Repointing brickwork is normally required at the least a few times per century. Put on, climate and structural stresses trigger the mortar between bricks to deteriorate over the many years, till you’re left with ugly pointing and probably an unsafe constructing. In case your property was constructed within the Nineteen Eighties or earlier, it could be time to sort out this important challenge.
Some bold residence renovators do their very own brickwork repointing, whereas different owners (usually correctly) flip to a bricklayer. Both approach, it’s price understanding concerning the many issues that may go mistaken with repointing, doubtlessly compromising your brickwork.
To shed some mild on these widespread mishaps, we spoke to Marcus Clark, a standard bricklayer and director of Heritage Brickwork Restoration in Kent.
Marcus Clark
Third-generation bricklayer, Marcus Clark, is director of Heritage Brickwork Restoration, an organization of renovation and conservation craftsmen based mostly in Kent. Clark oversees his agency’s repointing providers and is an authority on mortar formulation for historic properties.
Incorrect mortar combine
Mortar is made up of sand, water, and a binding agent comparable to cement (generally utilized in new builds) or lime (a extra conventional and artisanal selection). Every repointing challenge will profit from a well-chosen mortar, with simply the appropriate properties, texture and hue. It’s simple to get the combination mistaken.
“So much goes into understanding what would be the right combination on your function and getting the appropriate formulation,” says Clark.
“One of the vital widespread errors folks make is utilizing the mistaken sand. For instance, in case you used a clear sand by itself – like a silver sand or a pointy sand – you’ll be able to find yourself with numerous water coming to the floor and your whole sand sinking to the underside, as there’s no loam left on the sand to assist it adhere.”
“That is the place lime is available in: it absorbs and holds water all through the mortar,” he provides.
“You’ll be able to by no means simply chuck a little bit of this and that right into a bucket and hope for one of the best.”(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures / Joanne Hedger)
One other mixing mistake is including an excessive amount of water, which is particularly problematic while you’re working with lime mortar.
“It’s worthwhile to use it as dry as you’ll be able to probably handle – a lean combine,” says Clark.
“There must be sufficient water to permit it to clump collectively while you squeeze it, however not a lot that you find yourself with it throughout your hand.”
Watery mortar can dramatically have an effect on the completed look of brickwork, leaving the kind of messy marks you’ve most likely seen on partitions in your neighbourhood.
“While you put actually moist mortar right into a joint you’ll be able to find yourself getting numerous it on the face of the brick, and that turns into a lot more durable to get off with out spoiling your end,” says Clark.
Property knowledgeable and former Cowboy Lure presenter on Repair Radio, Clive Holland, has seen repointing at its greatest and at its worst. He emphasises the significance of blending the mortar to the appropriate energy:
“If the mortar is simply too robust, it may really be more durable than the bricks themselves, resulting in cracking or spalling over time, whereas if it’s too weak, it’ll crumble and fail to bond correctly.
“All the time take the time to know what combine fits the age and kind of brick you’re working with – particularly on older or listed buildings, the place a lime-based combine could be important. You’ll be able to by no means simply chuck a little bit of this and that right into a bucket and hope for one of the best.”
Clive Holland
Clive Holland is the previous host of Cowboy Lure on the BBC. Now a broadcaster on Repair Radio, the UK’s solely nationwide radio station for builders and tradespeople, Holland is without doubt one of the UK’s main property and DIY specialists.
Poor preparation
The inspiration of profitable repointing is within the preparation. In response to Clark, a typical mistake at this stage is eradicating too little of the previous mortar.
“You’re purported to rake out two-and-a-half occasions the depth of the joint,” he says, referring to the scale of the crammed hole between bricks.
“The common joint is 10mm deep, so you have to be raking out at the least 25mm to make sure there’s sufficient materials to create an entire, new mortar joint on the entrance, which must be utilized sq. with the remaining mortar.
“If the brand new layer is simply too skinny, it’s simply going to come back off with the primary frost.”
Proven right here eradicating recent mortar, a mortar rake device can be utilized to rake out previous mortar that is delicate and unfastened. A harder device comparable to a chisel or angle grinder could be wanted for more durable mortar. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures / AtWaG)
Raking out previous mortar creates mud and particles, which have to be cleared out earlier than the brand new mortar is utilized.
“Ensure you’ve received clear, dust-free joints, as a result of forsaking unfastened materials can forestall the brand new mortar from bonding correctly,” says Holland.
“A superb wire brush and a little bit of elbow grease go a good distance.”
Clark stresses the significance of wetting the bricks earlier than making use of recent mortar.
“One of many greatest errors folks make is that they put mortar with a excessive water content material into dry brickwork, and the bricks immediately suck out the entire moisture and switch the mortar to mud,” he says.
“Earlier than you repoint, you must moist the part that you just’re going to level, let that soak up, after which repeat these steps twice extra. After that, so long as there’s no unfastened floor water, it’s time to start out pointing.”
Incorrect tooling
Numerous instruments are utilized in repointing, together with wire brushes for cleansing joints, trowels for making use of recent mortar and hawks for holding it prepared. Selecting the right tooling for a selected challenge is essential to the pointing’s look and soundness.
