Rant: People keep using the wrong caulk on their brick in Amarillo

Honestly, I see so many folks using standard silicone caulk on their exterior brick joints, especially on older houses near Wolflin. That stuff doesn't breathe and traps moisture inside the brick, which is a huge problem with our freeze-thaw cycles. I learned this the hard way after a repair on my own place failed in under a year and a mason told me to always use a high-quality polyurethane or masonry-specific product. Has anyone else had to fix this mistake?

4 comments

4 Comments

adams.uma1mo ago

What happens when that trapped moisture can't get out and hits a cold snap? It doesn't just make cracks worse. It pushes the whole face of the brick off, like an explosion in slow motion. That's spalling, and it's a structural problem, not just a looks thing. Once the brick skin is gone, the soft inner part erodes fast. You're right about the repair bill being insane because you're not just redoing caulk, you're replacing bricks.

moore.beth3mo ago

Ugh, you are so right. Tbh, the worst is when they slather it over the whole brick face, not just the joints, trying to seal hairline cracks. That basically puts a plastic coat on the wall and guarantees spalling when the trapped water freezes. I had a client on Olsen with that exact issue, and the repair bill was insane.

sean8543mo ago

Maybe it depends on the brick and the climate though. I've seen some older houses where a full coat was the only thing that stopped a ton of water getting in. Could be a trade-off between spalling risk and major leaks.

leehall3mo ago

Yeah that plastic coat effect is a total disaster waiting to happen. Seen it on a few old rentals I used to manage. The real fix is to repoint the mortar properly and maybe use a clear, breathable sealant on just the brick itself if you're desperate, but never that thick paint stuff. Trapping the moisture is what turns small cracks into a pile of broken bricks after a hard freeze.