If you have a home with brickwork, there’s a good chance you’ll need to re-point your brick wall at some point.
When the mortar is crumbling or missing, you will need to re-point it by removing the old mortar and applying fresh mortar.
Here’s Why You Should Re-Point Your Brick Walls, Home Or Garage:
Benefits of brickwork re-pointing include:
- Weatherproofing – protects home from storms
- Increased property value – $300,000 valued home could increase by up to $15,000 for a $1,450 investment covering 100 square foot area. [Potential return on investment between 2-5% of the house’s value]
- Curb appeal – home will sell quicker
- Improves home’s structural integrity
- Damp protection
Common Problems With Brickwork
For the most part, brick can be maintenance free but if you don’t keep an eye on problems when they creep up you might end up with a very expensive repair bill.
- Chimneys and walls can topple
The biggest problem with ignoring crumbling or missing mortar is the potential for water to seep in (ingress) between the bricks. If water gets in between the bricks, it can cause swelling and cracking.
A brick wall with crumbling mortar joints is susceptible to water intrusion, causing serious damage to the structure.
Water intrusion can make brick-built exteriors, especially chimneys, more susceptible to falling over in a wind storm.
- Damp home
Without the mortar to keep the water out, the water can freeze in the bricks causing them to expand, cause damage, or a damp house.
Mortar not only protects your home from water intrusion but it also helps to prevent heat loss through the walls.
Find out more about repointing and damp below:
Here Are Some Repointing FAQs :
Does re-pointing add value to my home?
Replacing brick is much more involved and a lot more expensive than re-pointing.
Repointing mortar instead, is a relatively small investment which certainly will pay off.
It makes excellent economic sense, then, to protect your brick by re-pointing whenever you see signs of cracking or flaking beginning to appear.
Curb appeal is the first thing buyers will notice about your home. But besides making your home more visually appealing, repointing your brick can add value to your home.
For all the figures and details check out our article below:
How much will it cost to re-point my brickwork?
If hiring a professional, the national average price for a property on ground level is $1450 for 100 square feet.
Most of the cost of hiring a professional for the job is labor.
On average masons charge around $3-15 per square foot, with the average being $8 per square foot.
Price will be determined by factors like:
- Experience of the mason
- Your location
- Accessibility (how difficult or easy it is to get to your brickwork)
- Height of home, wall, chimney etc
Expect to pay closer to $25 per square foot if having a chimney repointed due to the height and accessibility issues.
Additional costs to bear in mind.
- Scaffold. If the work needs to be carried out above ground level, scaffold will be required.
TIP: Don’t forget to factor in non-labor costs. Needing to use scaffolding will increase your project costs by 20-40% more.
- Mortar coloring. Some masons may recommend a mortar color analysis so that the new mortar color will match up with existing weathered mortar.
This extra cost is well worth it, especially if your home was built before 1900. Depending on the company, add an extra $100-300 to the overall cost for this service.
There are however, ways of matching up mortar colors yourself, which will save you another cost. Find out below:
Can I re-point brickwork as a DIY project? (How much will it cost?)
Yes. Most DIY beginners with basic competency levels could re-point small sections of brickwork.
However, if you have any mobility issues (such as arthritis) you may want to avoid this project as it will involve a fair bit of bending, crouching and kneeling for sustained periods.
TIP: While working at low levels kneel or sit on soft items (like cushions or pillows) or sit on a footstool to help take the strain off joints and muscles.
Major re-pointing projects involving larger areas, heights or accessibility issues, however, should only be considered by intermediate or experienced-level DIYers [See Competency Guide].
Expect to pay around $1 per square foot to re-point brickwork, if you decide you could do it yourself. Cost comprised of:
- $45 per day for basic tool rental
- $11 for a large 80-pound bag of mortar (covers 45 square feet)
- $100 per day for scaffolding (you can rent from local home improvement store)
How long will it take to re-point my property?
If you hire a professional to re-point your brickwork, expect the time estimate to vary depending on the project.
- For touch ups and small areas, expect the work to take 1-2 days.
