A common maintenance task for brick masonry is the repair of mortar joints. The longevity of mortar joints will vary with the exposure conditions and mortar materials used. The longevity of brick, however, may well exceed 100 years. Consequently, occasional repair of the mortar joints is expected over the life of the brick masonry.
Here at Pointe Masonry it is our observation that the most common reason for repointing brick masonry is to improve water penetration resistance.
Repointing deteriorated mortar joints is one of the most effective and permanent ways of decreasing water entry into brickwork. This is because the most common means of water entry into a brick masonry wall is through debonded, cracked or deteriorated mortar joints. A critical step in the repointing operation is to identify wall areas which require repointing.
Conditions which may require repointing include: mortar erosion beyond 3/8", hairline cracks in the mortar, cracks between the brick and mortar, and crumbling mortar. Color Matching. Pointe Masonry utilizes authentic mortars. Not only does this technique bond to the original structure, it blends in to eliminate noticeable repairs.
We specialize in determining the closest shade possible to your original work. The first step in achieving a consistent mortar color is using the same ingredients as the home was built with.
Mortar Type
Masonry and Portland cement are produced with different manufacturing processes offering a variety of shades from dark gray to white color tones.
The cement color shade will have a direct and pronounced effect on the mortar color. Adding color to light gray cements will produce brighter and cleaner color shades. Conversely, utilizing dark gray cement will limit the ability to produce light color shades.
Brick Replacement
Brick replacement involves carefully cutting out and actually replacing deteriorated bricks with full size matching or closely-matching bricks. We also restore to its original condition, brick walls, columns, chimneys, fireplaces, fences, arches, etc., that have been damaged.
After completion, the damage is as close to undetectable as possible.
Over the past 15 years, we have been called upon by builders, realtors, and inspectors both residential and commercial for our expertise in this field.
