Tuckpointing

Perhaps you’ve heard the term, ‘Tuckpointing’, when masonry is involved.  Over time the mortar between bricks and stone can begin to fail.  This will cause voids and cracks as the mortar falls out or simply starts to wear away.  Tuckpointing is nothing more than restoring the mortar to its original state. This provides a seal to keep the weather and insects out. In colder climates this is particularly important to keep the rain and snow out to reduce the damaging effects of the freeze-thaw cycles. In the Dayton OH area here I see this come up often on inspections.  Especially around chimney tops. These bricks get the most exposure to the elements and the mortar may start to wash out.  

Tuckpointing can be a DIY project if some simple filling is needed. Your local hardware store will carry the mortar and tools like a tuckpointing trowel and jointer  If your project is more involved to the point where a lot of the old mortar needs to be ground out, then it makes sense to consider a professional. In these cases a diamond grinding wheel and a proper respirator will be needed.  This creates a tremendous amount of dust which is harmful to breath in. Reach out today with any questions that come to mind.

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