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How do I know when my brick or stone building requires pointing / tuckpointing?
The Kansas City area is in one of the worst freeze/thaw cycle zones in the country. During winter, temperatures often fluctuate above and below the freezing point. This allows water to enter problem spots and cracks and re-freeze, causing expansion and breakage problems for our brick and stone structures if they are not maintained.
If there are cracks, missing bricks, and or crumbling masonry/mortar joints, these conditions do require maintenance which includes pointing. Pointing ( tuckpointing ) is the process of replacing the mortar to a correct depth in order to structurally maintain and protect a masonry wall. Re-pointing is a maintenance necessity in masonry walls as mortar is not expected to last as long as the brick which it supports.Mortar Failure

1. Mortar that is cracked, missing or deteriorating.

2. Mortar that has been pointed (tuckpointed) improperly causing adverse    effects.

The Problem:

Masonry that is experiencing mortar failure is subject to the adverse effects of direct water penetration and a weakened wall. The obvious weakening that occurs is from a lack of material (mortar) between layers of masonry which derives its primary stability from the weight of the material above it.

The freeze thaw cycle causes rapid expansion and contraction within a wall which can cause visible problems such as spalling (figure 2) and in extreme cases cause complete disintegration of the masonry unit.

Modern mortars are much too hard and water resistant for re-pointing old masonry walls. When these mortars are used for historic masonry walls, the long term effects can be disastrous. Not only do modern mortars create a potential detraction from the historic character of the wall, they can actually cause the masonry units to fail. Mortar should be a softer material than the masonry around it. If there are stresses on the wall from water or building movement, the mortar is considered a “sacrificial” material. Meaning, if there is excessive movement in the wall, the mortar should fail first hopefully cushioning the masonry units around it. It’s certainly preferable to re-point mortar than to replace broken masonry units.

KANSAS CITY MASONRY 816-500-4198

Our KANSAS CITY area Masonry Department,is a progressive division whose management and construction team take pride in excellence and craftsmanship. We are committed t