- For chimneys, expect it to take 3-5 days.
- For large walls, for example, 500 square feet, it can take up to 7 days per wall.
If you will be doing the work yourself on a large area, you will want to plan for this project to be completed over weeks or months.
For a more detailed breakdown check out our article below:
What are the pros & cons of re-pointing brickwork as a DIY project?
On the up-side:
- Repointing is fairly easy. Applying the actual mortar between bricks is not a difficult task in itself, making it suitable for DIY beginners.
But beginner should consider other aspects of the project which aren’t so straightforward: like removing the old mortar, scaffold assembly if required, and accessing hard to reach areas of brickwork)
This short video shows the mortar removing part of the process which can be very messy and quite difficult. The mortar is being removed with a mortar rake attachment on an angle grinder.
- Big cost savings. Repointing materials are not expensive, which saves you money over hiring a professional. But don’t forget about added expenses like renting scaffolding and a cement mixer for large projects.
- Personally rewarding: All DIY projects can be rewarding, but this one was all the more so for me because I saw it as protecting the long-term structural integrity of my property, so felt that all the effort was worth it.
On the downside:
- It’s very time-consuming. No question this project will be slowing, involving many hours of work (Hence why the labor cost for hiring in a professional are so high).
- It can be tedious too! Though not especially difficult or grueleing, the actual re-pointing task itself can be tedious as you will be doing small sections at a time.
What will I need to re-point my brickwork as a DIY project?
You may already have some of these at home, which will save you some money.
Here’s a list of tools and materials you will need:
Tools:
- Chisel (joint raker, or an old flat head screwdriver) to remove the old mortar. This is the slower method. You can speed up the process by using an electric grinder (see below)
- Mortar board
- Pointing trowel or Margin trowel
- Wire brush or masonry brush to remove the dust and debris
- Grinder with raking bit (renting may be cheaper than buying new) or a grout saw, for difficult to remove mortar
- Slicker to flatten the mortar to give a smooth finish, or a (brick jointer) to have a convex or V-shaped mortar
- Hose and faucet
- 5-gallon bucket or wheelbarrow for mixing
- Safety glasses
- Work gloves
- Respirator (especially recommended if you are using an electric grinder)
Materials:
- Mortar mix if your existing mortar is less than 50 years old
- Lime and sand mortar mix for older homes
- Mortar colorant (optional)
- Brick sealer (optional for external brick, but a must for internal brick)
The materials you need will vary depending on the existing mortar and the age of the home.
Check out our full repointing tool guide below, complete with prices, images and much more:
Conclusion
Re-pointing brickwork on your house, garage or walls is NOT something you should put off because replacing brickwork later on will prove a far more costly option.
Conversely, keeping your brickwork regularly maintained by re-pointing it with fresh mortar every 10-20 years could leave you thousands of dollars better off.
Not only will it make your property sell quicker because of improved curbside appeal, but you could expect to sell it by up to 5% more than the market value too.
FAQs
Q: What is brick repointing?
A: Brick repointing is the process of removing damaged or deteriorated mortar from the joints between bricks and replacing it with new mortar. Repointing is necessary when the old mortar starts to crack, crumble, or fall out of the joints.
Q: Why should I consider repointing my brickwork?
A: Repointing your brickwork can help prevent water damage, improve the structural integrity of your building, enhance its overall appearance and add value to your property. Damaged or deteriorated mortar can allow water to penetrate into your walls, causing damage to the brickwork and potentially leading to mold growth or other issues.
Q: How do I know if my brickwork needs repointing?
A: Signs that your brickwork may need repointing include cracks in the mortar, missing or loose mortar, and visible gaps between the bricks. If you notice any of these issues, it’s a good idea to have a professional inspect your brickwork to determine whether repointing is necessary.
Q: How much does it cost to re-point brickwork?
A: The cost of repointing brickwork can vary depending on a number of factors, including the size of the area to be repointed, the condition of the existing mortar, and the type of mortar used. Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $8 to $20 per square foot for repointing services.
