What's the deal with this mortar?

[indus]

These are pics of the front of my existing house (built 1902) Parts of the mortar are black and parts are orange (like the bricks).

This is only the case for the front elevation, on the side elevation (third pic) the mortar is the usual yellow/sandy colour.

Is this a coloured mortar or has the mortar been painted over? I ask the latter because the bricks on the front are also far more of a bright orange than the ones on the side. So could the bricks be painted over as well??Btw my attached neighbour (property is semi) has exactly the same.

 

[pred]

I'm guessing they used a cement dye and its now gone past its sell by date.

 

[kazuya]

to me the first pic looks like joints have been repointed with coloured mortar and painted at a later date, second pic looks like its been repointed with coloured mortar and third pic looks like ordinary building sand.

 

[indus]

Thanks.

Is coloured mortar still used these days or is it an old fashioned method?

 

[JohnD]

I have seen houses of that age which were pointed using black die in cement mortar.

The orange die is usually for patching holes in bricks to try to blend in the colour, it is "wrong" to use it for pointing.

For good appearance, all the pointing on a wall should be the same colour and texture, including matching your neighbour if you are in a semi or terrace.

The soft orange bricks, dentil detailing and ornamental pointing is typical of good quality work of the period in parts of London. The back and sides of the house are not built for show so are often more cheaply built.