Tuckpointing

 

Tuckpointing Description

Tuckpointing consists of grinding, cleaning, and/or filling in the mortar around bricks to give the bricks the appearance that they are cleaner, newer, and straighter. By repairing and straightening the mortar surrounding the bricks the bricks appear to be much newer and cleaner. Tuckpointing is generally used when mortar has begun to chip, fade, or get dirty or when the surrounding bricks have started to chip or crumble and need a newer, straighter look. Tuckpointing is usually the best option when a brick wall or chimney is starting to look a bit run down and needs a quick "face-lift". While mainly cosmetic tuckpointing also helps preserve the integrity of the bricks and mortar in a wall or chimney by strengthening chips and cracks in the mortar and ensuring a stronger, deeper bond between the bricks and mortar. If your home has drafts, leaks, or heat loss tuckpointing your bricks can also help plug up all the cracks that allow those elements to seap in or out.

The term tuckpointing has recently come to be used to describe any type of work that involves brick, mortar, or chimney repair, however technically tuckpointing only involves work with mortar "lines" or "joints". Brick repair, on the other hand, involves hammering out broken or worn bricks and replacing them with new ones and chimney repair involves rebuilding broken bricks on chimneys. Often the two processes go hand-in-hand.

Tuckpointing is a very popular and inexpensive way to give the brick areas on your home a quick makeover and to also strenghten the mortar joint lines on any brick wall or chimney. Tuckpointing the brickwork in your home will make it look cleaner and newer and will also preserve the life and integrity of the current bricks and mortar by filling in cracks and strengthening the existing mortar bonds.

At Delta C. Tuckpointing we have been doing tuckpointing work for over two decades. We are able to offer competitive prices, high quality and reliable worksmanship, and prompt service. If you have old, faded, or crumbling bricks or mortar give us a call and we will be over right away to give the bricks and mortar on your home a fresh, new look.

 

Tuckpointing Gallery

 

Tuckpointing Video 1

 

Tuckpointing In Progress 1

Tuckpointing In Progress - Setup

Here we see a wall with cracked mortar, dirty bricks, and uneven coloration. The cracks are visible and create drafts and leaks and the discoloration makes the wall look dirty and unkempt. We can see that the tuckpointing has already begun on the bottom. The tuckpointed bricks have a thicker, fuller mortar around them which has evened out the irregularities that existed previously.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress - Close Up

Here we see the tuckpointing process in progress close up. The lowest bricks are cracked and uneven and we can see chipped mortar around them. The bricks in the middle have just had a generous amount of mortar applied to them and are being filled in and smoothed out. The bricks on the top have already been tuckpointed and are now drying. The bricks on top might look a little bit faded, but that white residue is just excess mortar and these bricks will be scrubbed and cleaned before the tuckpointing project is completed.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress - Half Way Done

Here the bottom right side of the wall has been tuckpointed and the top left is still untouched. We can see little cracks and irregularities in the top left from where the mortar has cracked and chipped. The bottom right is much smoother after being tuckpointed and the mortar we added has filled in and smoothed away all cracks and rough spots. Once again, this wall will be scrubbed and washed so that the excess mortar residue will be removed.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress - Half and Half

This section of the wall shows us a more up close view of the difference between the tuckpointed and un-tuckpointed bricks. The bricks on top have not been touched yet and we can see that the mortar is not flush or even and that it has cracks, rough patches, and irregularities. The bricks and mortar on the bottom have been tuckpointed and are smooth, even, and flush. We still have a white residue but it will be washed away and this wall will end up stronger and better looking.

 

Tuckpointing in Progress 2

Tuckpointing In Progress - Close Up

Here is an example of tuckpointing work in progress. The faded, worn out bricks on the right are being re-mortared in order to give them a sharper cut. Notice that the tuckpointed bricks on the left have a depth and cut between them whereas the bricks on the right just have a dull, faded look. The mortar is first applied evenly on the brick lines and then cut to give it depth.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress - Full View

As the tuckpointing work continues we can see the sharper contrast between the tuckpointed bricks and the non-tuckpointed bricks. As we spread the mortar out it is cut to give the bricks and mortar a sharp, straight look.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress 3

Tuckpointing In Progress

Here we have another example of tuckpointing in progress. This wall was run-down and needed touch-ups in several areas to give it a clean, healthy look. Using scaffolding and ladders we can tuckpoint even hard-to-reach or elevated places.

 

Tuckpointing Completed

We see that the bricks on this wall have clean mortar and crisp cut lines thanks to the tuckpointing. Tuckpointing jobs can either be contained to small areas or cover larger walls. We can even tuckpoint isolated spots on walls to match the original bricks to give walls a clean and consistent look.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress 4

Tuckpointing In Progress

Mortar being smoothed and cut down after additional mortar has been applied. This completes the tuckpointing process and gives the bricks their "cut" look.

 

Tuckpointing Completed

This is the finished brick wall after tuckpointing. Note the straight even mortar lines and the clean cuts of the bricks. This wall will look good and maintain this structural integrity for several more years thanks to the tuckpointing that it received.

 

Tuckpointing in Progress 5

Tuckpointing in Progress - Front Of House

Tuckpointing work can even be done around an entire house. Over time bricks and mortar crumble and fade and might need a touch-up. We are able to repair and renew the crumbled mortar and match its color, texture, and cut to the rest of the house. Our experienced crews can even tuckpoint hard to reach places and can complete any tuckpointing job safely, expertly, and quickly.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress - Side of House

Tuckpointing in progress on the side of the same house. Sometimes entire walls need to be tuckpointed and that means we need to bring in ladders and scaffolding. This wall has some discoloration and grime built up along the bottom and right side where it hasn't been tuckpointed yet. The top left has already been completed and we can see its lighter, more uniform color and texture.

