Repointing London

howzat92

Pointing is failing on my 3 bed 1930s mid terrace. I’m told it needs lime mortar repointing. 

Have been quoted £11,000 for the rear and side elevation to be raked out and repointed. Is this reasonable it was a bit more expensive than I imagined? 

See photos below. 

FreeBear

Repointing is a labour intensive task, and takes time to do it properly. It looks like you have had cement used in the past in some places - That may be a bit of a pig to get out. Just don't let them use an angle grinder & mortar rake. Have a look at this thread over on the Period Property forum to see the results - https://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/threads/lime-pointing.17884/

Lime mortar will rake out quite easily with an old screwdriver. For the tough bits of cement, a plugging chisel will get most of it out. No need to resort to power tools.

One observation - The patio level at the back is too high. You are blocking half the air brick which will compromise air flow under the suspended timber floor. Ideally, the ground level wants to be ~150mm below the DPC, but the foundations on a 1930s build may not be deep enough (you run the risk of exposing the footings). Next best solution is a trench about 200mm wide filled with a decorative gravel so that it is at least 75mm below the DPC.