Pointing - Opinions/Advice required

[nrwilliams]

Hi,

I am looking for opinions/advice on the pointing on my bungalow. The property was built around 1930-1945. The bricks are very soft and I have been told that it needs pointing with Lime mortar rather than cement mortar.

I have done lots of research and this seems to make sense.

Here is a picture of the one wall that does not really get weathered.

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• nrwilliams
• 29 Mar 2012
• 1

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• nrwilliams
• 29 Mar 2012
• 1

The pointing is dark grey and actually very hard.

Here are pictures of the walls that get heavily weathered.

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• nrwilliams
• 29 Mar 2012
• 1

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• nrwilliams
• 29 Mar 2012
• 1

As you can see the pointing has had many many years of patching.

Anyone have any advice or worked on a similar project? I am thinking of sending off a sample of the grey pointing to be analysed so I can make sure the rest of the house matches both in colour and structure, but this is £30.

I just don't want to make a mistake and would like some advice.

Many thanks

Neil

 

[jeds]

The older light creamy looking stuff in the bottom two photos looks like lime mortar to me. The top two photos looks like it has cement content and is probably not original. At about that time bricks were usually laid with a rough local lime mortar but the bed would have been left short of the edge and any overspill raked back. The joints would then have been made with a finer pointing mortar - also usually lime based. Best advice is to look around for local sands (because that's what the original would have been made from) and test a few batches with lime. In my experience it can take several goes before you get a good mix. Texture is as important as colour.

 

[nrwilliams]

Hi,

Thanks.

That would make sense about the short bed as where the pointing is falling out in places and it some exposed areas (barge board removed) the bed is quite a way short of the outer edge of bricks.

Neil

 

[Nige F]

Hi,

I am looking for opinions/advice on the pointing on my bungalow. The property was built around 1930-1945. The bricks are very soft

Soft varing in hardness with lumps - can chip easily , but not soft surely

 

[stuart45]

The bricks look typical Sussex stocks, maybe West Hoathlys or Freshfield Lanes. They are quality bricks and shouldn't be soft.
The pointing style is known as weatherstruck and cut, which looks nice when first done, but often cracks up in time. This is often because the bed joints are not filled properly and water gets in behind them.

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Id have thought it was originaly lime based mortar and over the years has been repointed.
The first and second photos show quite a strong mix with coarse sand.
If it could be cut out without damaging the bricks, Id suggest repointing in a lime mix, if you done the whole house at least it would be a uniform colour.
You can buy it ready mixed in tubs from places such as Trad-Lime.

 

[nrwilliams]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, I will look at that supplier of the ready mix.

Soft is probably not the right word, drilling the bricks with a masonary bit is very easy compared to my last house which was built in the seventies.

I shall look at getting some ready mix and some pointing lessons!

Thanks