Tuckpointing (also called repointing or pointing) is when you cut out deteriorated mortar joints in masonry walls and fill them in with new mortar.
Safety Tips
Remember that some of the materials and tools used for tuckpoint masonry are potentially hazardous. Make certain that you have on the correct protective clothing and safety gear. Tools such as grinders, hammers, and chisels, and even the mortar itself used to tuckpoint a wall all present potential hazards for the mason.
Mortar Removal and Replacement
Remove old mortar until you reach sound mortar, or to a maximum depth of 3/8" to 1/2". Don't remove mortar more than a third of the depth. To remove dust and debris, use brushing, blowing, and rinsing with water.
To minimize shrinkage, use a mortar that has already been hydrated. If you need to match the color of existing mortar, mix in the proper additives.
1. Put all the dry ingredients into a tub or a mixing box.
2. Make sure all dry ingredients are well mixed.
3. Take the amount of water used in new construction and reduce by one-half.
4. Mix the mortar until you see that it holds its shape when formed into a solid ball. The mortar should neither flow nor spread.
5. Hydrate the mix for one to two hours.
6. Add in more water to make the mixture workable, but still fairly stiff.
Dampen any joints that are to be tuckpointed. To ensure that the new mortar makes a good bond, be sure all surface water is absorbed by the bricks (or other masonry unit).
Final joint tooling is done exactly the same whether or not it is new construction. The joint should be tooled so that it matches the original profile. Mortar tags need to be brushed off after the mortar has dried to lessen smearing.
You can also use commercial cleaning compounds on the wall surface.
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