Hello!

I am considering purchasing a home in the Atlantic City, NJ area. The front of the home has what I'd call "normal" brick - red, square blocks, and looks to be in decent shape. Along the side of the home, which would have probably been an alley when there was another home next to it, the wall is made of a different material. Several layers of paint are peeling off to expose what I THOUGHT were more bricks, but these are different. They honestly appear to be made of dark, grey sand. When I poked at one that was crumbling on a window sill pretty heavily, it appeared to crumble. We get a lot of coastal storms in this area and deal with salt air too - so obviously I am concerned about the state of this wall..

Does anyone know what TYPE of brick I have here and what REPAIRS would entail?

Thanks to all - I love the experts on this site!!