It is
more than just ugly, when your brick mortar is cracked. Water penetrates into
the cracks, freeze, expand, and separate the cracks even more. Sometimes, the
mortar isn't just cracked: it isn't there anymore, having crumbled and fallen
out over time. The need to repair a mortar join is more common than to replace
a brick. The mortar joint plays an important role in the structure and
structural assimilating of the wall. Holding the bricks together, bearing the
compressive weight of the wall and keeping water out of the wall, are the
responsibilities of mortar.It is also the weak point in the brick wall system,
if water is allowed to get past the mortar and into the wall, brick failure may
occur such as cracking ,also known as spalling.
The
solution to this is Tuckpointing-a process to repair a mortar joint. The term
is so because you tuck the mortar into the damaged mortar with the point of a
tool called ‘pointing trowel.’ Since this repair technique requires some
patience and fineness. The biggest challenge with this process is getting the
repaired mortar joint to balance in with the surrounding mortar. Specialized
tuckpointing contractors like tuckpointing contractors-Oak Park can easily complete this challenge with their
experience and knowledge.
The
tools and materials required in this repair activity are a cold chisel, heavy
hammer, stiff bristled brush, mortar hawk or overturned brick trowel, joint
strike, mortar mix and pigment. Eye protection and leather work gloves are
needed too for the safety of the workers.