Masonry specialists can cut and replace brick joints professionally.
Sometimes, even though you take care of the brick around your home or business, repairs need to be done. In fact, one of the most common repairs is repointing brick joints where mortar disintegrates or around loose or cracked bricks. Letting damaged or eroded mortar go unrepaired can cause a whole host of problems, mostly from water damage that can impact your interior wall if your home’s exterior is brick. Repointing your bricks can extend the life of your home siding, patio, stairs, or walls and here is how the job gets done right:
Prepare Joints
Using a special chisel for plugging or joints, cut out the damaged mortar joints to about 1” deep. Then, ensure the surface is clean by using a jointer tool to get rid of extra grit and brush out the loose mortar and sand. You can also spray the leftover particles away with a hose.
Replace Damaged Bricks
Prior to repointing, you should cut out and replace any bricks that have deteriorated or are otherwise in bad shape with bad cracks, pieces missing, etc. Make sure to cut out the old bricks completely and clean out the area carefully. Dampen the newly formed cavity as well as your new brick and apply mortar to the bottom and sides of the cavity to place the new brick.
Repoint
After replacing the damaged bricks and the brick joints are clean, dampen them with a brush and water. Load up a trowel with mortar and use the jointer tool to pack that mortar into the cleaned brick joints. Typically, brick joints are filed until they are just up to the same level as the brick and are then shaped or depressed with the jointer.
To prevent cracking or sagging deep between joints, wait until the mortar is just setting, but still pliable, or when you can touch it and leave a thumbprint, but it doesn’t get on your hands, and then repoint the remainder of the joint. If it’s windy or hot outside, your mortar can sometimes set too quickly. Make sure you have a spray bottle or a garden hose to mist your brick fixture to help the brick cure properly.
Contact Del Prete Masonry For Your Next Masonry Project!
If you are ready to upgrade your home or commercial building with professional masonry installation or replacement, Del Prete Masonry has the experience and expertise to get the job done right for the right price. To explore our residential and commercial services and set up a consultation, please give us a call at 410-683-0650 or contact us online. We currently serve Baltimore City and County, Harford County, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County. To see examples of our work and get more updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.
Tags: brick joints, masonry, repointing brick