Reattach Brick Patio Surround

Help Around the House host Henry Harrison helps a guest repair a patio where the brick surround has moved away from the patio slab.

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Harrison shows how to remove a section of bricks and anchor them securely as well as fill in some missing mortar. On his elbow grease scale of one to four, Harrison gives this job a three.

Materials and Tools:

caulk gun
hydraulic jack
metal bar
wooden post
large prybar
hammer drill with bit
square and pointed trowel
hammer
chisel
shims
tongue depressor
carpenter's pencil
hack saw
clamps
bucket and sponge
gloves
rag
safety glasses and dust mask
concrete fortifier
mortar
concrete sealer
concrete caulk
nails
metal rods
plastic sheeting

Steps:

1. If a support post for the porch roof is sitting on the bricks, us a hydraulic jack and a wooden post to temporarily lift some of the weight off the bricks. Just apply enough force to free the bricks.

2. Pry the section of brick surround that has separated away from the patio using a large pry bar. Carefully lift the section away from the patio to see what the problem was. In this case, the bricks weren't anchored to the patio and there was practically no mortar along the base.

3. Chisel away excess mortar from the back of the bricks, and clean out the area. If there's packed soil beneath the patio, tack up a piece of plastic sheeting to act as a moisture barriers and to keep the soil in place.

4. Lift the section back into place. Use wooden shims to temporarily align the bricks until you can come back and add mortar.

5. Take the hammer drill and drill through the mortar line and into the concrete slab. Next, come back and insert a metal support rod to tie the brick to the concrete.

6. Insert the metal rod through the hole until it stops. Mark the rod and cut it about an inch shorter so the end is not visible when the rod is installed. Cut the rod using a hacksaw. Repeat the process if necessary to install more rods.

7. Mix up mortar and make a stiff batter, about the consistency of oatmeal. Add a bit of concrete fortifier to the mix to add flexibility.

8. Coat the support rod with mortar and insert into the hole. Use the back of a trowel to force the rod into the hole, and fill the hole with mortar so the rod disappears.

9. Next pack the gap along the base with as much mortar as possible. Load up a scrap 2x4 with mortar and use it as a platform as you force mortar as deep into the joint as possible using the trowel. Clean excess mortar from the bricks and tool out the joints so they're nice and smooth. Finish by running a bead of concrete caulk along the top seam.

10. Leave the shims in place at least a day until the mortar sets up. This keeps the weight of the bricks from forcing out the mortar. After a day or so remove the shims and pack some mortar in the holes, and remove the hydraulic jack and temporary support post.