Who doesn’t love some old fashioned masonry work on their home? While it might not be everyone’s fancy, it can definitely add a lot of character to a home. The worst enemy of masonry, however, is water, and if left unchecked, masonry work that gets exposed without protection will not last long. Why is that? Water will usually enter through tiny cracks, and once it gets in, it can widen those cracks, especially in the winter time. As the cracks keep getting wider, more damage is done to the masonry until eventually it is completely ruined.
So, what can you do to prevent this from happening? To start, you want to make sure that there is a sealant applied to the masonry with regular intervals. This sealant will keep water from entering, but since it wears off over time, it needs to be reapplied.
You should also ensure that there is proper grading, funneling water away from the masonry work, since standing water will do major damage to it.