Inspector recommends grout for masonry crack

[pm124]

We have a 120 year old building with a crack in the wall. We hired an inspector to look at it because we do not trust just hiring contractors. He recommended that we just reach down to it from the roof with a caulk gun and fill the with caulk. That is, put caulk in the gap formed in the mortar and in the gaps spanning the bricks. Moreover, the crack runs right next to where some other idiot decided to slap caulk on the outside of our building. This all seemed unbelievably foolish to me. 

Is there any merit to this claim?

[Mike Lamb]

Read Brick Industry Notes 46.  Pictures might help.  Is there something that is causing the cracks that needs to be addressed?  Caulking and grouting are different things.  I would not recommend caulk.  It does not breathe.

Go Brick

...Two methods used to repair mortar joints are face grouting and repointing. While both have been used successfully, they are intended for different purposes and vary in performance. Repointing is generally recommended and is performed more often because the procedure is better suited to correct various types and severities of mortar joint deterioration compared with face grouting....

Edited September 6, 2019 by Mike Lamb

[Jim Katen]

On 9/6/2019 at 2:12 PM, pm124 said:

We have a 120 year old building with a crack in the wall. We hired an inspector to look at it because we do not trust just hiring contractors. He recommended that we just reach down to it from the roof with a caulk gun and fill the with caulk. That is, put caulk in the gap formed in the mortar and in the gaps spanning the bricks. Moreover, the crack runs right next to where some other idiot decided to slap caulk on the outside of our building. This all seemed unbelievably foolish to me. 

Is there any merit to this claim?

Is this the same building and the same crack in this topic: 

 

 

 

[pm124]

On 9/8/2019 at 8:27 PM, Jim Katen said:

Is this the same building and the same crack in this topic: 

 

 

 

It is the same one. How you imported that into this thread is amazing.

Edited September 12, 2019 by pm124
clarification

[hausdok]

120 years old and six stories.

I'd suspect it was structural brick and not veneer but it looks like it transitions to something else. Is it a wood building with a brick façade or possibly a cement block structure with brick façade? Is that a straight joint all the way down? If so, it might be there for expansion. Any more pics?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Jebo77]

From pic it appears to be coming away from structure. Is there a footing at the base that could be settling? Is the crack a different width (wider) at top than bottom? 

[Jim Katen]

2 hours ago, Jebo77 said:

From pic it appears to be coming away from structure. Is there a footing at the base that could be settling? Is the crack a different width (wider) at top than bottom? 

You realize that this crack is at the top of a six story building, right?