Home Improvement – Enhance the Home’s Exterior Brick Walls with Tuckpointing

Many homes boast brick walls outside, which look aesthetic and sturdy. Brick walls are meant to live long. However, environmental elements and moisture can be a threat to them. You can save them from unwanted damage or deterioration through proper maintenance. For example, the walls need a tuckpointing job when the mortar joints break, crack, or go missing. This masonry service can repair and restore their original charm while preventing further wear and tear risks. DIYers look for opportunities to fix everything on their own. Please avoid this mistake, as professional masons best handle most of these projects. This decision can cost you a little more, but you can save on expensive future repairs.

Do you live in Pickerington, Ohio? Local masonry contractors like Price Brothers Restoration can help with craftsmanship and services. Before this, let’s understand a few things about tuckpointing and signs hinting it's time to do this work.  

• Tuckpointing

This masonry process involves applying fresh mortar after replacing the old, damaged material. You can ask your contractor to use different colors to create vibrant lines between the bricks for a better look. All these efforts will lead to a high visual appeal and structural upliftment of the brick wall. Typically, brick walls last for decades. But mortar can become discolored or crumbled, needing replacement. While the process sounds straightforward, it involves multiple steps to improve the brick structure’s appeal. 

The mason will remove the existing mortar from the walls and prepare a fresh batch that syncs with the original brick color. After this, the application process will begin, whereby the newly prepared mortar will be infused in the empty spaces in the brick wall. They will wait for it to dry before using their tuckpointing tool to make straight grooves. After this, a different colored mortar will be put into the indentation of the wall. This service will renew the old brick wall's strength and beauty. The new mortar will not allow moisture to seep into the bricks, ensuring the durability of your investment even in the freezing and thawing seasons.

• Signs indicating a need for tuckpointing

Crumbled mortar is a telltale. Bricks will become loose or unbounded. If the wall has lost over ¼ inches of mortar, a homeowner can contact the local contractor to fix the problem. The best seasons for this work are fall and spring due to their mildness. 50 to 70 degrees F temperatures are more suitable for this project. However, even when the mercury slips to 40 degrees, one can proceed with this work. The tuckpointing job can seem slightly challenging in winter, but one can still pursue it. The contractor may use a special additive to cure the mortar.

A tuckpointing job can be labor-intensive. Hence, professionals can charge about USD $500 to 2500 per 10-by-10 feet of brick. The cost can shoot up if you have a tall wall that requires the person to climb a ladder several times. When you approach a contractor, enquire about the time and money needed for this project. You can arrange things accordingly.