Tuckpointing is a very common masonry repair. It is best performed when you first start to see damage in the mortar joints on a masonry structure. Damage can be spotted by cracking and crumbling. It is sometimes done on a small scale, sometimes on a larger scale. Tuckpointing replaces old, worn out mortar with new mortar. This allows masonry to stay in good condition for a longer period of time.
Tuckpointing is, in short, performed by scraping away old and crumbling mortar. The cracks between the bricks or stone is then filled in with fresh mortar. Professional masonry contractors use high quality tools to perform their work. They analyze the type of mortar that was used in the masonry, and choose the proper replacement mortar. This is important, as mortar of an incorrect strength can damage the already existing masonry.
Tuckpointing can ultimately save a lot of money. Tuckpointing is a preventative repair, so it can prevent property owners from having to perform more expensive and labor intensive repairs down the line. Major masonry damages can lead to walls crumbling entirely and needing to be rebuilt from the ground up. Tuckpointing is easily performed and keeps walls in good structural shape, thus preventing damages from accumulating to a major state.
