pointing using mortar gun

[colin H]

I am about to start pointing my gable end , and have been looking at the pointing guns you can get . Are these any good for diy , compared with the traditional methods of pointing ?
Also any tips / advice would be helpful .
Thanks , Colin .

 

[tawelfryn]

I have used mortar guns quite a few times, especially on timber frame apartments, on gables where the roofs drop down to a lower roof. As bricks cant be laid there "sticky bricks" are put there. These are basically slithers of bricks about 30mm thick, stuck on with adhesive on to a metal sheet. The 30mm depth of the bricks then needs to be pointed in. Traditional methods of a Frenchman/Pointing Trowel and jointer is frustrating and slow to use even for an experienced tradesman.
Using these mortar guns is MUCH quicker and easier once you got the hang of it. The mix needs to be nice and fluffy and wet, and the trick is to have it coming out of the gun almost like icing a cake. Overfill the joints by letting the mortar protrude past the surface of the brick taking care not to smudge the face. Leave to go off a bit and then rub up with your half round "bucket handle" marshalltown jointer. Overfilling is done to be able to "compact" the mortar into the perps and beds and to eliminate voids in the jointing

 

[aconnor2]

what was said above is spot on technique wise but ive always found that the guns have a tendency to keep seperating the mix inside and then you need to take it appart and scoop it out and refill it and it gets really annoying.

 

[oilman]

I am about to start pointing my gable end , and have been looking at the pointing guns you can get . Are these any good for diy , compared with the traditional methods of pointing ?
Also any tips / advice would be helpful .
Thanks , Colin .

Is it lime mortar you are repointing?

 

[colin H]

not sure to be honest - just a standard 4 to 1 mix - cement and sharp sand . What`s different about lime . Do you add lime to the mix , or is it contained in certain types of cement ?

 

[colin H]

after a bit of research , it seems to be that most people are of the opinion that these guns are only worthwhile when using a lime based mortar , and are not very good for a standard sand/cement mix . Can anybody persuade me otherwise before I abandon the idea , and get cracking with the trowel ? I did hope the gun may save me some time , but my main priority is getting the job right !!!

 

[oilman]

How old is the house?

 

[colin H]

its about 30 years old . the pointing hasnt been re-done since the house was built . I think its just standard cement/sand mix . I`ve now scratched out all the old mortar to a depth of around 1/2 " and am ready to start re-pointing .

 

[SweetTrolley]

yeah the guns are useless to me the mix seperates out in the gun and you could do the same with the corner cut offa carryer bag. lol.

 

[nstreet]

If the mix is seperating that quick, could you not use some rendamix instead of plasticiser to ****** it a bit longer?

 

[colin H]

thanks for the advice . after due consideration , I`ve decided to give the gun a miss , and use the trowel .
made a start today , and its going o.k,
but verrrrrrry slowly . My problem is I keep getting the `muck` on the brickwork , and have to keep washing it off with a sponge ! it looks nice and neat , as I go over the surface with the sponge as well , just very time consuming .
Any tips to speed the job up ???? , or do I just need years of practice !

 

[tawelfryn]

Traditional methods of a Frenchman/Pointing Trowel and jointer is frustrating and slow to use even for an experienced tradesman.
Using these mortar guns is MUCH quicker and easier once you got the hang of it.

All in my post

 

[seasickstevie]

not sure to be honest - just a standard 4 to 1 mix - cement and sharp sand...

4 to 1 sounds a bit rich to me.

I find 6 to 1 is ample. Looks a lot better, and more in-keeping in appearance.

 

[noseall]

4 to 1 sounds a bit rich to me.

I find 6 to 1 is ample. Looks a lot better, and more in-keeping in appearance.

rather presumtious don't you think.

 

[colin H]

seems to be a difference of opinion when it comes to mix ratios . most people seem to reccomend 4:1 which I`m using , so I`ll have to stick with it now . looks fine to me , and more importantly , it seems to be setting nice and hard ! I`m borrowing a gun off a mate and will give it a go , if we get on well I might buy one . Strange as it may sound though , I`m finding it quite relaxing . Particularly as someone told me you guys charge around £30 per square metre - (is this true-if so I might consider a career change) . This means I`ll be saving around £1,500 - which makes me feel much happier