Brick Mortar Repair: What you need to know
Save the structural integrity of your walls through professional brick mortar repair services.
Cracked and broken masonry is not just an eyesore; it can be dangerous as well.
The structural integrity of your walls may be compromised. There is an increased chance of falls, trips, and accidents, and once a crack appears, without repairs, it will continue to get worse.
To keep your house, walkway, or business building safe and sound, for both interior masonry and exterior work, here’s what you need to read about brick mortar restoration.
Professional Brick Restoration & Repair
Unless you know what you’re doing, brick mortar restoration is not an easy do-it-yourself project. For restorations that will keep a structure sound, professional restoration and repair services are needed.
A consultation with the professionals will help you identify the problem areas, and create a plan to complete the necessary restorations. Any sign of minor cracks, restoration, other related and major structural damage on walls and chimney can all be handled by professional masons, guaranteeing every customer that the work done will last the test of time.
What is mortar repointing?
Mortar repointing is a process where you cut or chisel out the old, cracking, and falling mortar in a joint, and troweling in the new one. While mortar repair is a simple job, you’ll need to be careful and use the right type of material as well as tools. You don’t want to damage the brick and permanently compromise the wall’s appearance and integrity.
Ensure to use the materials that will blend effortlessly with the rest of the wall structure. Read and apply instructions carefully so that the repair doesn’t stand out conspicuously and give your wall an ugly scar-like mark.
What do you need for the job?
Before kick-starting your repair, you’ll first have to assemble the right tools and material. The type of material will majorly depend on the old mortar.
Tools:
- Cold chisel
- Angle grinder
- Heavy hammer
- Safety goggles
- Dust Mask
- Rubber gloves
- Spray bottle/garden hose
- Ruler
- Mixing Bucket
- Duct tape
- Stiff Bristled brush (scrub brush) or whisk-broom
- Pneumatic chisel
- Plastic Lining
Materials:
- Mortar mix
- Water
- Mortar coloring
- Corrugated cardboard
How do you repair & restore your brick wall professionally?
- Use angle grinder for larger bricks
You’ll need essential tools, like a dust mask, safety glasses, whisk broom, and flat utility chisel to clean out old mortar joints. Then fill the bricks’ joints using masonry tools like a 3/8” pointing trowel, brick trowel, joints contouring tool, and waterproof gloves.
If you cannot chisel out the older mortar due to its hardness, rent or buy an angle grinder that has a diamond blade.
- Remove loose and old mortar
Use a hammer and a flat utility or cold chisel to break out old mortar. Be sure to open and chisel out the old mortar joints up to 1 inch deep. Shallower depths are not long-lasting.
- Clean the Joints
After removing the old and loose mortar, use a whisk broom, brush (stiff-bristled type), or compressed air to dust out the brick cavity joints. This action helps remove crumbly debris.
- Wash down the wall
Then mist the joints lightly using the garden hose sprayer until the wall is thoroughly damp and begins to drip. This activity helps to prepare the joints for the mortar repair. Otherwise, this is a sign that a dry structure will absorb the moisture from your new mortar and hinder proper curing/drying.
- Mix the Mortar
Read the instructions related to the mortar-to-water ratio on the product’s bag. Then mix the cement-based mortar with water using the bucket. Stop stirring when you see a sign that the mixture is uniform and clings to an upended trowel.
Let it settle for about 15 minutes. You’ll notice a film of water on top of the mixture.
Go back to stirring the mix and be ready to use it. If it gets too dry, can add water to re-temper it.
- Fill the New Mortar into the Joint
Scoop some mortar using the back of the brick trowel and push it against the joint’s back using the tuck-pointing trowel. Use the trowel’s edge to pass/ cut a few slicing to eliminate voids. Then continue filling up one joint at a time with mortar.
Next, use the trowel’s flat face to make the mortar joints compact and smooth. Then scrape the excess off the structure.
- Brush the Wall
Once the new cement-based mortar is firm enough, remove dry crumbs by brushing diagonally across it. You can use a sponge to remove free residues from the bricks’ faces.
Use a tarp to protect every repaired crack or joint from weather elements for the next few days. Come back every day to mist the structure every day to keep the structure moist.
Mortar Color Matching Experts
Beyond the actual restorations to be completed, it’s also important to match the color of your mortar to the original. Time and weather affect the color of both the brick and mortar originally used, so finding the materials that will blend seamlessly with the rest of the structure is essential.
Without care put into color matching materials, a repair will stand out, leaving an ugly scar-like mark on the face of the building, fireplace, or walkway. Why pay for the second round of restorations to fix the ill-matched brick and mortar, when an experienced professional can get it right the first time?
Wrapping Up
Our read reveals that brick mortar restoration is best left to the professionals with years of experience. There are many services for protecting your brick, and completing restorations.
To find out what services are right for your budget, home, and situation, contact our professional and customer-friendly masons at Alexander and Xavier company at Garland Texas to assist with your masonry project.
