Pointing outside wall...

BertieUK

Back again with an update of my progress. have carefully remove the morter on either side of the damp-cource, as the picture shows.

This looks to me as though patience is working.

Regards

BobUK

The average depth is 1" or 25mm taken out with a chisel.

tony6403

Bob - replacing the dpc is a very destructive and costly operation. You may not be able to match your existing bricks when having to replace breakages (which there will be). This can produce a very unsatisfactory appearance.
Have you actually experienced any damp problems in this area?
The bricks look sound.
If you have no evidence of damp then I suggest that you go ahead and repoint.
Suggest 6 or 7 parts sand to one part cement. Go any stronger with the mix and you may get a grey - or even white! finish.
I will not blether on about pointing practice but if are going to do it and you want any tips I will gladly try to help.
PS - you made a good job of chiseling - although removing 12mm is enough.

BertieUK

Tony - thanks for your comments. Firstly, the bricks are quite sound with no cracks, there is as you can see broken pieces of mortar in various parts of the wall which I intend to clean / fill with mortar.

We have never experienced any damp problems anywhere in the property, so I would consider, in my own judgement that pointing is all that is required. Had the bricks been un-sound then I would have been looking at replacing the DPC, as previously mentioned by F.U.Tradesman.

It will be quite tedious getting the mortar between the DPC membrane, would you suggest using the piping method - like you see chefs using decoration on cakes etc? I am asking all these questions because I would rather ask and listen to suggestions by people who know what they are talking about, than just blungeon on. Hope that I am not boring people.

Many thanks for your time and respectful comments and take in all your points.

Regards

BobUK

PS I saw a pointing gun advertised today, a Pro Point with different nozzles which looked a possible choice. Anyone with experience of this product please...

tony6403

Bob , I have a mortar pointing gun and used it to repoint a patio.
It takes a while to get used to managing the flow out of it but, when you have, it saves a lot of time compared to troweling . It eliminates any voids.
However , I did get problems with the gun blocking up and then , after applying more pressure via the lever, it shot mortar out all over the stone. You need to pay careful attention to the water content of the mix. It requires a slightly wetter mix than you would use for application with a trowel. Too much water though and you will end up with a real mess!
Adding plasticiser reduced the problems with the flow out of the gun. I have seen it suggested on these forums that adding washing up liquid will act as a plasticiser. My advice is don't. It will cause the mortar to break down after a relatively short time. Put simply plasticiser is for laying bricks - washing up liquid is for washing pots.
On balance I feel more in control with the trowel.

BertieUK

Tony, again many thanks for your input and I take your points into consideration. Yes I see your reasoning with the mortar pointing gun, and it would appear that it follows the line of least resistance, the mix would have to be consistant with pressure and content otherwise the pressure from the gun would be that the water in the mortar mix could get seperated under pressure.

Just getting back to the pointing guns there seems to be quite a vast difference between the prices, with many looking very similar to each other. Prices range from £18.. to around double.

Anyone could advise please?

Kind regards for your input

BobUK

BertieUK

He's back I hear you say. Looking at the brickwork in this post, would it be possible for me to clean up the facings of these bricks and make them look more alive, because they look so drab looking.

Would you suggest methods that I could try please, and would you suggest it be done - before or after - pointing.

Regards

BobUK

mikey72

BertieUK wrote: »

He's back I hear you say. Looking at the brickwork in this post, would it be possible for me to clean up the facings of these bricks and make them look more alive, because they look so drab looking.

Would you suggest methods that I could try please, and would you suggest it be done - before or after - pointing.

Regards

BobUK

Jetwash first, before any pointing, and it'll probably shift half the old mortar anyway.

BertieUK

The Damp Course Membrane, being first laid over 50 years ago, is very dry and brittle on the edges, and some pieces on the edges have flaked off which sets back the outer edge of the membrane by 3/8th inch.

When I come to re-point, how can I account for this difference, because I would be then bridging with mortar if I came out to the edge of the brick.

regards

BobUK

SailorSam

What's the difference between a mortar gun and one you may use with mastic around your windows ?
Is it just heavier ?

cyclonebri1

Ok look, I'm not a builder by trade but as a hobby I renovate stuff, and have done for 40 years.

There is no longer a need to smash out a course of bricks to fit a physical, say lead sheet dpc as we would have done 40 years ago, simply sawing and sliding dpc on wet mortar is just as effective as trying to refit a layer of brick, and no matching issues.

Cut lead into 3ft lengths, cut 3 ft leave 2 ft, etc, then 2 days later do the over laps.

Now given that the lead dpc in this case is exposed succesfully, knock it fully up or down, get some 1" wide lead strips and punch in to bridge the gap between the bricks but keeping 1 edge, the lower, proud of the brickwork to run the water away. Point above as normal.

Lets call the wholw exercise "theraputic relaxation". ;)