As durable as it is, evenbrickneeds occasional maintenance.
Tuckpointing is an inexpensive, though time-intensive, project that’s considered a normal part ofmaintaining brick.
Tuckpointing cleans up mortar lines and preserves the entire brick system for the long term.
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What Is Tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing (or repointing)cuts brickmortar down to a consistent depth.
New mortar is forced into the joints.
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Brick located in humid or wet areas may require more frequent tuckpointing.
Determine the Uniform Depth
before you get going removing mortar, decide on the uniform depth.
With a straight-edge ruler, measure the width of the brick joints.
Add a strip of painter’s tape to the straight edge at that depth.
Tip
A common mortar joint width is 3/8-inch.
Twice that width is 3/4-inch.
So, you would clear out the joints to 3/4-inch deep.
Fit the tuckpoint blade on the angle grinder.
Work from the top to the bottom to avoid adding mortar debris to cleaned-out joints.
Remove the mortar on the horizontal (also called bed) joints with the grinder.
A safer way to clear out the joints is to use a wheeled skate-style raking tool.
Set the raking pin to the desired depth.
Then spin up the tool along the joints.
This tool works best for loose mortar joints.
Remove Mortar From the Vertical Joints
Clear mortar from the vertical (also called perpendicular) joints.
Like the horizontal joints, start at the top and work toward the bottom.
Clean the Brick Joints
Use a stiff brush and shop vacuum to clean all debris from thebrickjoints.
Mix the Mortar
Mix the mortarwith water in the five-gallon bucket to a smooth, workable consistency.
Be sure to usetype N mortar.
Mix that’s too dry may clog up in the tube.
Add Mortar to the Joints
With the mortar gun, squeeze mortar into the brick joints.
Start with the long, continuous horizontal bed runs.
Then, go back and fill in each of the shorter vertical or perpendicular joints.
check that that the mortar is forced all of the way to the back of the joint.
The front of the mortar should stand out from the brick face.
The mortar should not be flush with or recessed from the brick face.
Let the Mortar Rest
Leave the mortar for about 30 to 45 minutes to partially dry.
Test by pressing the mortar with your finger.
If your finger does not leave a depression, the mortar is ready for repointing.
Do not let the mortar completely dry out.
Slide the tool up and down to smooth and compress the mortar.
Do this for all vertical joints.
Go easy to avoid digging into the newly repointed mortar between the bricks.
Partially tuckpointing a brick surface requires expert color-matching between the new mortar and the old mortar.
Professional tuckpointing can be rather expensive because it is a labor-intensive project.
Tuckpointing removes old or crumbled mortar between the bricks and fills the open joints with new mortar.
Spot tuckpointing orrepointingcan be done for small sections of missing mortar or voids.
Generally, solid tuckpointing is preferable as this ensures full strength and color consistency.
Mortar cures in 24 to 36 hours, reaching its full strength in around 28 to 30 days.
If you don’t do tuckpointing, water will begin to enter the wall between the bricks.
Water infiltration will speed up the decay of the mortar.
Maintenance of Brick Masonry TN 46.
