ahead of issues that grow quietly over time. By walking your home once or twice a year and noting small changes, you protect both the value and safety of your home. And if you ever feel unsure about what you’re seeing, calling a local mason is always a smart next step.