Building Conservation and Renewal
4. Poorly Presented Brickwork Historic brickwork deteriorates over time in both appearance and structural integrity, however unlike many modern materials it can be successfully renewed. A common problem with facade brickwork on Thomas Street is heavy pollution, pollution caused historically by smoke and more recently by traffic, with resultant blackening and concealment of original colour and jointing. In some cases, this process can be considered part of the aged character of a building and is worthy of retention or partial retention, but often pollution can chemically degrade brick facings and pointing over time. Modern techniques of cleaning now allow for highly successful cleaning of brickwork and masonry. Heavy cement repointing carried out during the 20th century is a further problem in evidence along Thomas Street. This practice is aesthetically crude as it takes away from the visual dominance of the brick, while also being damaging to the fabric of the brick itself by preventing joints from breathing and forcing moisture to evaporate through the face of the brickwork, causing it to spall. Depending on the strength of the cement and the extent of its application, it can be possible to remove this. The street facades of attic storeys were commonly rebuilt in Dublin during the 20th century due to poor maintenance of parapet valleys, which caused brickwork to fail at the uppermost levels. A problem associated with this phenomenon, as seen in some places on Thomas Street, was the deployment of mismatched modern brick when rebuilding. This creates a discordant patchwork impression when contrasted with historic brickwork of lower storeys, but this is still possible to rectify. Painting of brickwork is a significant problem on a number of buildings on the Thomas Street route. This was usually carried out in the early 20th century when it was not possible to effectively clean exterior masonry, or it was considered a cheaper alternative to repointing a facade. Painted brickwork creates an unsightly undulating facade imitating a rendered finish, while also depriving the street of a sophisticated historic brick elevation. Nonetheless, one of the unintended benefits of this practice is that historic pointing often survives in excellent condition beneath the protective coat of many years of paint, waiting to be reexposed. This can be done using modern techniques of removal. Right: Problems with brick treatment on Thomas Street.
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