# Ivy houses

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ivy-houses/38195>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 25, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ivy-houses/38195 "2000-10-25T00:56:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ivy-houses/38195/1 "2000-10-25T00:56:06Z")

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Is ivy bad on brick houses? I have heard that it is, but then there are old buildings that have ivy on them and they are doing fine.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2000, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ivy-houses/38195/2 "2000-10-25T01:07:41Z")

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depends on the type of ivy. Some just clings lightly, and doesn’t significantly chemically react with the brick. This stuff is ok. But some sends roots into the brick, absorbs it as nutrient, and/or just cracks it apart. This is bad. Try pulling the ivy away and see what its done to the brick underneath