What Is Tuckpointing And Why Is It Important?

Tuckpointing is a masonry repair technique that focuses on restoring those joints that show gaps as a result from weather decay and overall deterioration of the mortar. Usually, the mortar that keeps the masonry together will require maintenance fairly sooner than a brick repair would be necessary. However, neglecting issues with the mortar can give rise to problems with the brick or stone, so you might want to call your masonry contractors when facing any sign of mortar deterioration.

How Do I Know If My Mortar Needs Repair?
A clear red flag that indicates you have to call your tuckpointing contractors is when pieces of mortar are missing from around the bricks, being replaced by holes. However, before landing in this scenario, you can also notice that mortar becomes flaky and falls away. One way to test if your tuckpointing needs maintenance is taking a key and running it against the mortar. If the material falls off, it’s time to call your trusted masonry contractors.

What Are The Benefits Of Tuckpointing?
The main goals of keeping your tuckpointing in good condition is to maintain a solid structure, and to preserve a nice look of the exterior. Defective mortar can allow water to flow through the gaps into the masonry and cause further decay. This might eventually require a costly masonry restoration if damage extends to the brick or stone. Tuckpointing seals the masonry in order to keep the structure away from water damage.

Gaps and cracks in the mortar can go unnoticed from the exterior. Consider hiring a qualified tuckpointing contractor, who will identify them and use the right kind of mortar that matches the current structure and style of the building. Think of tuckpointing as an investment that will prevent you from costly masonry repair in the future. It’s always more convenient to perform regular maintenance and repair minor issues before extended damage appears.

If you think you have a case of mortar decay, contact qualified masonry and tuckpointing contractors to carry out an inspection, and advise you on the best tuckpointing solution.