Your home should give you maximum comfort, rest, and security, especially after a long hectic day. Besides this being true, any reputable masonry company agrees that taking care of your house is vital and goes beyond just cleaning and trimming the hedge. It requires scheduled renovation such as repointing as advised by an expert.
Many homes, specifically those built with bricks and stone blocks, will occasionally require repointing. But first, as a homeowner, you need to understand what is repointing and why it’s important.
Repointing
Generally, repointing is a process of replacing the old, eroded, or weathered mortar holding the building blocks. Over time, the mortar joints that connect the bricks in your home undergo wear and tear or weather erosion. This process leaves the bricks quite loose and vulnerable to cracks, dampness, and water damage, consequently requiring repointing.
Additionally, it’s called repointing since the process requires a pointed trowel. Still, how do you tell your house needs repointing?
Signs Your Stones or Bricks Need Repointing
Qualified professionals like J&A Services can quickly identify a house that needs repointing, and that’s why you should hire such a masonry company. However, experts recommend you also look out for these indicators or signs that your bricks need repointing.
Damp
If you notice any dampness on your walls, it could be penetrating as water shifts through the eroded mortar between your bricks, indicating eroded mortar.
Efflorescence
This is the white deposit you see forming on your stonework due to dissolved salts and water rising to the wall surface.
Unstable or loose bricks
You may notice gaps between the bricks, and when you touch them, they feel loose. It usually results from mortar wearing away from the joints.
Brick damage
It may not necessarily be broken or chipped. But it could be a darkening in color from moisture and mold forming, thus compromising your wall’s integrity due to mortar erosion.
Visible cracks and gaps in the mortar
Cracks in the mortar are a sure sign of wear and tear. Consult a masonry company as soon as possible for repointing.
Benefits of Repointing
The integrity of your home’s brick or stonewall is determined by how long the mortar remains intact. Regardless of its capacity, it will eventually wear out, requiring repointing. While repointing will restore the original appearance of your home, here are more benefits.
- It protects the surface area
- Repointing prevents leaks and damp
- The walls look better and cleaner in shadow and texture
- It preserves your structure’s integrity
- It saves you from reconstructing the whole house
How Repointing Works and Why a Qualified Masonry Company is Needed
Repointing works by carefully repacking the mortar between the exterior stone blocks of your house. It takes some steps and tools, including personal protective gear such as masks, safety glasses, and others.
Usually, it begins by clearing the area, removing the old mortar, exposing the brick edges, and removing the excess dust. Next, mix the mortar and start working from the top, moving downwards as you fill the virtual joints. Finally, remove the excess mortar using a wire brush as you replicate the original design.
Still, in all this process, you will need the best and most reputable masonry company, J & A Services. They have the expertise, qualifications, license, and experience and are affordable. Nonetheless, the only way to experience such professionalism is by contacting J & A Services today and finding out more.