Stepped Cracks in Brickwork and Helical Bar Repairs: Why a Proper Survey Matters Stepped cracking in brickwork is one of the more common defects I come across when carrying out RICS Level 2 Surveys across Leicester and Leicestershire. These cracks usually follow the horizontal and vertical mortar joints, creating a “stair-step” pattern through the brickwork. Sometimes, stepped cracking may be historic or relatively minor. In other cases, it can indicate more significant issue