Why are the faces of my bricks popping off in Orleans?

When the face of a brick breaks away from the body behind it, that is called spalling. A mason looking at your wall can tell you what is driving it; according to a National Research Council building digest (CBD-30), frost damage depends on the degree of saturation with water, the rate and number of times of freezing, the strength and elastic properties of the material, and the nature of the pore structure, and salt damage "is very similar in appearance to that produced by frost action, and in many cases it is difficult to determine which mechanism has caused it."

One thing worth knowing before you apply anything to the surface: CBD-30 notes that with a vapour-permeable but water-repellent membrane on the outer face, salts can be deposited behind the surface layer and the resulting force of crystallization can cause the skin to spall. Ask the mason before putting any sealer on the wall.

A mason's inspection will look at how many bricks are affected, how deep the damage goes, whether the mortar joints are also deteriorating, and where moisture may be entering. From that, they can say whether the job is selective brick replacement, repointing, or a combination. Published Ontario contractor pricing, 2025-26 puts spalled brick replacement at about $20 to $45 per brick installed, and repointing at about $10 to $30 per sq ft of wall; your quote will differ based on how many bricks need replacing, the wall height, whether scaffolding is needed, and whether matching brick is readily available.

Ask the mason where replacement brick will come from and how closely it matches your existing units in size, colour, and texture. The Ontario Building Code (9.20.2.2.(1)) states that used bricks shall be free of old mortar, soot or other surface coating, so if salvaged brick is proposed, ask how it will be prepared.

When you have two written quotes in front of you, put these side by side: the wall area each contractor measured, the joint depth and mortar type specified, the number of bricks each proposes to replace and where the matching brick comes from, whether scaffolding is included and at what cost, and what each quote covers for cleanup and disposal of broken brick and old mortar.