A brick porch can be a valuable addition to any property, providing a seamless transition between the indoors and outdoors. It’s not only extremely functional, but it’s beautiful, too.
If you want your porch to always look great and last a while, you need to ensure you are keeping up with regular maintenance.
This can be challenging to do, though, with the hectic schedules we live today. That’s one reason why creating a regular maintenance schedule for your brick porch — and your home in general — is a great way to stay on top of what you need to do.
This ongoing maintenance will ensure that your outdoor spaces remain both safe and functional. But, if you’re unsure about any aspect of the process, consider hiring a professional to do your porch maintenance.
Here are some of the steps you should take regularly.
Cleaning Your Brick Porch
An easy first step is to clean your brick porch so that debris and dirt don’t accumulate on it. Use a pressure washer to blast away any grime and dirt that has built up; just be careful not to have the power on too high or it could damage the brick or mortar.
You may think that this is only an aesthetic exercise, but in reality, it’s important for the longevity of your brick porch. Removing dirt and grime prevents anything from soaking into the bricks, and it’s easier to spot imperfections that need addressing if it’s clean.
Repairing and Replacing Damaged Components
After your porch is clean, it’ll be easier to inspect for damaged or loose components. What you’re looking for are any holes or cracks, efflorescence, rust, bulges, moss, mildew or mold, browning, flaking or spalling. You might notice this on the railings, mortar or bricks themselves.
Some of this damage might be hard to see if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Wood rot can cause serious structural damage to your porc.
If you identify any damage, it’s essential to repair or replace them right away to prevent further damage from happening, and to ensure the porch is safe to use. If you’re not certain about what needs to be done, or whether you have the ability to do it, hire a professional to handle your porch repair.
Whether you decide to hire a professional or handle the repairs yourself, make sure you use only high-quality materials and follow the proper installation techniques so the repair lasts long. Don’t skimp on material costs, as it will only be more expensive in the long run.
Preventing Wood Rot and Damage
Depending on how your brick porch was constructed, and what its components are, there is likely at least some wood as part of it or in the close vicinity. This provides a different challenge when conducting regular maintenance.
Wood rot can cause serious structural damage to your porch, and it’s much easier to prevent it from happening in the first place than it is to repair it. So, when you’re conducting your regular porch inspections, don’t forget to look for signs of wood rot, which could include discoloration or soft spots on the wood.
If you notice any of this, it’s essential to repair and/or replace this right away. This might be too big of a job for you to do on your own, depending on the extent of the wood rot and where it’s located.
To prevent wood rot from happening, make sure that you keep your porch dry and clean. This will prevent moisture from accumulating anywhere, which can lead to wood rot.
Just like there are products that can protect your bricks from the elements, there are some that work on wood, too. Consider applying a wood sealant or preservative so all of the components of your brick porch are properly protected from the elements.
Seasonal Maintenance Tasks
A great way to stay on top of brick porch maintenance is to tackle certain things in certain seasons.
For instance, clean your porch at the start of every spring to remove any debris that settled there from the harsh winter. This will also prepare your porch for the warmer months, when you are likely to use it more.
In the fall, before the harsh winter arrives, inspect your porch for issues or damage. If you identify any, repairing and/or replacing them in the fall will help keep it protected from winter’s ire.
During winter, make sure that you clear your porch of any accumulating snow and ice so that your porch is safe to walk on and so that moisture doesn’t sit on top of the bricks for long periods of time.
Then, in summer, stay on top of keeping the porch clean from time to time as you’re enjoying it.
Common Issues and Solutions
If you’re new to brick porch maintenance, what are some of the things you should keep an eye out for?
Some of the most common issues with brick porches are damaged bricks and wood rot, as we’ve mentioned before. In addition, railings can start to come loose, either due to wood rot, damage to surrounding bricks or other issues.
Hiring a Professional for Porch Maintenance
Any homeowners can conduct basic maintenance and inspections on their brick porch. It’s fairly simple to keep the porch clean, for example, and look around to spot signs of brick damage, such as cracks, holes and mold — as we’ve discussed.
Fixing or replacing damaged components of your brick porch is another story. Some “handy” homeowners may be able to repair or replace certain damaged components of a brick porch.
But, if you’re unsure of any aspect of the process, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
When searching for a contractor, choose one with experience in porch maintenance and repair. Check to see if they are well-regarded in the industry and have good reviews. And get multiple quotes so you can compare prices, suggestions and “fit” before hiring a contractor.
Extend the Life of Your Brick Porch with Regular Maintenance
Brick porches are beautiful and functional at the same time, but if you want it to last long and be safe, you need to conduct regular maintenance. Doing so will not only help you identify and address issues before they become huge problems, it’ll also keep your porch looking great.
Creating a regular maintenance schedule and performing maintenance tasks seasonally can help you stay on top of this maintenance so nothing slips through the cracks.
