Construction & Contractors Blog
Do you have brick on the exterior of your home, and the mortar is falling apart and needs to be replaced? The process of replacing the mortar between the brick is known as tuckpointing, and it is a very labor-intensive process that is best left to a masonry contractor. Here is what you can expect when having the brick on your home tuckpointed.
1. Mortar Removal
The process starts by removing a large amount of the mortar between the bricks. The goal is not to remove all of the mortar so that the brick falls out, but remove enough of the damaged mortar so that it can be replaced. There are a few ways that the mortar can be removed.
The masonry specialist may start with a mortar rack, which is an odd-looking tool that has wheels and a nail attached to it, and it is run across the mortar so that the nail digs out the mortar. This can be a great starting point for mortar that is crumbling and ready to come out. A cold chisel can also be used when the mortar is getting a bit stubborn since you are using more force by using a hammer to force that mortar out. In situations where the mortar really doesn't want to come out, a grinder can be used to grind away at that hard mortar.
2. Brick Cleaning
The next step is to remove all of the dust that is between the individual bricks. This can actually be done by spraying down the brick so that the debris flows out of the cracks. It doesn't require soaking the bricks, but they should be lightly coated with water to help remove that layer of dust that was created by the mortar removal process. The exterior brick should naturally dry before the next step
3. Mortar Replacement
The last step is the manual process of inserting new mortar into the gap that was created. This can be done by creating mortar that matches the color that you want and using a trowel to pack it in tightly between the bricks. It is not going to look pretty at this point, but it doesn't need to yet. The masonry specialist is going to make sure that there is no air trapped behind the mortar by packing it in as tight as possible.
The mortar will dry for a very short amount of time, and then a special tool will be used to scrape off the excess mortar and create that unique recessed shape that you want to see in the mortar. A soft brush will be used to scrape off excess mortar and smooth out the surface.
Share5 February 2021
My name is Debbie Greenberg. I’m a single woman who owns her home, and like most homeowners I dread home repairs. I’m not very handy with do-it-yourself projects around the house. I can do a few minor repairs when necessary, but for the most part I have to call in a professional. Last year I had a leak in my roof. When it rained, water would leak into my kitchen. What appeared to be a simple fix turned out to be anything but simple. It took over four months to finally identify the problem, and double the money I was initially quoted to fix it. The problem ended up being that the flat part of my roof didn't have shingles, but a sheeting material. I learned a bit about home roofs along the way, and that is what I want to share with you.
