Tuckpointing: A Traditional Technique to Preserve Our Historic Legacy

Summer is a wonderful season to appreciate our centuries-old architecture by taking a guided or audio tour around the area's beautiful historic neighborhoods. It's a great way to learn more about the history of our area. And to remember the debt we owe to those who've carefully restored historic buildings for future generations using traditional techniques and materials.

We owe the pleasure of wandering around our own historic neighborhoods or taking a weekend getaway to visit historic districts in our surrounding area to those who have worked to preserve old historic buildings. And while the battle to preserve beautiful and still-useful old buildings continues, many are unaware of what is required to preserve these treasures for future generations. Without using the proper techniques, serious damage to old buildings can speed their deterioration. 

A Time-Honored Construction Technique 

Tuckpointing — sometimes called repointing — is a method of preservation where the mortar between masonry joints in historic buildings is removed and replaced with the same lime-based mortar used in its construction. Lime was used for centuries as the basic ingredient in mortar for bricklaying. 

Brick buildings from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries were cemented with lime-based mortar that was first burned in a kiln to a consistency of charcoal, then combined with sand and other natural materials to produce mortar. Traditional tuckpointing seeks to replace this lime-based mortar to increase a historic building's structural integrity and longevity. 

Advances in technology and construction practices during World War II introduced concrete and cement to various structures, including houses, highways, and commercial buildings. These substances came to the job site pre-mixed and were faster to use and much harder than their lime-based predecessor. By the late 1940s, almost every new construction project used concrete or cement, especially when using brick. 

Why Tuckpointing Matters

Those unfamiliar with construction and architecture preservation techniques might assume that replacing old lime-based mortar with more stable concrete would benefit older buildings by adding strength. This, however, has exactly the opposite effect. Lime-based mortar has an entirely different composition and strength than cement or concrete. It is a much softer, more porous substance. 

This softer mortar was made to be used with the softer brick of that day. Load-bearing walls of brick and mortar were constructed of materials with similar, compatible textures and content. When newer, harder concrete or cement is used to replace old mortar between older, softer bricks, it causes the bricks to erode, weakening the entire structure. 

When tuckpointing old brick, the mortar must have less compression strength than the brick to allow moisture within the wall to escape by evaporation. If the moisture cannot escape through the harder mortar, it will do so through the softer brick, causing cracks and spalling. This is permanent damage that is difficult and more costly to repair. 

Historic Buildings Don't Take Care of Themselves 

There is much more to traditional tuckpointing than simply replacing mortar. Renaissance Development is a leader in brick restoration and historic preservation, specializing in the restoration of a historic brick building's mortar joints using traditional tuckpointing and other methods and materials. Washington DC and Old Town Alexandria, VA, boast many homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Owners with a sense of history wish to preserve these buildings in their original, authentic state. 

Many modern construction companies do not have the knowledge, techniques, or access to the proper materials to perform maintenance or repairs on these historic structures. We are restoration specialists who can preserve the structural integrity and historic beauty of your old home using traditional methods and materials. 

Contact Renaissance Development to schedule a free site visit and project quote today.