Fretting bricks, crumbling mortar, stepped cracks and bulging walls. We repoint, stitch, replace and restore brickwork so it is sound, weathertight and matches what is already there.
Most brickwork damage in Sydney comes down to moisture. Salt-laden water rises from the ground or soaks in from the surface, then evaporates through the face of the brick. As the salts crystallise they break the surface apart. That is fretting: bricks that powder, flake or hollow out year after year.
Mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part of a wall. When it erodes, water gets deeper into the wall and the bricks start taking the damage instead. Repointing with a hard modern cement mortar on an older wall makes it worse, because the bricks then wear faster than the joints around them.
Cracks are a different problem. Stepped cracks through the mortar, cracks through the bricks themselves, or walls that lean or bulge usually point to movement in the footings, failed lintels or missing wall ties. Patching the crack without fixing the cause means it opens again.
If any of these sound familiar, it is worth a free site visit. We will tell you straight what your site needs.
Brick faces that powder, flake or hollow out, often low on the wall or near downpipes.
Joints recessed back from the brick face, sandy to the touch, or missing in places.
Cracks running through the mortar in a staircase pattern, often from the corners of windows and doors.
Cracks running through the bricks themselves rather than around them, usually a sign of movement.
Efflorescence on the surface is a sign of moisture and salts moving through the wall.
Walls that are out of plumb can mean failed wall ties or footings and need urgent assessment.
Not sure if it is cosmetic or structural? Send us a few photos of the cracking and we will tell you honestly.
From a single fretting pier to a full facade, the approach is the same: fix the cause, then repair the brickwork to match.
Raking out failed joints and repointing with a mortar matched in strength and colour to the wall, lime-based for older brickwork.
Cutting out badly fretted bricks and replacing them with matched new or reclaimed bricks, then dealing with the moisture that caused it.
Helical stainless steel bars bonded into the joints across the crack to tie the wall back together, designed with an engineer where needed.
Rusted steel lintels over windows and doors crack the brickwork above. We prop, remove the bricks, replace the lintel and rebuild.
Corroded cavity ties let the outer skin of brick move. We install retrofit ties to reconnect it to the structure.
Cleaning, salt treatment, repointing and brick replacement on heritage and older walls, using materials that suit the original.
A selection of recent brickwork repairs projects across Sydney.
View all projects
Every brickwork job follows the same five steps, from diagnosis to documented handover.
We attend site, inspect the defect and its surroundings, and identify the cause rather than just the symptom. Where needed we take photos, moisture readings and cover measurements.
We coordinate a remedial or structural engineer where required and agree a written scope of works that fixes the cause, not only the visible damage.
You receive a clear, itemised written quote with methodology, materials, access, programme and any approvals. No vague lump sums.
Our crew carries out the work to the engineer's specification and Australian Standards, with progress photos and hold-point inspections at each critical stage.
Final inspection, clean-up and a handover pack: photos, product data, engineer sign-off where applicable, and your statutory warranty under the Home Building Act 1989.
Mortar matched in colour and strength, bricks matched or reclaimed, and the moisture or movement behind the damage dealt with first.
Brickwork repairs fail when the wrong mortar is used or the cause is ignored. We diagnose first and repair with materials that suit the wall.
We diagnose why the defect happened. Patching over the symptom is why so many repairs fail twice.
DBP General Unrestricted (BUP4254812). Qualified for Class 2 apartment remedial work under the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020.
Builder Licence 384697C, $20M public liability, workers compensation and HBCF cover where required.
We work with remedial and structural engineers from diagnosis to sign-off, so the fix is designed, not guessed.
Photos, product data, hold-point records and certification. Exactly what strata committees, insurers and buyers ask for.
Hands-on remedial and heritage work across Sydney since the 1970s, including jobs other builders turned down.
Real reviews from homeowners, strata and builders.
We have been undertaking a considerable repair and restoration of our 1850 residence in Darlinghurst. Constatine and his team completed outstanding work, all at a very competitive price. Every deadline was met with no increase to the original quote. Their knowledge, gathered over many years, and their incredible eye for detail significantly improved the final outcome beyond what was originally proposed. I rate them very highly and would recommend them wholeheartedly.
Constatine and his team were outstanding from start to finish. They responded quickly, arrived on time for the quote, and once awarded the project, completed everything on schedule. The property was built in 1880 and presented a very difficult scope of work, but the team handled it expertly. We received regular updates, excellent advice, and the quality of workmanship was exceptional. They were also extremely tidy throughout the process. I could not recommend METCON highly enough.
My partner and I own an original 1920s semi-detached home in Vaucluse, with complex sandstone foundations and multiple structural challenges caused by previous defective works. After years of delays, failed consultants, and no progress, I met Constatine and his team. From the beginning, I was impressed by the detailed review of our plans and the identification of numerous discrepancies that previous builders had missed. The team supported us through lengthy council negotiations, neighbour consultations, and COVID-related delays, even before contracts were signed. Once construction commenced, Constatine and the Meteora Constructions team were exceptional. Progress remained on schedule despite heavy rain, unforeseen structural issues, and highly complex underpinning works that previous builders had refused to undertake. They completed the work efficiently and at significantly less cost than other builders had quoted. I cannot speak highly enough of Constatine and METCON Remedial Services. It is no understatement to say that engaging Constatine and his team saved not only our project, but probably our marriage as well.
Straight answers from the builder. Anything else, just ask.
Fretting is when the face of a brick powders, flakes or hollows out. It is usually caused by salts carried in by moisture crystallising inside the brick as the wall dries. Fixing it means dealing with the moisture first, then replacing or repairing the damaged bricks and joints.
When mortar joints are eroded back from the face, crumbly or missing, or water is getting into the wall. Repointing should use a mortar softer than the bricks, especially on older walls, so the joints wear rather than the bricks.
Often, yes. Helical crack stitching ties the wall back together across the crack. But if the crack is caused by footing movement, failed lintels or corroded wall ties, that cause needs to be fixed too or the crack will return.
Fine hairline cracks are often cosmetic. Cracks wider than a few millimetres, cracks that are growing, cracks through bricks and walls that lean or bulge should be inspected. We can tell you honestly which it is.
Remedial problems rarely come alone. Leaks cause concrete cancer, damp causes render failure. We fix the whole chain.
Back to Remedial BuildingPlain-language guides from our team on the questions we are asked most.
Older brick homes, terraces, walk-up apartments and commercial buildings across Sydney and surrounding NSW.
A few photos of the fretting, cracking or eroded joints is enough for an initial view and to book an inspection.
