Materials you'll need:

• Mortar mix
• Replacement brick
• PVA adhesive

Tools you'll need:

• Club hammer
• Chisels
• Wire brush
• Hose
• Trowel
• Jointing tool

If a brick works loose or falls out it must be replaced to keep the wall water and weather-tight. If the brick is not replaced right away, water can get at surrounding bricks and can erode them too, making your job much harder.

To replace the brick, first chisel out all the old dry mortar using a hammer and chisel. Be careful not to damage surrounding bricks. If the brick is already damaged but still in place, use the chisel to break it up and remove the fragments. You may need to use a wire brush to properly clean the cavity.

If the brick is in good condition, chip away the old mortar from it with a hammer and chisel (or obtain a new matching brick). Thoroughly damp down the brick and the surrounding wall area.

Mix a very small amount of mortar or use ready-mixed mortar with water added and use some to make a bed for the new brick in the bottom of the cavity. Butter the two ends and top of the brick with mortar, using your trowel. Insert the brick in the hole and press it into place, lining it up with the other bricks. Now use the trowel to push the displaced mortar back into the joints and clean away any excess from the face of the brick and surrounds. Tool the new joint so it matches the rest of the brickwork. This must be done quickly, before the mortar sets.

If the brick is damaged but for some reason, you wish to leave it in place, another way to repair it is as follows.

    1. Use a club hammer and chisel to cut back to the undamaged part of the brick. Brush away any loose material with a wire brush
    2. Cut a matching brick in half lengthwise (this is called a Queen Closer), Use a wide mouthed chisel and hammer and cut carefully to avoid shattering the brick. Mix a little mortar with PVA adhesive added and apply to the face of the damaged brick and the back of the new face. Press the half-brick into position over the old brick and allow the repair to set then replace the surrounding mortar and tool the joint as before.