Hi
some of the bricks on my outside stairs have 'blown' (hope that's the correct term!) over the past couple of years, see below. am I right to assume the entire structure is save-able i.e. hasn't reached a stage where it requires to be completely rebuilt? I'm thinking about having a go at knocking out and replacing the damaged bricks. I've never done brick work before however I'm a reasonably competent DIY'er, so do you reckon it's a task I should be able to complete?
also, am I right to assume the cause of the blown bricks is water/damp getting in behind (VERY likely through gap on top of stairs, see attached) and then expanding in cold temps? even if not the cause, I'm intending to block the gap between the slabs as well.
overall, is my approach correct? and any idea what kind of bricks they are?
thanks in advance
some of the bricks on my outside stairs have 'blown' (hope that's the correct term!) over the past couple of years, see below. am I right to assume the entire structure is save-able i.e. hasn't reached a stage where it requires to be completely rebuilt? I'm thinking about having a go at knocking out and replacing the damaged bricks. I've never done brick work before however I'm a reasonably competent DIY'er, so do you reckon it's a task I should be able to complete?
also, am I right to assume the cause of the blown bricks is water/damp getting in behind (VERY likely through gap on top of stairs, see attached) and then expanding in cold temps? even if not the cause, I'm intending to block the gap between the slabs as well.
overall, is my approach correct? and any idea what kind of bricks they are?
thanks in advance