Brick experts, this way please...

[Wingedharpy]

Looking for advice regarding the best way to deal with this issue.
Many (most?) of the bricks under our bay window - Victorian terrace - have/are spalled.
Ie., the face of the bricks have disintegrated and fallen off.
Water has now started to seep through them and I have a small damp patch inside, just above the level of the skirting board.

Would it be best to get the spalled bricks replaced, with all the issues regarding colour matching etc or would it be less disruptive, messy and quicker to have render applied over them, just beneath the bay?

Would render just be covering up the problem?

All advice gratefully received.

Render would be an easier fix but it will need to be in line. Cement render will just trap the damp in behind and won't solve the issue in the long term.

Lime not line!

Thank you.
Would lime render be ok then?
Would this not trap damp also?
That was my worry.

Render would work if it was done properly. The historic problem with render is that from about the 60's, for many years just Portland/ sand mortar mixes were the most common for render. To make it sticky, there was a tendency to make a rich mix. These rich mixes were very hard and waterproof but brittle and susceptible to cracking as the building moved. Water would seep into the cracks and get trapped behind the render causing damp. Hydraulic lime render is more flexible and keeps out almost all the water, it also allows any moisture that penetrates to "breathe" out back out to the atmosphere. As it sets with the reaction to Co2 in the air and not water, any small cracks can even heal over time. The downside is that it is more expensive to buy and is difficult and expensive to apply. These days there are a number of cement/ lime synthetic, composite mortars about to solve this problem so there are more choices in mixes available to you. Done right it is a solution but why not consider just removing the whole section of brickwork and use one of the many retro looking bricks available. Good luck whichever way you decide to go.

I would replace the bricks. I bet you can get a good match if you try.

I would replace blown bricks then get a modern render. Like k-mix, over it.

When you say "retro looking" KitchenGuy, do you mean new bricks or reclaimed bricks from architectural salvage place?
I have considered both options but wondered about the ability to colour match new bricks alongside the old.
Also, is it not more time consuming to cut out old bricks and replace each damaged one with new?
There are quite a few and, presumably, they would need to be replaced gradually or the house would fall down!
We would not be undertaking this work ourselves though, we have yet to find someone to do it for us.
I just like to know a bit about the solutions so that I can ask the right questions of the prospective bricklayer or builder.

Wingedharpy I have this problem too. KitchenGuy can you come and do both our houses please?

Wingedharpy I meant If the budget allows, I would be tempted to clip it in the bud and just knock out the whole area and replace all the bricks under the bay. You can traipse around salvage yards but the bricks are often more costly and sometimes of suspect quality. There are many new bricks made to match old brickwork, you may not get an exact match but if they are jointed in the same mortar colour and style and if a complete section done, after a few years they weather in and you will hardly notice if it's done well. Many builder's and brick merchants offer a free brick matching service and there are even some specialist firms who you can send a brick to and they will find the nearest match for a small fee.

PS. you can match by photos but a physical brick to accompany the photo is much better if you can get one knocked out. Also a good tradesmen will be able to advise if any support is needed while being done or it needs to be laid in sections but as it's only under a bay I wouldn't expect this to be a major issue.

It’s only a bay window so you won’t need many bricks. If the bricks have blown then they were a bit suspect in the first place. Render isn’t really suitable for a Victorian House so bricks would be in keeping with the original design. There are specialist brickmakers like Matthews Bricks near Chesham in Bucks who might be able to help.