Repointing Cirencester Gloucestershire (GL7): No matter what age your home or business premises is in Cirencester, there comes a point when a little maintenance and repair is required. You must not ignore the signs if the brickwork on your home in Cirencester is starting to look shabby, and you've noticed that the mortar joints are cracking and falling away. If it is essential to renovate or repair your weakened brickwork, a professional brick repointing company in Cirencester can provide an effective resolution.
You must remember that any house is only as sturdy as the mortar and bricks which hold it together. The mortar must be sound, and free of holes or gaps to be able to repel any draughts and dampness from finding a path into your home. But how can you be sure precisely when you need to repoint your property in Cirencester?
Inspect your external brick walls and look for any impairment that can be seen with the naked eye. If you discover damaged areas or sections that look different to the remainder of the property, you may want to speak to a professional repointing company for a more thorough investigation. In most instances you will be able to see quite clearly any physical signs of degradation, however in places that are out of reach, such as chimney stacks or under eaves; you may need to call on the services of a specialist to assist you.
It's not only the appearance that's at risk if your house in Cirencester needs to be repointed, there are questions of safety to also consider. The structural strength of your Cirencester property is determined by the integrity of the mortar, and badly defective sections can negatively have an impact on this. In higher structures and homes with chimneys, any weakness in the framework of the dwelling can have alarming consequences in respect to property damages and risk of harm.
If you're renovating an older Cirencester building, you might also need to restore brickwork that has been damaged through the years. In order to refurbish the brickwork whilst doing the repointing, a respectable brick repointing contractor in Cirencester will quickly determine any areas that require possible replacement.
The external walls of a lot of Cirencester homes were painted or plastered over in past times. Any bubbling, discolouration or peeling of paint or render could signify damage to either bricks or mortar beneath the surface. The only way to investigate a problem of this kind is by employing a reputable brickwork and repointing company who will find the root cause of the mortar damage. You can then have the peace of mind knowing that your outside walls are in the best condition possible, and that the work has been carried out by an expert.
WHAT STEPS ARE REQUIRED FOR REPOINTING BRICKWORK IN CIRENCESTER?
Repointing takes a fair amount of time to complete correctly and will entail working up high in a lot of cases. The very first thing a repointing contractor will perform is an eyes-on survey to assess the severity of the damage to your home. They'll be in a position to present you with an itemised quotation for the complete project, as soon as they have considered all of this information. Never assume all repointing companies in Cirencester provide the same standard of service and the cheapest quotation might not necessarily be the best choice.
When you have agreed to a specific quote, an extra site survey may be necessary using a ladder or even a scaffold to fully inspect your property and access those more out-of-reach areas. It may be that this more detailed survey could uncover further problems that could cause the original quote to increase. Extra work is likely to be necessary if your home in Cirencester was built more than 60 years ago and has never been repointed previously.
When the trouble spots have been confirmed and discussed with the home owner, pointing work can commence. To provide a sturdy working platform for the repointing contractors, most buildings will need some scaffold to be put up. When this is up then a method of protective sheet will be secured in position. This shielding will stop any debris or mortar dust from causing damage to your home, or nearby properties, and also gives an extra layer of safety to prevent injuries to passers-by.
All exterior wires, such as TV or satellite, will be unfastened from the walls and any piping may be removed or adjusted to allow easy access to the brickwork behind. These fixtures can all be put back into position at the end of the repointing project.
Many buildings in Cirencester are either rendered, pebble-dashed or painted, and if this is the case with your home, these decorative coverings will need to be stripped off so that the repointing contractors can get to the brickwork. To ensure a uniform finish for your exterior walls, the brickwork behind these coverings will need to be thoroughly sanded and cleaned.
If you haven't settled upon a a style of pointing (Recessed, Tuck, Flush or Weather Struck pointing), or you want to see how the various different pointing methods appear on your home, a competent Cirencester repointing specialist will be happy to mock up a test panel on your brickwork. This will help you to get a good idea of the final result and make sure you are satisfied with regard to style and colour.
Now the dusty work begins as the old, crumbling mortar is taken out by raking and cleaning out the brick joints. This is a very time consuming stage and entails the chipping or grinding away of old mortar and brushing out all the dust and loose debris to provide a nice, clean surface for the application of new mortar. Any doors and windows will be given extra attention by the repointing team to prevent any surplus applications of mortar or distortion of the frames which could cause problems in their closing and opening.
One thing that must be avoided is the new mortar drying out too rapidly, and this can be prevented by dampening down the brickwork. This keeps the mortar flexible and enables it to dry at a gentler pace to prevent cracking and creating a weaker joint. During the mortar application there'll be excess mortar and smears on the brickwork which can look untidy, but this will be removed once it has dried. A wire brush will be used to clean the wall areas that have been finished before moving on to the next section of the wall requiring work.
It is possible that as the repointing team are working they may find cracked bricks that need replacing, or maybe a problem with faulty lead flashing or a damaged chimney, and an experienced repointer will be able to undertake such repairs as they progress.
After the brickwork has been cleaned for one final time, to achieve a uniform visual appearance, any rendering or painting of the finished wall surfaces can be done. The final step of the project will entail all pipes, cables and other fittings mounted back in their rightful positions, scaffold disassembled and all building waste removed and disposed of.