“Making an attempt to bodge your approach by way of with out the appropriate package slows you down and makes it a lot more durable to get a clear {and professional} end,” says Holland.
“A pointing trowel that matches the joint dimension, a hawk for simple entry to mortar, and a jointer for that neat end will make a world of distinction. The best instruments save time, cut back mess, and provides a greater consequence each time.”
In case you have numerous repointing work forward of you, it’s price investing in instruments that can final. Clark attracts from a list of well-used, handmade instruments for his heritage repointing tasks.
“You should buy numerous bricklaying instruments in a lot of the huge builders’ retailers lately, however they want numerous carrying in earlier than they really feel actually comfy,” he says.
“Keep in mind that many instruments come in numerous sizes. For example, tuck jointing pointing fingers vary from round 2mm all the best way as much as 15mm, to make use of with completely different sizes of joint. Selecting the correct dimension of device is crucial.”
Ox P031003 Brick Joint Raker
In case your current pointing is delicate or crumbling, a easy joint raker may be capable of clear the joints to the suitable depth.
Tuck pointers are amongst a number of repointing instruments that have to be the appropriate dimension on your challenge. This one is for 1cm joints.
Faithfull Churn Brush 250mm (10in)
Churn brushes are used to beat mortar additional into the brickwork, making a finer end and a stronger joint.
Improper utility
Appropriately making use of the recent mortar is, in fact, an important part of repointing. Getting this mistaken may end up in ugly joints, water ingress and structural points.
“It’s worthwhile to press the mortar firmly into the joint to verify it bonds all over, reasonably than simply sitting on the floor,” Holland advises.
“Fill the joints absolutely, pack them tight, and don’t go away air pockets. Then as soon as it’s began to agency up a bit, strike or brush the joints to your chosen end. It’s not nearly making it look good – ending helps water run off correctly and protects the joint long-term. A sloppy utility received’t final 5 minutes in British climate.”
Repointing brickwork is a high quality ability. If you happen to’re a DIYer, contemplate taking a course and practising the method earlier than you go close to your private home’s brickwork. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures / ClarkandCompany)
Clark follows a extremely particular, heritage utility course of utilizing his conventional bricklaying instruments.
“You set the mortar in along with your steel device and you allow it for an hour, 40 minutes or so, then you definately return over along with your wooden to finish the primary firming of your piece of labor,” he says.
“Subsequent, you return over it with a churn brush, beating the wall at virtually a 90-degree angle to shine up the little bits of mixture within the mortar and tighten the mortar within the joint.
“It’s all a part of the method of getting a very good, robust end earlier than curing.”
Dashing the method
You could be in a rush to complete repointing your private home – particularly in case your brickwork is in disrepair otherwise you’re eager to finish a renovation. Mortar does begin to set shortly, but it surely requires anyplace from a couple of weeks to a number of months of curing to strengthen adequately.
“A pure lime mortar combination can take as much as 120 days to remedy absolutely. If you happen to don’t have full frost resistance on the mortar or if there’s moisture within the brickwork once we get all the way down to sub-zero temperatures, then the water freezes stable and causes numerous injury to the mortar,” says Clark.
“You do get a a lot quicker, more durable set out of the sand and cement mortar, however that’s solely good for brand new construct work.”
So, it’s essential to plan your repointing challenge in order that curing coincides with appropriate climate (or use protecting measures comparable to masking the repointed areas the place sufficient).
“Give your self time to do every part correctly, and keep away from doing it within the baking solar or driving rain,” says Holland.
“Let the mortar remedy slowly and evenly – don’t attempt to power it. Good pointing can final many years if completed proper, however a rushed job can have you or another person again on the scaffold very quickly.”
Marcus Clark advises that examples of a historic constructing’s unique pointing are almost certainly to be present in sheltered locations, comparable to below the eaves and window ledges.(Picture Credit score: Getty Pictures / Olga Dobrovolska)
Not matching the unique mortar
Figuring out the appropriate mortar and pointing fashion to make use of in a interval property could be difficult – particularly if it has been repointed unsympathetically by a earlier proprietor.
“You’ll be able to typically discover examples of a constructing’s unique mortar below the eaves and window frames, the place the brickwork has had extra safety from climate and due to this fact hasn’t been repointed prior to now,” Clark advises. He urges restraint when choosing a brand new mortar:
“While you take a look at the facade of a constructing, as a lot as 25% of what the attention sees within the brickwork would be the pointing, relying on how the bricks are bonded.
“Much less is extra, as a result of in case you apply too closely otherwise you select a color that’s too vivid, the pointing will stand out and look mistaken.”
If you happen to’re pleased with the color of your current mortar, Holland suggests taking a pattern and mixing the brand new mortar to match it.
“You may have to mix completely different sands to get the appropriate end – and don’t overlook that mortar appears to be like completely different moist than it does dry,” he says.
“Take your time and get the match proper. It’s what separates a correct job from a patch-up.”
If you happen to’re up for the problem of repointing and renovating your private home’s brickwork, preserve sharpening up with our guides to brick sorts and brick tinting. In fact, you may favor to select a bricklayer to work on the challenge – whether or not that’s a standard agency like Marcus Clark’s Heritage Brickwork Restoration, or a brand new construct specialist.
