Advice for repointing

[Djomidlands]

Hi,

After some advice please to repoint some brickwork above patio door. Could anyone please advise a product that would be fit for purpose and match the existing mortar colour?

Also, any thoughts on why the brick work in the middle is that colour?

House is 1930s semi.

Thanks

 

[^woody^]

Building sand for mortar, and cement. 4 parts sand to one part cement. Red sand for grey/ brown and yellow sand for light grey/ buff. Mixing the two sands for colours in-between by trial and error.

The bricks are white because they appear to have been painted.

 

[Djomidlands]

Thanks woody, is there any ready mixed fillers you’d recommend for the job?

 

[^woody^]

No. You can buy small bags of pointing mix from the likes of the diy sheds, which are basically pre-ratioed quantities of sand and cement to which you add water, but these are typically very strong and dry very grey.

For small quantities, if you see some building work going on locally, and see the colour of the dried mortar and its similar, you are better off asking for a bit of the ready mixed or sand and cement and bunging the builder £5 or so.

 

[opps]

You may want to add a tiny amount of sharp sand as well if you want to replicate the existing mortar.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Try scrubbing with some detergent and water on that paint first. Then some solvents.

I'm trying to work out what the purpose of it was, together with the three obviously deliberate holes. Basketball hoop?