Tuckpointing isn’t the most common term when it comes to home repairs or home renovation, but it is important. Tuckpointing is the act of maintaining and possibly restoring mortar joints between bricks using a two-toned mortar technique. It is a project that can lengthen the life of your brick structures and increase the value of your home if kept up with properly!

Here are 5 reasons that you may need to consider having your house tuckpointed.

1. The Mortar is Failing
   If the mortar on your house is beginning to fail, then you need to have your house tuckpointed, and quickly. Mortar joints between bricks are legitimately what holds them together, and when the mortar begins to crumble and fall from the joints, the structure begins to weaken. Tuckpointing when this begins to happen is crucial, and can save you a lot of time and money down the line if identified early enough!
2. Your House Hasn’t Been Tuckpointed in a Decade (Or More!)
   Your mortar joints look fine, and your brick is strong, so you know the mortar isn’t failing. Well, even if that’s the case, it’s important that you have your brick walls or structures, like a chimney, checked and tuckpointed. Preventative maintenance in a home is highly important, and it’s recommended that you have the brick in your home tuckpointed every 10 to 15 years.
3. Bricks Are Beginning to Crack
   There’s a good chance that if you see bricks in your home beginning to crack, or spall, that you’ll need to look into having your home tuckpointed. When the mortar joints between your bricks begin to crack or deteriorate, it may not be entirely noticeable. A dead giveaway is when the bricks begin to crack or flake. Good mortar joints prevent too much moisture from entering a brick wall, while deteriorating joints don’t protect against this, and the resulting moisture entering the brick causes it to crack.
4. You’ve Found a Puddle in Your Basement
   Let’s talk a little bit more about moisture. Sure, noticing signs of wear and tear from moisture is a little bit easier with the brick outside, or any brick that’s exposed inside on the first floor. That’s not the only sign of moisture damage in your joints or bricks. Hidden deterioration may be happening, and water may be seeping in from the outside and dribbling into your basement. If you see this, you may need to get your brick tuckpointed.
5. Increasing the Value of Your Home
   Last but not least, tuckpointing is a good way to increase the value of your home if you’re looking to sell! It’s regular maintenance that needs to be done, and if done recently, can help increase the appraisal you receive when looking to put your house on the market.

Tuckpointing is an important part of home maintenance and restoration for any property that has brick walls or structure. Consider giving your home a look through and getting it tuckpointed today!

So you’ve started to notice some wear and tear on the mortar joints between your bricks. In some places it’s cracking, while in others it’s beginning to crumble. When you think about it, you can’t remember the last time you’ve had any sort of work done to them. So what’s the best time to get work done? Check out our helpful guide on the best time to have your house tuckpointed.

How Long Can I Go Without Tuckpointing?

Generally, when it comes to bricks and masonry, tuckpointing should be done every 10 to 15 years. While bricks can last one hundred years, easily, the mortar between them is a lot more susceptible to damage. Staying on top of the health of your mortar will also help to lengthen the life of the brick, as it prevents moisture buildup in the brick itself.

What Time of the Year is Best for Tuckpointing?

Generally, the best time of the year for tuckpointing is going to be when temperatures are between 40 and 90 degrees. Ideally, these temperatures will last for the entire length of the job being done, normally about 24 hours before the job begins and the 72 hours following completion of the tuckpointing. This is due to the nature of mortar, and the optimal conditions it needs to cure. Most often, autumn fits the bill the best.

That being said, it can be done in cooler temperatures if you’ve noticed that it needs to be done right away, as long as the mortar is treated properly in terms of temperature, and that it gets the proper protection while curing. It’s not generally recommended to have tuckpointing done during the summer due to the humid nature of the time of the year, and with spring comes rain.

Additionally, if you’re considering having your chimney tuckpointed, the best time of year is when the chimney is not in use. This would be either just before winter starts, or after winter has ended.

What About the Weather?

We’re glad you asked. While the optimal temperatures occur in spring, just like they do autumn, the main difference is the predictability of the weather. When tuckpointing, precipitation and moisture are the biggest detriments to the process. While curing, mortar needs to be kept dry, as well as at the right temperature. Because spring and summer are typically rainy, and winter brings snow, autumn really is the best time of the year to have masonry work done.

The Takeaway

Tuckpointing is an important part of the upkeep of masonry buildings. The most important things to take away from what you’ve learned here are as follows:

• Maintain your masonry structures every 10 to 15 years, or more often if needed.
• Try to have tuckpointing done over a period of time where the temperature is between 40 and 90 degrees.
• Avoid rain and snow, as this will prevent the mortar from curing correctly.

Keeping these things in mind, you’re ready to schedule an appointment to have your brick attended to, and kept looking sharp, with tuckpointing!