Most houses in the UK are built with bricks and mortar, and it’s important to keep an eye on the exterior of your property for wear and tear/weather erosion. Where this happens, the mortar tends to be eroded away, leaving bricks quite loose. The process of “repointing” is to replace the old mortar and holds the bricks back together again. A lack of mortar would also mean that water can seep into your property and create problems such as water damage or damp.
A brick wall in Aberystwyth in need of repointing.
The tell tale signs that your property needs repointing:
- Cracks in the mortar that are clearly visible
- Gaps between the mortar and masonry
- Loose structures (like the brickwork above)
- Damp surfaces on the masonry
- Water infiltration on the interior walls/damp patches
Once you spot these signs you should consider having your property repointed – although you can only do sections, rather than the whole house. This is what we did recently on the bay windows of a property in Aberystwyth, which was in severe need of repointing.
Repointed property on South Road in Aberystwyth