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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Building Questions >> New pointing - unsure if good enough https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1494936959 Message started by Arrandale on May 16^th, 2017, 1:15pm

Title: New pointing - unsure if good enough
Post by Arrandale on May 16^th, 2017, 1:15pm

Hello all,

I have just had the gable end of my house repointed, and they've left a few gaps but I wanted to know what people's opinions were on the quality.

It doesn't seem to be a smooth finish with lots of lumps sticking out in various points, but does that matter? Also it seems to rub off quite easily and the points which stick out break off when you rub them.

I've never looked so closely at pointing! I just want to know whether I'm being too particular or that it's not good enough.

Thanks,

David

Title: Re: New pointing - unsure if good enough
Post by Arrandale on May 16^th, 2017, 1:16pm

These are the photos.

Thanks,

David

http://imgur.com/a/swJ3e

Here are a couple more from last night. It was finished on Friday evening And these parts have washed away

http://imgur.com/a/cvtIh

Title: Re: New pointing - unsure if good enough
Post by woodsmith on May 17^th, 2017, 7:39am

The mortar will harden over time and it is normal to be softish to the touch for the first couple of days but this looks a very very poor job.

Title: Re: New pointing - unsure if good enough
Post by stuart45 on May 17^th, 2017, 11:04pm

It looks a bit of a sloppy finish, and may not have been raked out and prepared properly.
Is the original mortar lime or cement mortar. It looks like a solid wall and if the original mortar is lime it's better to repoint in lime mortar.

Title: Re: New pointing - unsure if good enough
Post by woodsmith on May 18^th, 2017, 8:32am

It's looks worse than poor, appalling more like!

They should have raked out to a depth of around 25mm.

It looks from the pictures that this needs completely redoing. The sooner you get the mortar out the easier it will be. I would at least try to brush all the mortar off the faces of the bricks, as once it sets hard you will never get it off.

The original mortar looks to be cement based not lime mortar which is much more granular. You seem to have a modern damp proof course so it appears the wall is not that old. Lime pointing is a specialist job, most builders think adding lime to a cement mortar makes it lime mortar but lime mortar has no cement in it at all.