 

Tuckpointing Before and After 1

Tuckpointing Before and After

Here is another example of a brick wall before and after tuckpointing. The left side of the wall has uneven mortar that is starting to chip and crumble and is unevenly distributed. The right side of the wall has been recently tuckpointed as evidence by the smooth, white mortar and the straight edges that it makes along the bricks. While the bricks were also ground down to make them smoother it was mainly the tuckpointing that gave the bricks their straight, smooth look.

 

Tuckpointing Before and After 2

Before Tuckpointing Bricks and mortar before grinding, repair, and tuckpointing. The mortar here was worn out, chipped, and dirty. While the bricks themselves also needed and received work the tuckpointing process was what cleaned up and straightened out the mortar. We can see the accumulated dirt and grime on the mortar as well as the uneven texture of the bricks and mortar that needs to be grinded off and smoothed over

After Tuckpointing These bricks and the surrounding mortar joints have been repaired and tuckpointed. While these bricks were also repaired themselves, what we did during the tuckpointing process was grind away and smooth out the chipped, dirty, and rough mortar and replaced it instead with fresh, clean mortar.We also "colored" in the brick edges to create a cleaner cut line between the bricks and the surrounding mortar

 

Tuckpointing Before and After 3

Before Tuckpointing

Here we see a cracked and chipped brick wall. While most of the bricks in this wall remain relatively intact the mortar has completely come out in some spots and needs to be re-applied. This wall not only looks run-down but it is structurally weakened due to the cracks and holes. In addition to repairing the bricks themselves tuckpointing this wall will help fill in the cracks which will both improve this wall's aesthetics and structural integrity.

 

After Tuckpointing

The broken bricks have been removed and replaced and the holes and cracks have been filled in with mortar to make the brick wall look new and intact. The mortar was also cut when the wall was tuckpointed to give the bricks and mortars a clean, crisp look. Though there is still a bit of residue on the bricks it will wash off easy and the tuckpointed wall will look like new. Additionally, thanks to the tuckpointing the wall will remain structurally sound for longer now that its cracks and weaknesses have been removed.

 

Tuckpointing Before and After 4

Before Tuckpointing

The bricks and mortar on this wall are clearly starting to crumble. We see cracks and uneven lines and we can tell that these bricks have not been serviced in quite a while. This is a perfect situation where tuckpointing the bricks can help them look new again. The tuckpointing job will even out the mortar imperfections and give these brick wall smooth, clean lines.

 

After Tuckpointing

These are how our bricks look after performing the tuckpointing. We see that the mortar is now smooth and even and is flush with the brick faces. We can also see that the imperfections, chips, cracks, gouges, and rough patches of mortar have also been eradicated. The tuckpointing work make this wall look very neat and clean.

 

Tuckpointing Before and After 5

Before Tuckpointing

This doorway has a nice brick decorative trim around it however the mortar is old and has started to chip, crack and fade. Not only are the bricks in danger of falling off but it also looks a little beaten up. Tuckpointing these bricks will strengthen the bonds holding them together and it will also give this doorway a fresh new look.

 

After Tuckpointing

After the tuckpointing we can see the bricks look cleaner and the mortar around them has filled in the cracks and chipped areas from before. The new mortar has a rich color and gives this door a very clean, solid, and authentic look. Additionally the new mortar will ensure that this doorway will look good and be strong for years to come.

 

Before Tuckpointing Close Up

This is a close up of the brick pattern from before. From very close up we can see all the little chips and cracks that are weakening these bricks and making them look battered and worn. We see that a lot of the old mortar is starting to break away from the bricks and has a generally slopped and worn out look.

 

After Tuckpointing Close Up

We've gotten rid of the old mortar and filled in the cracks in these bricks with new mortar. The new mortar has replaced the old one and we can see that now the bricks are held together with smooth and solid bonds. The new brick wall is solid and is sure to look good for years to come.

 

Before Tuckpointing	After Tuckpointing

Another close up of a tuckpointed section. We can see closeup how the new mortar is smoother and more uniform. The new mortar bonds better with the bricks and creates a smooth, flush looks that helps keep these bricks looking good and in place.

 

Tuckpointing In Progress

Here is a shot of the bricks from above getting tuckpointed. The new red mortar is being applied between the bricks to give the entire area a smoother and cleaner look. The window on the right has already been partially tuckpointed and we can already see a difference between the top and the bottom. The tuckpointing work will really make these bricks stand out.

 

Tuckpointing on Chimneys 1

Before Tuckpointing

We can even tuckpoint the brick on chimneys. While chimney repairs usually require more work than just tuckpointing tuckpointing helps repair broken the broken or cracked mortar on chimneys. This chimney has a work out cap and needs to have its mortar renewed. Tuckpointing will help strengthen the structural integrity of this chimney and will also give the bricks and mortar a clean, fresh look

 

After Tuckpointing

We can see the repairs on this chimney have included work on the cap and the brick mortar. While this mortar wasn't cut in quite the same way as other brick walls it was still used to reinforce the joints around the bricks. The partial tuckpointing gave the chimney a more consistent, even look and will help strengthen it for the future.

 

Tuckpointing on Chimneys 2

Before Tuckpointing	After Tuckpointing

Similar to the chimney above this chimney had cracked and faded mortar. We tuckpointed this chimney by putting on new mortar and smoothing it out to strengthen the chimney and give it a fresh and healthy look. Though this mortar was not "cut in" for depth like we usually do on brick walls it was still shaped and smoothed to give the chimney a clean and consistent look