The How to for Masonry Repair
Essay Preview: The How to for Masonry Repair
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How to do masonry repair
To start a masonry repair on your home you need to identify all of you problem spots. The general rule to follow is that is the crack in the mortar joint is wider than a credit card then it needs to be replaced. In most cases you will use your own judgment on weather to replace a joint or not. But when in doubt, cut it out. Mark all of your joints that need to be replaced on a blueprint or with a marker on the joint being sure not to mark on your brick unless you use a pencil, which may be hard to spot while cutting the joints out. After you have identified your problem spots you are going to need some tools that you might have to go and rent from a local rental store. First and for most you will need to purchase a respirator to prevent you from inhaling the mortar dust. A face shield of safety glasses is another must for this line of work. You will also need a 4 Ð inch grinder with a masonry blade on it, or and a chipping hammer with a sharpened chisel. You will also need a good selection of tuck pointing tools and a mud hawk. You can purchase all of your tools at a local brick yard that you will need for the job. Bricks and mortar sand are also items that you will need and can get at your local brick yard. The only problem with mortar is getting a match. To do this you might want to cut out areas at ground level where you can fill the joints and get the best mortar match possible.
The next step in the masonry repair process would be to cut out the mortar joints that are failed. Always wear your safety gear, eye protection and respirator, to prevent any injuries. Start with your test areas so you can get your mortar sample in and get a good match. After you have completed this you can continue with cutting out the joints that you have spotted while locating all your problem areas. Using a 4 Ð… inch grinder begin with all of the joints on the ground, as you cut them out keep looking for other failed joints. If you come across a brick that has a crack in it then you can replace it by cutting out all around it and then taking your chipping hammer to the brick carefully. While cutting out make sure you are not cutting into the brick because then you make more work for yourself.
After you have cut out your joints be sure to wash the wall down with a garden hose to make sure all joints are cleaned out. If a joint is dirty then the mortar is more likely to fail meaning your work was pointless. After your joints have dried out then you are ready to mix a batch of mortar to get you mortar match. When you mix your mortar you dont want it to be too wet because that just causes a mess. To get your mortar at the best mix you will want