Published 2026-10-22 · last updated 2026-10-22 · Remarkable Group
You repair a crack in masonry by first determining the cause (shrinkage, settlement, thermal movement or a rusting anchor), grinding out the joint around the crack, installing a non-corrosive anchor or bed joint reinforcement (carbon, AR glass or basalt) with mortar or resin, and finishing it off. If the crack is structural or keeps growing, bring in a structural engineer first.
A crack in masonry can be harmless or a signal of a bigger problem. Non-corrosive reinforcement (carbon, AR fibreglass or basalt) is in both cases a more durable repair material than steel, because it does not rust and therefore does not cause new cracks through rust expansion. This article puts the types of cracks, the trade-off around bed joint reinforcement, the general repair steps and the suitable products side by side.
Not every crack has the same cause, and the cause determines whether (and how) repair with reinforcement makes sense:
curing or drying out. Usually fine, often spread across the wall surface, generally not a signal of a structural problem.
foundation. Often run in a stepped pattern through the joints, and often wider on one side. This type of crack always calls for an assessment of the cause (the foundation), not just sealing the crack itself.
material with temperature changes, often around expansion joints that are missing or too far apart, or around window and door openings where the wall has locally less stiffness.
wall tie or steel bed joint reinforcement that has started to rust expands and pushes the masonry loose. You often recognise this type of crack by rust stains or a regular pattern that coincides with the position of the original anchoring.
Bed joint reinforcement (reinforcement laid in the horizontal joint between the bricks) is mainly worthwhile at two points:
1. Preventively, around window and door openings in new construction or a major renovation: these are the spots where the wall has locally less stiffness and where thermal and shrinkage cracks occur most often. BRIKSY is designed for this. 2. During repair, when an existing crack needs to be not only sealed but also reinforced against recurrence: the reinforcement spreads the tensile forces that caused the crack over a larger part of the joint, instead of that force concentrating again on one point.
Use the calculation tool masonry reinforcement for a wind-bearing outer leaf to get a first estimate of the bed joint reinforcement needed when wind plays a role in the load.
The exact execution differs per product and per situation (see the technical data sheet of the chosen product), but the sequence is broadly always the same:
movement, settlement or a rusting anchor? If in doubt, or in the case of a crack that points to settlement, consult a structural engineer first (see below).
there is room for the anchor or reinforcement and for new mortar or resin.
(CONNECTOR Wall Crack Anchor or CONNECTOR Staple Anchor) is installed across the crack; bed joint reinforcement (BRIKSY) is laid in the joint. This is done with mortar or (depending on the product and the substrate) a resin, so that the reinforcement bonds well with the surrounding masonry.
visually unobtrusive and the wall is again sealed against moisture.
crack stitching bar for masonry, designed for facade repair with minimal intervention and a visually unobtrusive result. The product page explicitly states this as an alternative to a stainless steel helical bar.
anchor for crack repair, mainly in concrete, suitable for both force-locking and limited elastic crack repair.
BRIKSY AR-glas: bed joint reinforcement that prevents cracks around window and door openings, in 6 widths from 40 to 300 mm, non-corrosive and therefore also suitable for the outer facade.
concrete specifically designed for crack distribution, with a sand-coated surface for good bonding and smaller crack widths during repair.
category Anchoring](../products/verankering.html).
Bring in a structural engineer as soon as:
wall going out of plumb or sinking);
the wall is in doubt;
The products in this article repair the visible crack and reinforce against recurrence of the same type of movement; they do not replace a structural assessment where one is needed.
Not every crack means the structure is at risk: a hairline crack from shrinkage or a small thermal crack is often only cosmetic. A crack that keeps widening, runs in a stepped pattern through the joints, or is accompanied by the wall going out of plumb, is a signal to have a structural engineer look at it before repairing it.
That fixes the visible problem, not the cause. If the underlying movement (shrinkage, settlement, thermal expansion) continues, the crack returns in the same place. Reinforcement spreads the tensile forces that cause the crack over a larger area, which counters recurrence; where the cause is structural, reinforcement alone also only addresses the symptom, not the cause itself.
A crack stitching bar (such as CONNECTOR Wall Crack Anchor or CONNECTOR Staple Anchor) repairs an existing crack: it is installed across the crack in the masonry or concrete. Bed joint reinforcement (such as BRIKSY) is laid preventively in the horizontal joints of new or repaired masonry, especially around window and door openings, to prevent cracking there before it occurs.
Steel rusts as soon as moisture reaches it, and a rusting anchor or rusting bed joint reinforcement can itself cause new cracks through the pressure that rust expansion creates. Non-corrosive materials (carbon, fibreglass, basalt) do not carry that risk and are therefore suitable for repairs to the outer facade, where moisture cannot be avoided.
The products are designed for straightforward installation without special training, but determining the cause and assessing whether the crack is structural is skilled work. If in doubt, or in the case of a crack that points to settlement or a problem in the load-bearing structure, a structural engineer is the starting point, not the anchor.
Our specialists will gladly help you choose the right material.