It’s not unusual to find brick buildings that have endured for more than a century, and in many instances, these buildings are cherished and lovingly restored by their owners. However, while brick buildings are stunning and robust, with a typically lengthy lifespan, some maintenance is usually required, and this is often involving the mortar that sits between the bricks or stones. When this starts to deteriorate, it can put the integrity of the entire structure at risk, and should be addressed with some degree of urgency.
The type of masonry work that helps to preserve older brick buildings, is known as ‘tuckpointing’, which helps to minimize damage and serve as a preventative measure to preserve the structures integrity.
If you’re the owner of an older brick building, there are a number of reasons why you should consider hiring a masonry contractor to carry out tuckpointing:
Mortar acts as a sealant
If your brick home didn’t have well-cared for mortar, water and moisture would soon start to enter your home through the gaps between the bricks, and before you know it, you’re facing all manner of issues with rot, mold and even insects and pests.
Mortar plays an essential role in preventing harmful exterior elements from entering your home, and should it be compromised in any way, you could be putting your home at risk.
Mortal helps ensure that your home is structurally sound
Mortar between bricks or stones ensures the equal distribution of weight throughout the entire building. When you think about it, bricks and stones are heavy, and gravity pulling down on them makes them even heavier. Should the mortar be faulty in any way, weight distribution may be seriously affected, putting the whole structure at risk.
Should weight distribution become a problem, the brick or stonework of the building may start to bulge and crack, and in a worst case scenario, could even collapse. Tuckpointing as soon as any mortar deterioration is spotted, can help save the building and prevent further costly repairs.
Mortar helps your home look great
When a brick homes’ mortar starts to deteriorate, it always reflects badly on the home as a whole, and makes it look unloved and uncared for. While a brick home might be old, you don’t want it to look its age by not addressing issues with the mortar, and by not working with a masonry contractor early enough. Tuckpointing can help restore an aging brick building to its former glory, and if you’re trying to sell it, will always go in its favor.
Does your brick home need tuckpointing?
Generally, it’s possible for mortar to last for as long as 30 years without having the need for any maintenance, but if a brick building is 30 years + and hasn’t yet had any repairs or restoration work carried out, it will almost certainly require it.
Some signs that tuckpointing may be needed, are cracked or broken mortar joints, missing sections of mortar and mortar that’s sticking out from the surface. Should any of these issues not be addressed quickly enough with tuckpointing, the mortar will simply continue to deteriorate, and more costly repairs will almost certainly be required further down the line.
Tuckpointing is something that can help preserve older brick buildings, and provided help from a masonry contractor is sought soon enough, it can ensure that the building remains stable and looks beautiful, for longer.