Sunday 11 January 1998
Repointing is the act of hacking out the old pointing and sticking some new stuff in. It hardly ever needs doing, but architects and surveyors like to say it does. Well, they have to say something to justify their fees, don’t they? Pointing rarely needs replacing because it should be a sacrificial material; that is, it is supposed to be softer and more porous than the bricks, and so allow thermal and moisture movement to take place without the bricks themselves being damaged. After many years – maybe 50 or 100 – the pointing will have weathered back and may need some attention, but unless the wear is extreme, or you can see daylight between the bricks, it is usually better left alone.
Andrew R Williams & Associates
0152 426 9660