Buying first home - crumbling bricks below damp course

[AliAckroyd]

Hi all,
My husband and I are just in the process of buying our first home, we have found a lovely property but the only issue is that below the damp course a few brick faces have started to flake off, it is certainly not all the bricks but it is there on a few, it's quite bad on one if the corners. The house is about 20 years old.
How much is this roughly to fix if at first we repaired the flaking bricks? It's only recently came to light it has this and if it's going to be £1000's maybe we should pull out
Your advice is much appreciated!
Alison & Matt

 

[Burnerman]

What you are referring to is 'spalling' - this is where water gets absorbed into the brick, freezes in the winter and causes the front face to burst off.....not uncommon at all, but less frequent where hard engineering bricks were used below DPC.
They can't be repaired, only replaced - which naturally enough can take a while to cut each spalled brick out.
You can prevent much of this by applying a product such as Johnstones water seal or similar, which soaks into the brick and prevents further problems.
Wheter this puts you off buying is really up to you but its quite a common thing and not serious if kept under control.
John

 

[^woody^]

A days work? £150?

 

[AliAckroyd]

Thanks everyone.
It doesn't seem a big enough issue to pull out of the sale as we love the house.
Thank you for your advice!
Alison & Matt

 

[iandandav]

double post

 

[iandandav]

A problem we will see alot more of in a few decades judging by the crappy materials used these days in new houses. Houses have at last become disposable like everything else.

 

[AliAckroyd]

I know, the brick quality doesn't seem as good as the bricks our parents houses are made from.

 

[^woody^]

It tends to be poor specification or design or workmanship on new build housing