House re-pointing tips please?

matt_fsr

matt_fsr

matt_fsr

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Well, may as well post here even though I've already part started the job :D

I'm going to be re-pointing a few areas of brickwork on the house, most of it will just be simple re-covering of existing mortar but there's an area on the single storey ex-'coal shed' bit where the mortar has/had moss on it.

I dug away at it a bit last night and it was very crumbly, so I dug out as much old mortar as I could, given the light levels.

Just wondering - is it a good idea to get rid of as much of this rotten crumbly mortar as possible?

I've gone in some places deeper than I reckon I can easily get fresh mortar with just a trowel - anyone got any DIY tips for getting mortar in, or should I just stump up for a £15 'squeeze gun' type thing?

Also, I've got a 20kg bag of pre-mixed mortar, a clean tub to mix small quantities in, a small pointing trowel and a jointing tool to get a nice curve shape on the new pointing work. Anything I'm missing? Anything else anyone with some experience would recomment?

Is it worth adding a drop of fairy liquid into the mortar as a plasticiser, even though it claims to not need any?

Cheers all :)
 
Most of it isn't knackered though, it's just the top layer that's a bit worn away in most places, and only a few areas where the mortar is obviously rotten.

Is it worth trying one of the drill bit grinder extensions that you can get? Never used one before, but I'd rather not shell out on a grinder for just a few small places.
 
I think general guidance is (and I may have this back to front) is that you need to be raking out to a depth that is twice the width of the mortar joint. Also keep the work area damp to reduce staining and stop it drying out too quickly
We had the whole house repointed in lime last year and the chap who did the work for us used a pneumatic chisel to rake out and a gun to get the mortar in . Be very careful if you use a grinder. One slip, and it can make a real mess of the brick.
 
Grinders are really cheap these days and tool that can come in handy for all sorts once you have one. If it is just a few small areas and the mortar is soft then a fluted plugging chisel will also do the job.

I wouldn't bother with the gun personally.
 
Lidl had a cheap grinder in their offers at the start of this week, might be worth having a look to see if they still have them, only £20 and with a 3 year warranty!! :)
 
pay someone it is a horrible job, the grinding out takes hours makes a right mess and if you get it wrong makes a mess of the bricks and the actual pointing is a massive time eater and getting a good finish actually takes skill which can only be acquired through practice and lots of it!
 
valve90210 said:
Lidl had a cheap grinder in their offers at the start of this week, might be worth having a look to see if they still have them, only £20 and with a 3 year warranty!! :)
Click to expand...

I recommended the JCB grinder as we went through 4..Yes 4 cheapo Grinders within 4 hrs when doing the last house. Then the JCB grinder did the rest of the house.
 
mattyg said:
I recommended the JCB grinder as we went through 4..Yes 4 cheapo Grinders within 4 hrs when doing the last house. Then the JCB grinder did the rest of the house.
Click to expand...

Doesn't surprise me as unlike most grinding jobs removing pointing requires long periods of continuous running which kills cheap tools.
 
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