If the cracked brick is at the top of the house near the steel beam, it could be due to oxide jacking—or the pressure that builds up as the steel rusts. This is common in brick walls because brick is porous, allowing moisture to pass through and corrode the steel. Left unattended, the corroded steel beam will force the bricks completely out of place.

Horizontal cracks in brick walls closer lower in the wall or where the brick meets the concrete foundation indicates structural damage caused by settling. In this case, serious repair may be required.

Stair step cracks in brick houses are typically due to uneven settling of your foundation. Because this is a form of structural damage, it’s important that you call a Helitech professional early to repair the problem at its source.

Vertical cracking on inside corners is often due to brick expansion. As bricks are exposed to environmental humidity, they grow in size, which can cause cracks at the seams of the walls. This type of crack usually means the bricklayers who built the wall did not provide enough space between the bricks to provide for thermal expansion.

Vertical cracking on outside corners—where steel beams—is usually a result of oxide jacking, or ”rust burst.” Left unattended, the corroded steel support beam will push the bricks outward until they eventually fall off the wall altogether.