A few failures of brickwork due to the disruptive action of frost have
been reported during the last 30 years and scientific work has sought to determine a brick’s resistance to frost failure. Most of the failures reported were in exposed parapet walls or chimney stacks where brickwork suffers most rain saturation and there is a likelihood of damage by frost. Few failures of ordinary brick walls below roof level have been reported. Providing sensible precautions are taken in the design of parapets and stacks above roof level and brick walls in general are protected from saturation by damaged rainwater gutters or blocked rainwater pipes there seems little likelihood of frost damage in this country.
Parapet {walls}, chimney stacks and garden walls should be built of sound, hard burned bricks protected with coping, cappings and damp-proof courses.