Brick and Stone Pointing
Roofing Specialties inc. are masonry pointing professionals. Pointing is the term given to the ‘finish’ that is between the bricks or stone used to build your house. Depending on the age of the building, the mortar used to lay the stone or brick will either be made from lime, or more recently, cement. Incorrect pointing causes irreparable damage to older buildings. I
The function of the mortar in the wall is to act as a bedding between stones and varies from fine joints in ashlar stonework to larger joints in rubble masonry walls.
It must prevent water penetration through the joints by its physical presence almost like a masonry‘ sponge’, yet it must allow the wall to breathe and drain, porosity being a key factor in the choice of a repointing mortar.
The strength of the mortar should always be less than the surrounding stones and should be considered as a sacrificial element of the wall, and viewed as a maintenance item in need of replacement.
The condition of stone walls cannot be viewed in isolation and repointing of any walls will not cure water ingress problems caused by other building failures, such as gutters, roofs, and leadwork. These must be in good condition to maintain the life of the walling elements.
Walls need to breathe – and if the pointing doesn’t allow this, the wall will rapidly deteriorate. Block the mortar joints, and the wall will destroy itself.
