Repointing brickwork

Here are some easy steps you can take to restore the appearance of aged or weathered brickwork, and at the same time prevent further costly damage.

Give your home a fresh well-kept look by reworking any tired or crumbling mortar joints in brick or stonework. To achieve that restored look, all you need is some Mortar Mix, hammer and cold chisel, banister brush, paint brush, pointing trowels and a few simple home-made tools.

Step 1 Clean out old mortar

Rake out the damaged and powdery mortar with a cold chisel or old screwdriver or a suitably shaped piece of timber. 12 mm to 18 mm should be enough. Brush out any brick dust with the banister brush.

Step 2 Wet brick work

With a paint brush, wet the raked out joints, soaking the bricks to prevent too much water being absorbed from the new mortar.

Step 3 Mix mortar and fill cracks

Mix up enough mortar in a bucket to last an hour or so. Work the mortar firmly in the joint with the pointing trowel, a little at a time. Trim off excess. Be careful to avoid staining surrounding brickwork.

Step 4 Finishing off

As the mortar starts to set off, go back and shape the new mortar joint to match the original, using an appropriate shaped tool. When pointing is almost set, briskly brush off any excess still on the brickwork.