Tuckpointing is an essential remedy for deteriorated, broken, or missing mortar. It’s a big job but only needs to be done every 25 - 50 years or so if done correctly. If the time has come for your home, there are a few things to know ahead of time. The first thing to know is, yes, there will be some tuckpointing mess. The good news is that the mess is temporary, managed, and all cleaned up before the job is complete!
Tuckpointing: What to Expect
Working with masonry, removing, and repairing old brick and mortar is a rough job. Old mortar is removed from between the joints before replacing it with the correct lime-based mortar mix according to the age of the bricks. This process is called tuckpointing; sometimes "repointing." When your home is a tuckpointing worksite, you should expect to deal with several issues for the few days it takes to finish the job.
- Mortar containment – Like sand at the beach, old mortar can fly everywhere as it’s being ground out and removed. We’ll carefully tape and cover windows and other areas of your home near the workspace with plastic. We often additionally need to cover and protect the windows and siding of your neighbor’s house if it’s very close to the worksite. That’s something to discuss ahead with your neighbors.
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Scaffolding – Expect scaffolding to be erected to reach higher levels of the house. We’ll also hang scrims (curtain-like sheets) to help contain dust in the work area. - Grinding is noisy – Mortar removal requires electric grinding tools, and it can be very noisy. Fortunately, that particular aspect of the job shouldn’t last more than a day or less, depending on the scope of the job. Prepare your family and neighbors for that.
- Landscaping precautions – We will protect your landscaping with tarps before we begin. After the job, we’ll groom landscaping as needed.
- Indoor precautions – Dust from mortar grinding may still enter your home through walls or other surfaces inside your house. You can help prevent the worst by keeping interior and exterior doors closed and stuffing damp towels or cloths at the bottoms of doors. Don’t forget to tell your neighbors.
- Daily Clean-up – Our crew will never leave for the day without tidying their workspaces.
- Final Clean-up – At the end of the job, your home exterior will get good low-pressure water washing to remove dust, dirt, and other debris at the end of the project. When we clean your facade, we’ll do the same for your neighbor’s home if needed.
Other Considerations
Along with accepting the circumstances of living through your tuckpointing job, you should connect with your job foreman regarding other things to be aware of before starting. Discuss the need for water and electricity for the work crew, the possible placement of an outside port-a-potty for workers, their exact work schedule, and how you will identify crew members.
Tuckpointing will protect your home for years to come, as well as transform and refresh the look of your older brick or stone house. True tuckpointing professionals will ensure that the job is done right and as quickly and neatly as possible. Your worksite area will be left clean and clear, looking beautiful from the house exterior to the grounds and landscaping after our work crew has left. If tuckpointing might be in your future, contact Renaissance Development to schedule your free consultation.
