How to Repair Brick Cracks, Joints, Mortar & More | Pro Tips
Cracks in bricks, deteriorating joints, and crumbling mortar aren’t just unsightly. They can lead to more significant structural damage and other issues if left unattended. Or they can be a sign of major existing issues.
Want to find out if you can tackle crack, joint, and mortar repairs yourself?
Not sure if you need to call in the professionals?
In this guide, we delve into the essential techniques and expert tips to help you preserve the integrity and beauty of your brickwork. We’ll cover a variety of brick repair techniques along with some pro tips for completing them successfully.
The Need for Brick Repair
Bricks, despite their durability, are susceptible to damage due to various factors such as weather, physical impact, and natural wear and tear. Ignoring a small crack today can lead to a significant structural issue tomorrow. So if you repair brick damages promptly you can save a lot of time, money, and stress in the long run.
*To learn more about common brick problems, check out our article DIY vs. Professional Brick Repair: Pros and Cons of Each.
Common Brick Repair Techniques
Now let’s have a look at the most common brick repair techniques you or your contractor may need to tackle.
Repointing
Definition: Repointing (sometimes called “pointing” or “re-mortaring”) involves removing deteriorated mortar from the joints of a brick structure and refilling it with fresh mortar.
- – Purpose and Benefits: Mortar can degrade over time due to weathering and decay, leading to water infiltration. Repointing restores the wall’s structural integrity and prevents potential water damage.
- – Tools Needed: Pointing trowel, jointer, hammer, chisel, wire brush, mortar mix, and a mixing bucket. For large areas, you’ll need an SDS hammer drill with a chisel point and a special grinder for quickly cutting out the mortar joints.
- – PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Safety goggles, work gloves, dust mask, and hearing protection if using power tools.
Basic Repair Steps:
- – Use the chisel and hammer to carefully remove the damaged mortar. Aim to remove the mortar to a depth twice the width of the joint.
- – Clean the joint using a wire brush to remove any loose mortar or debris.
- – Prepare the mortar mix according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- – Using a pointing trowel, press the mortar into the cleaned joints. Ensure it’s compacted well.
- – Smooth or shape the mortar with a jointer to match the existing mortar joints.
- – Allow the mortar to set according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Tips and Considerations: It’s essential to choose the right type of mortar to match the existing one in terms of strength, composition, and color. Avoid repointing in extreme weather conditions, such as excessive heat or freezing temperatures.
Tuckpointing (Traditional English Style)
Definition: Tuckpointing is an aesthetic technique that uses two contrasting colors of mortar in the joints, producing a defined contrasting white mortar line. *See the picture below.
- – Purpose and Benefits: Apart from revitalizing the brickwork’s appearance, tuckpointing also provides a protective seal against water penetration and other damaging elements.
- – Tools Needed: Variety of trowels including a pointing trowel, jointer, hammer, chisel, wire brush, mortar mix to match brick color, white mortar mix, and a mixing bucket. For large areas, you’ll need an SDS hammer drill with a chisel point and a special grinder for quickly cutting out the mortar joints.
- – PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Safety goggles, gloves, dust mask, and ear protection.
Basic Repair Steps:
- – Remove the old mortar. Aim to remove the mortar to a depth twice the width of the joint.
- – Clean the joint using a wire brush to remove any loose mortar or debris.
- – Fill the joints with a base color mortar that matches the brick.
- – Once the base is slightly set, cut a thin groove along the center of the filled joint using a level or straight edge as a guide.
- – Fill this groove with a mortar of contrasting color using a narrow pointing trowel.
- – Cut off the excess mortar to leave a thin, defined line.
Watch this video to see the process in action!
Tips and Considerations: Tuckpointing requires precision; take your time and ensure lines are straight and consistent. This type of repair is best left up to an experienced DIYer or better yet…professional masons.
If you’re in the Dallas Fort Worth area, give us a call at A&X Masonry. We are experts in color matching mortar and brick to match what is currently in your home. Give us a call today for a FREE quote.
For a complete guide to all things brick repair, check out our article Brick Repair: Expert Solutions for Damaged Brickwork.
