Tuckpointing and Masonry Repairs

When having an older historic building (such as your home) tuckpointed or restored it is very, very important that the job be done right. Using the wrong materials or technique to do the job can actually cause damage to the structure and existing brickwork.

When driving through the older neighborhoods in Denver we notice that there are far too many examples of poor workmanship in tuckpointing and masonry repair. If you look you will notice places where the mortar was just smeared all over the bricks and not cleaned off. You will see colors that just don’t even come close to matching the existing mortar and worst of all you will see cracked and broken bricks around an area that has been previously repaired.

Often times, the reason that a brick home has been painted or stuccoed over is because the previous tuckpointing and brick repair was poorly or incorrectly done. It is a lot cheaper to have job done right the first time than to paint or stucco over a bad job.

The situation is this: Most homes and buildings built prior to World War II contain a softer brick than is used today. Also, portland cement was rarely available and thus most of the mortar was made up mostly of lime and sand. This lime and sand combination worked well with those older bricks as it would give as the house moved slightly under freeze and thaw conditions through out the winter.

Modern mortars are typically much harder than those original mortars. They contain a much higher amount of portland cement and can become harder than the bricks that they are surrounding. The result is that as the house moves, the mortar no longer gives and thus the bricks crack or the face of the bricks chip or deteriorate.

Chimney Jack masons have enough experience and knowledge to use the correct type of mortar when tuckpointing an older building. We are experts at matching the original mortar type and color. We are proud of the work we do and strive to do an excellent job of tuckpointing and brick repair.

Regarding color; in most older buildings the mortar color was usually originally a bright white. Then, after years of pollution and being baked in the sun it can vary a great deal. It is no longer white and it isn’t gray or brown either. We have become very expert at combining materials and colors to come up with an approximation of the current mortar color of the building. (However, in the case of actual registered historic structures we try to follow the recommendation of the National Brick Institute that the coloring be matched to the original material – not the existing color.)

We want your business and will do the job right at a fair price.
Call 303-922-2252 to schedule an estimate today!