An established Cirencester repointing and bricklaying company will provide a service that should last at least sixty years. All restoration work should be provided with a warranty of at least twelve months and have construction and building industry accreditations.
Such accreditation may include the likes of: the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the National Federation of Building Contractors (NFBC) and the National House Building Council (NHBC), while qualifications may range from Diplomas, City & Guilds and NVQ's from building industry specialists like the Chartered Institute of Building. Each individual who carries out work on repairing and repointing your house should additionally be signed up to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme and be able to demonstrate their ability and skills by showing their CSCS card.
Repointing providers are accessible in Somerford Keynes, Siddington, Ampney Crucis, Ewen, Kemble, Daglingworth, South Cerney, Stratton, North Cerney, Baunton, Perrotts Brook, Lower Norcote, Coates, in these postcodes: GL7 1JL, GL7 1NY, GL7 1DQ, GL7 1DN, GL7 1EZ, GL7 1FP, GL7 1JZ, GL7 1JF, GL7 1EU, GL7 1JY, and in Cirencester itself. Cirencester repointing contractors should have the postcode GL7 and the phone code 01285.
Ridge Tile Repointing Cirencester
Ridge tiles and mortar joints should be checked every other year at least. Repointing cracks in mortar joints can prevent leaking roofs and costly re-roofing jobs in Cirencester. Pay extra attention to ridge tiles because they're exposed to the extremes of the weather from all sides and may exhibit cracks in the mortar joints before other tiles on the roof. If cracks are discovered in the mortar between ridge tiles, the options are rebed the ridge tile or repoint the joints.
Unfortunately, at times a ridge tile has to be rebedded instead of repointed which requires a touch more work. Again, be sure to use all safety precautions whilst working at height. Use a chisel and hammer to remove the mortar as well as the ridge tile. Use the hammer and chisel to remove the mortar from the bed on the roof, and mortar from the bottom of the ridge tile. As soon as the ridge tile is off, replacing the ridge iron is sensible, especially if there's any sign of rust. Remove any organic matter such as lichen and moss and apply a fungicide to ensure the area is clean. Then soak the area in water whilst mixing mortar. Mix a stiff mortar in a ratio of 3:1 (sharp sand: cement). Dampen the tile and roof as you work. Apply mortar to either side of the ridge tile and use a trowel to lay a bed of mortar on the roof. Place the tile on the mortar bed and press down firmly. Remove any mortar that spills out between joints. Ensure the joint gaps are filled, and smooth joints with pointing trowel.
Tuckpointing Cirencester
Where brick and stonework is old or weathered, tuckpointing (or tuck-pointing) is a procedure for repointing unstable and crumbling mortar. The aesthetic appearance of walls can be improved with this technique, giving the impression that they are in far better condition than they actually are, and giving an illusion of perfectly-formed brickwork.
The crumbling, old mortar will be removed and replaced with a new mixture that's colour-matched to the stone or brick in the wall. Next, a narrow, contrasting strip of lighter mortar is "tucked" in, to make it look like the joints are tidy and neat, where they previously looked like they were irregular in width.
Avoiding the requirement for any disruptive renovations, tuck-pointing can substantially enhance the overall appearance of a wall, and can be pretty spectacular, particularly when observed from afar.
Coming Next:
Spalling brickwork repairs - article 321.
Cirencester Repointing Tasks
Just Some of the Tasks That a Repointing Specialist Can Do
There are a number of different tasks that can be completed by your local Cirencester repointing specialist including mortar raking, damaged brickwork repairs, lead valleys repaired or renewed, ribbon pointing and repointing, brickwork and masonry decorating, stone strengthening in Cirencester, house pointing and repointing Cirencester, chimney repairs, facade restoration Cirencester, repointing quotations, patch repointing Cirencester, repointing of garden walls, industrial repointing, residential repointing Cirencester, tile repointing Cirencester, the repointing of stone walls, pebble-dash removal, bucket handle pointing and re-pointing, ridge tile repointing Cirencester, cheap repointing, lime mortar repointing Cirencester, mortar rake grinding, pointing and re-pointing crazy paving, the repointing of slabs, valley repointing Cirencester, the repair and repointing of mortar joints, the repointing of chimneys, brick gable end repointing Cirencester, the repointing and pointing of brickwork, stone restoration in Cirencester, stone pointing and repointing Cirencester, stone foundation repointing Cirencester, ridge tiles rebedded or repointed, brick step repointing Cirencester, brickwork repointing, and scaffolding hire. Listed are just a few of the tasks that are carried out by experts in brick repointing. Cirencester companies will let you know their full range of services.
Repointing Specialists Near Cirencester
Also find: Baunton repointing, Perrotts Brook repointing, Siddington repointing, South Cerney repointing, North Cerney repointing, Ewen repointing, Coates repointing, Daglingworth repointing, Ampney Crucis repointing, Lower Norcote repointing, Somerford Keynes repointing, Kemble repointing, Stratton repointing services and more. Most of these towns and villages are served by experts in repointing. Cirencester home and business owners can get estimates by going here.
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