How Can I Fix This?

[zollydog]

What caused this and how can I fix it?


yegods by Athens Nikita, on Flickr

[cs]

In a word - water.

From the photographs, it looks like water is getting into the wall, freezing and thawing and breaking the mortar apart. Maybe it's coming in through that chipped corner in the porch floor. Maybe surface tension is pulling water around the porch floor "lip" and into the joints... dunno. But water infiltration is the cause.

Chris
http://www.saracenihouse.com

[zollydog]

Thank you, chris.

Do you think I can somehow repoint it, or do I need to demolish it?

[cs]

I'm not a mason... but I should think you could repoint. First, though, you'd want to solve the water infiltration issue. Maybe you could drop a hose on the porch deck and see how the water runs off. Following the path of the water, and figuring out how to keep it from running into the top of the wall, would be the first step.

Chris
http://www.saracenihouse.com

[mross_pitt]

Sure you can fix it.
It should be even easier since it seems like you have access to the inside of the wall as well. If you don't stop the water going in, it will end up just the same again. That concrete pad is basically a roof, and the blocks underneath are only as stable as the roof allows them to be.

You'd probably want to replace that one block that looks mostly disintegrated with a new one, otherwise you'll have to have a large concrete patch there.

[triguy128]

The problem might be as simple as the overhead conrete need to extend 1/2" farther out so water woudl drip off. You mgith be able to have a pieace of flashing custom bent ot fit on the lwoer edge of the concrete and stick out 1" with a rolled edge that curves down jsut a little. This acts the same as a drip edge on a roof gutter system. Actually you might be able ot use soem roofing drip edge. To adhere it, you might be able to use some silicone adhesive caulk.

But whatever you do, you need to stop water from running down that wall.