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Mortar joints are the weakest part of any brick or stone wall — they erode from rain, freeze-thaw cycles, and pollution. Once joints recede past about 10mm depth, water penetrates behind the bricks and into the wall structure, causing damp inside and frost damage to bricks. Repointing every 50–80 years on most walls (more often on exposed elevations) is normal maintenance. Spotting failing pointing early — when joints are receding but bricks are sound — prevents the much more expensive repair of replacing damaged bricks.

On modern buildings (post-1930s) with cement-bedded walls, cement mortar is fine. On older buildings (pre-1920s) bedded in lime mortar, you must use lime when repointing — cement is harder than the original bricks and stones, so when the wall flexes, cement-pointed joints cause the bricks to crack rather than the joint. The result is destruction of historic fabric. Always ask the bricklayer to identify the existing mortar type before quoting; if they don't know, find someone who does.

Repair if the issue is upper courses only (top 5–8 courses) and the lower stack is sound. Rebuild from roof line up if the stack is leaning, multiple courses are loose, the flue is damaged internally, or the lining has failed. A chimney with a slight lean (less than 25mm out of plumb on a 3m stack) is sometimes just monitored; significant lean must be addressed. Always cap unused chimneys with a vented cap to keep rain out and damp away from internal walls.

Often yes, with effort. Reclaimed bricks from architectural salvage yards match many older Irish red brick patterns. New 'stock' or 'reclaimed-look' bricks come in many traditional colours. The trick is mortar matching — the colour of the joint matters as much as the brick colour for invisible repair. Skilled bricklayers blend mortar with sand from local sources (or pigments) to match the original joint colour. A test joint on a less visible elevation lets you confirm the match before the main work.

Spalling — the face of the brick flaking off — happens when water enters the brick (often through failed pointing) and freezes, expanding and cracking the brick face. Common on Ireland north and east elevations after wet winters. The fix is to replace the spalled bricks (cut out, replace with matching, repoint around) and address the cause (typically failed pointing above) so the cycle doesn't repeat. Don't paint over spalled bricks — paint traps moisture inside and accelerates damage.