Brick Replacement
Definition: This involves the removal of damaged bricks and their replacement with new or recycled bricks that match the surrounding ones.
- – Purpose and Benefits: Severely damaged or spalled bricks can’t be repaired and thus need replacement to maintain the structural integrity and aesthetics of the brickwork.
- – Tools Needed: Hammer, chisel, mortar mix, trowel, and matching brick. Power tools such as an SDS hammer drill with a chisel bit and an angle grinder with a masonry blade can make large repairs go faster.
- – PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Safety goggles, gloves, and dust mask. Hearing protection if you’re using power tools.
Basic Repair Steps:
- – Using a chisel and hammer, carefully remove the damaged brick. Take your time to avoid disturbing neighboring bricks.
- – Clean the space of any debris or old mortar.
- – Mix the mortar and apply a layer at the base of the cavity.
- – Place the new brick, ensuring it fits snugly.
- – Fill the surrounding gaps with mortar, using a trowel to smooth and shape it to match the existing joints.
Tips and Considerations: When choosing a replacement brick, ensure it closely matches the existing bricks in size, color, and texture. That’s why it’s good to always save a few extra bricks after your home’s construction or other masonry projects.
If the cracks are in a brick wall, there could be bigger issues that need addressing. Check out our article Brick Wall Crack Repair: Why It’s Essential and How to Get It Right to learn what to do in that situation.
Brick Cleaning
Definition: This refers to the method of safely removing dirt, stains, graffiti, and efflorescence from brick surfaces without damaging the brick or mortar.
- – Purpose and Benefits: Regular cleaning preserves the brick’s appearance, prevents damage from corrosive substances, and can reveal underlying structural issues.
- – Tools Needed: Brush, bucket, mild detergent, and water. For stubborn stains, consider masonry cleaning solutions. For large areas of brick, consider using a pressure washer.
- – PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Safety goggles, gloves, and if using chemicals, a suitable mask.
Basic Repair Steps:
- – Wet the brick surface with clean water.
- – Mix a solution of water and detergent in a bucket.
- – Using the brush, scrub the bricks gently with the soapy solution.
- – Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove all soap residues.
- – For tougher stains, you may need a specialized cleaner like 30 SECONDS 64-oz Mold and Mildew Stain Remover Outdoor Cleaner. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for any cleaning products you use.
Tips and Considerations: If you decide to use a pressure washer, proceed with caution. If you use a targeted nozzle too close to the brick you could damage it. It’s better to use the pressure washer with a cleaning injector to spray a detergent onto the brick that will clean off mildew, algae, and other organic growth.
Why Professional Help Can Make a Difference
Engaging in DIY projects can be rewarding and cost-effective for some home improvement tasks. However, when it comes to masonry work, it’s worth considering getting help from professionals.
Here’s why:
- – Experience: Professional masonry experts bring years, if not decades, of hands-on experience to the table.
- – Right Tools: Masonry professionals come equipped with specialized tools tailored for specific tasks. From grinding out old mortar to perfectly setting a new brick in place, having the correct tools makes a huge difference in the repair’s quality and longevity.
- – Knowledge of Materials: With an array of brick and types of mortar available, choosing the right match for a repair job can be daunting. Professionals have a better understanding of what materials work best in different scenarios, ensuring repairs blend seamlessly with the existing structure.
- – Efficiency and Safety: Brick repair, though it might appear straightforward, can be a time-consuming task that ends up in more frustration for the inexperienced DIYer. Professional masons can complete jobs more efficiently, reducing the inconvenience and potential risks involved in prolonged repair work.
- – Long-Term Value: While hiring professionals might seem like an added expense initially, the durability and craftsmanship they provide often lead to long-term savings. Repairs are less likely to last longer, minimizing the need for frequent touch-ups or more significant future repairs.
Call the Pros for Your Brick Crack and Joint Repair
If you’re in the Dallas Fort Worth, Texas area, give A&X Masonry a call for your brick crack and joint repair projects. Our team will work with you to ensure you get the right repair for your home.
Give us a call today for a FREE brick repair consultation.
