A Guide In Masonry Repair
The strongest and most durable construction material for a long time has been the brick. As a matter of fact, there are actually a lot of buildings made of bricks that are still standing today. But you need to know that there is also a weakness when it comes to masonry. So every time a homeowner will discover an extensive moisture damage or crumbling bricks, he or she needs to seek help from a professional. And you should always do something right away if you will see that the mortar joints are decaying. This article will provide you with a guide on how you should be replacing the bad mortar joints in order to prolong and preserve the structural integrity of your brick building.
First of all, you will need some toosl. You should have power tools like a rotary hammer drill that has a flat chisel head bit and an angle grinder with a diamond blade of 4 to 4.5 inches. You should also make use of a tuck pointer and a trowel, and a flat blade that will pressure the new mortar to the joints. To complete the repair, it is important to shape and smooth the wet paste using a joint raker or any other similar tool. It is also important to have a bag or mortar and mix it in a bucket.
It is important to know how bad the problem is so that a successful masonry will be done. You can do this by using a house key and scratch it on the joints between the brick. Take note that solid mortal will not crumble so it needs to be replaced if it will come out in chunks. After gathering this information, it is important to use an angle grinder to create a horizontal cut below and above every joint. Once the bad sections will be removed, a hammer drill should be used to work through the grooves and chisel them out. A stiff paintbrush can also be used to clean out the new grooves.
Once the bad mortar is removed, a new batch of mortar should be mixed up. The bag of mortar should be mixed with water based on the instructions and the final consistency must be similar to a thick peanut butter. A glob of paste will be placed on top of the trowel and the trowel will be placed inside the empty groove. The mortar will be tightly packed between the bricks using a tuck pointer. During the process of filling in the grooves with new mortar, it is important to always check if the paste is not set and hard. After thirty minutes of application, a new masoned joint can be striked. It is important for you to always hire the services of a professional so that you can have a successful masonry repair.