Reading a failing facade
Spalling, where the face of the brick pops off, means water got behind the face and froze. Repointing alone will not stop it if the water is still arriving.
Stepped cracking that follows the mortar joints usually points to movement, either settlement or a failed lintel above an opening. Vertical cracking through brick faces is more serious and gets engineering input.
White powdery deposits on the surface tell us water is moving through the wall and carrying salts out with it, which is a useful clue about where to look.
Lintels, sills and the details that shed water
Steel lintels above windows and doors rust and expand as they corrode, which lifts the brick above them and cracks the joints. Treating or replacing the lintel is the actual repair.
Sills have to shed water away from the wall. A sill that has lost its slope, or a sealant joint that has hardened and split, sends water straight into the masonry below.
We correct flashing, weep holes and sealant joints as part of the scope, because rebuilding brick without fixing those means the same repair again in a few winters.
Commercial facades and tenants
On storefronts and multi unit buildings we plan pedestrian protection, access and noise around operating hours so a business can keep trading through as much of the work as possible.
Where scaffold or a hoarding is required we handle the permits and the setup, and we agree the staging with you before anything arrives on site.
What a facade restoration scope includes
- Condition survey: elevation by elevation, with photos.
- Cause diagnosis: where water is entering the assembly.
- Masonry work: units replaced, joints repointed, mortar matched.
- Lintels and sills: treatment or replacement specified.
- Flashing and sealant: the water shedding details corrected.
- Access plan: scaffold, protection and permits where needed.
Where facade restoration sits in the bigger job
This work is part of our building restoration service service, so it can run on its own or as one stage inside a larger project. When it is part of a bigger renovation we sequence it with the other trades rather than treating it as a standalone visit.
Clients booking this often pair it with water damage restoration, fire damage restoration, historic building restoration or commercial building restoration. One contract covers whichever combination you need, with a single schedule and one point of contact.
Facade Restoration across the Ottawa area
We take this work on throughout the greater Ottawa area. Recent jobs have run through Nepean, Merivale, South Keys, Kanata and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The consultation is free wherever you are in the city.