Extend The Life Of The Building With Tuckpointing

By Author: vikram kuamr
Total Articles: 2912
Comment this article

As a building gets older, no matter what type of building it is, it will go through some inevitable changes. These changes can be both physical and chemical. This is especially true with brick and mortar buildings. Physical changes mean when a building settles down on its foundation or shifts a little. It will actually physically move a little bit after some time. If it is a multistoried building the weight of the walls will exert a downward pressure. If you were to go check the brick masonry work of an old brick building you would find cracks and fissures, especially in the mortar that separates them, and most likely it will need a tuckpointing job. It doesn't take a construction engineer to figure out that this is not a good thing.

Chemical changes are generally weather related. As the brick wall gets exposed to more and more weather changes, it is bound to go through some changes. This can be from water or hot and cool weather exposure. We all know that heat and cold causes expansion and contraction. Needless to say, after many years of this the mortar as well as the brick will develop cracks. This is why it is important ...
... to do something like tuckpointing to a brick wall. Tuckpointing is a process where the older cracked mortar is removed and it is replaced with new mortar. The best way to do it is by taking out ¾ inch of mortar and packing it with fresh mortar.

The history of tuckpointing goes back around 200 years. Originally this was done with clay or putty and sometimes mortar, to give the brick masonry work a better finished look. In those days high quality bricks were not as readily available like nowadays. That meant when you worked with bricks it could give the wall a slightly uneven look. Tuckpointing took care of that problem. Even though this procedure has mainly cosmetic origins, it is an important and integral part of keeping a brick wall safe and sound. This is why it should be done if the need arises. Every building made from bricks should be inspected once in a while and dealt with as soon as possible.

Brick masonry as the name implies has to do with any work concerning bricks. Bricks nowadays come in many different shapes and styles and not to mention quality. Most bricks are made from combination of shale and clay and the quality of the brick will depend on the mixture of the two. Bricks are of course the single most important component of any building made from brick and mortar. When a brick wall is built it is important to get the services of a highly skilled person specialized in brick masonry work. This is not an area where you want to cut corners and save money.

Author Bio.

Whether you are planning on building a new building or need to do maintenance on an existing building, then it is time to give Bruno Next Generation Construction Company a call. They are capable of accomplishing good tuckpointing and brick masonry work at some of the most competitive prices.