Rigney Restoration
Why might your building need repointing?
Over time, the mortar between your bricks can become badly weathered from wind and rain and start to crumble, allowing in moisture. This can also happen if the wrong mortar is used, including using cement mortar, and can cause very serious damage to your bricks. It is far cheaper to have your building professionally repointed than to have to replace damaged walls and chimneys, and repointing should be done by an expert company as poor repointing can also damage bricks.
As well as repairs to your brickwork, repointing will also allow your walls to breathe and improve the appearance of your building, including smoothing out cracks and gaps.
How does repointing with lime mortar work?
Our professional team will clean your bricks carefully and remove any old mortar. We will always use the same type of mortar as was originally used on your building, along with the same techniques and mixes, and replace any bricks with bricks of the same type, colour and age.
It is important to use the same techniques as were originally used to give an authentic and suitable finish for your building. For example, originally bricks were handmade, which meant they weren’t all the same shape and size, and the craftsmen would use pointing techniques to make the bricks look uniform.
Common pointing techniques on historical buildings in Ireland
Flush and brush pointing
This type of pointing is done to create texture and add character to buildings, with a good application of mortar to bring it level with the brick. The mortar is then brushed for a rough finish.
Weather-struck pointing
Here, new pointing is applied and pressed in at a 45-degree angle. This allows water to easily run off and creates the effect of shadows to enhance the horizontal edge of the bricks.
Tuck Pointing
Tuck pointing was a technique mostly used during the 18th and 19th centuries for a neat joint. With handmade bricks, joints were often wide and this type of pointing used brick-coloured mortar to make the joints seem narrower. Today, we use tuck pointing to disguise repairs and provide a smooth finish.
English Tuck
This is a technique that is also done with brick-coloured mortar levelled with the brick. We then cut a groove along the middle of the joint and apply a strip of white lime mortar in the centre of the groove.
Irish Wigging
Sometimes known as Irish tuck pointing, this method was used only in Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. To repoint with this technique, we apply brick-coloured mortar over both the joints and the brick and leave what we call the ‘tuck’ showing in the centre of the joint for a smart, neat finish. The tuck is a thin strip of white lime mortar.
Ready to start your restoration?
Our quality craftsmanship, knowledge and experience of pointing gives you peace of mind that your project will be completed to the highest standards. We are Dublin based but work in England and Ireland, so do give us a call to discuss your project.
