Tuckpointing And Lintel Replacement Made Easier

By Author: vikram Kuamr
Total Articles: 2912
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Brick walls will generally serve two purposes; they are load bearing and can also be used as partitions. Whatever it may be, over a period of time the bricks and especially the mortar found in between the bricks will decay. Needless to say this is not a good thing for obvious reasons. The good news is that if dealt with properly, it will not be a problem. This is when Tuckpointing needs to be done to ensure there is no compromise to the wellbeing of the structure. Tuckpointing basically means repairing or replacing the exposed mortar between the bricks. You are not actually replacing the entire mortar. It is only the exposed part that is replaced.

The object of Tuckpointing and Lintel replacement is both aesthetic and structural. After many years of exposure to the elements, the mortar will start looking bad. So in a way it is also a face lift for the building. After years of exposure the cement or mortar will develop cracks, crazing and bowing. If it is a load bearing brick wall, cracks will appear due to stress or other reasons such as the building settling in its foundation or improperly installed masonry ties. Bowing ...
... is the most extreme situation of the three. In this case the entire wall may have to be rebuilt. It is usually caused by unexpected forces acting on the wall.

If a pattern of small cracks start to appear on the mortar it is called crazing. It usually happens by the expansion and contraction of mortar and the bricks. This happens a lot to buildings that exist in places where it can get very hot and cold. For crazing as well as cracks, tuckpointing is done to remedy the problem. The way this is done is the mortar between the bricks is removed at a certain depth. Usually it is around ¾ of an inch deep. This will then be replaced with fresh mortar. The goal is to put as much fresh mortar as possible in a given area. This will ensure a long lasting finish. At the end of it, you will have a building that is water tight, as well as more aesthetically pleasing.

Lintel replacement is something that needs to be done from time to time. If this is not done, the doors and windows of your house will over time start to lose their integrity. So what is a Lintel? A lintel is a piece of steel that is placed right above the window or doorframe. It is on this the bricks are installed. After some years this piece of steel will start to corrode. At some point this means it will have to be replaced. Sometimes even the adjoining bricks will start to crack. Some people will go ahead and tuck point to deal with this problem. But this is not a good long term solution.

Author Bio.

If your house has any of the above mentioned problems, then contact Bruno next generation Construction Company. They have extensive experience in dealing with tuckpointing as well as Lintel replacement.