1955, brick church, Mineola, LI. Consider Levittown, NY suburban 
expansion the Presbyterian congregation grew in size and so they 
replaced their older church with a new brick one. Brick walls approx 25' 
in height in 1950's colonial motif architecture.

We noticed in the field of the wall horizontal mortar joints 
deteriorated and repointed (hard mortar shell repointing) that were in 
an odd location, one line below the arched windows, one line above. Not 
in any location that made sense for spandrel steel and the usual suspect 
of rust jacking to push out the mortar... and in some areas displacement 
of a course of brick (but no more than that in height of displacement). 
On review of 1955 blueprints (real blue prints, blue with white lines) 
discovered that for the full circumference of the building that there 
was a detail for 2 - #2 rebar set parallel to each other in the bed of 
the brick joint. Further investigation on the masonry itself we 
discovered the outline of the rebar in a few locations. Determined that 
the mortar displacement is due to close surface proximity of the rebar 
and rust jacking. There was no other reinforcement of the brickwork 
indicated, and there are no control joints, though the lancet/arched 
windows break up the masonry areas fairly well. As yet no probes and no 
knowledge if there are brick ties, though the face brick appears to be a 
single wythe veneer wall.

We have never seen anything like this before. Have you?

We are not sure what structural use this detail provides, if any, but we 
are hesitant to recommend wholesale removal. Also concerned not to 
simply leave it in place and repoint over with future mortar joints 
again failing. Certainly not considering caulking it as that would tend 
to hold the water into the joint and make things worse over the long 
haul. If it absolutely needs to be there for structural reasons then my 
recommendation would be to go w/ SS.

Thnx,
][<en

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