Repointing Hendon Greater London (NW4): Every Hendon home will require a little maintenance every once in awhile, irrespective of what age it actually is. If the brickwork on your Hendon home looks a bit shabby with crumbling or missing mortar, you will want to act quickly to prevent the condition from deteriorating. If you have the need to renovate or repair your crumbling brickwork, a reliable brick repointing contractor in Hendon will offer a high quality solution.
You must remember that any home is only as sturdy as the mortar and bricks that hold it together. To stop any draughts and damp from forcing its way in through holes or gaps, and therefore keeping a home warm and moisture-free, the mortar must be in a reasonably good state. But how are you to know whether or not your brickwork needs to be professionally repointed?
Basically, you need to take a good look at the mortar and bricks of your outside walls. If you discover damage or sections that look distinctly different to the rest of the house, you might need to get in touch with a local repointing company for a more thorough examination. In most buildings you shouldn't have too much of a problem spotting evidence of damage, although in some situations it might be necessary to bring in a specialist to examine hard to reach areas like on chimneys or under eaves.
Not only do damaged mortar joints look awful, there are safety issues that can result from this as well. The mortar between the brick is the "glue" that binds the structure and shape of your home together. In taller structures and houses with chimneys, any weakness in the framework of the dwelling can have alarming implications in respect to property damage and the risk of injury.
If brickwork has been weakened or damaged over the years and is thought to be the cause of problems with your mortar joints it might need to be replaced. Any damaged brickwork found during the survey by the repointing specialist will be repaired or replaced before any mortar repointing is attempted.
If the external walls of your Hendon home have been painted or rendered in the past you might see patches that are prone to dampness or discoloured. It could imply problems with the brickwork or mortar allowing dampness to seep into the walls, if you find signs of flaking, bubbling or other damage to brickwork that has been rendered or painted. Inspection of this issue, by a professional contractor is the only way to ensure that the damage does not spread further and cause structural issues in the future. By using a qualified and reputable bricklayer or repointing contractor you will keep the exterior walls of your home in the best possible condition.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN REPOINTING BRICKWORK IN HENDON?
Repointing takes time to accomplish properly and will involve working at considerable height in the majority of cases. An eyes-on inspection is the very first step in the process and will evaluate the magnitude of the remedial work that's required on your house. They'll be in a position to provide you with an estimate for the entire project, when they've carefully considered all of this information. It is invariably best to get two or three quotes from different repointing contractors in Hendon and examine the levels of service offered between them.
If you've got hard to reach parts of your property that couldn't be assessed during the initial site survey, a further inspection with ladders and maybe scaffolding might be required. A price quote after the second survey could even be higher because of problems found by this more comprehensive inspection. The older your building is, the more chance that it is going to need remedial repointing work, and this is particularly so for those properties in Hendon that are in excess of sixty years old.
Pointing work can begin once all the problems have been detected. So that a safe platform is provided for the team of repointing specialists, some form of scaffolding or scaffold tower will be needed for most Hendon properties. Some protective shielding will be fitted to the outside of the scaffold, after it has been put up. This is to lessen the risk of harming people in the surrounding area, and avoid damage to your property from falling mortar dust or debris.
The adjustment or removal of conduits, pipes and cables may be required, to allow access to all areas of the brickwork. These fixtures can all be put back into position on the completion of the pointing project.
Many properties in Hendon are either rendered, pebble-dashed or painted, and if this is the case with your house, these decorative coverings will have to be removed so that the repointing specialists can get to the brickwork. The brickwork that is behind these coverings will be cleaned and sanded to ensure a uniform finish for your exterior walls.
If you have not chosen a a pointing style (Flush, Tuck, Recessed or Weather Struck pointing), or you wish to see how the different pointing options appear on your house, a reputable Hendon repointing contractor will be willing to produce a test section on your brickwork. This test panel will enable you to visualise how each of the techniques compares with one another and also which suits the style of your house best.
The next step is to take out the mortar by raking and scraping out the joints in the brickwork. This is a time consuming stage and involves the chipping or grinding away of old mortar and brushing away any loose debris and dust to provide a nice, clean surface onto which to apply the new mortar. The repointing team will be particularly cautious around windows, doors and openings where movement in the brickwork or an excess of mortar can cause difficulties in closing and opening them.
When the joints are clean, the walls should be dampened to help stop the fresh mortar from drying out too rapidly and ultimately cracking. This makes sure that the mortar stays flexible and allows it to dry out at a gentler pace to prevent cracking, which can lead to a weak joint. When it is sufficiently dry it's time to clean up any smears and excess mortar from the adjacent brickwork. A wire brush can be used to clean the wall areas which have been completed before moving on to the next section of the wall requiring work.
At this point the necessity for any lead flashing replacement, brick replacement or chimney repairs will be undertaken by your contractor.
As soon as the entire building is repointed and cleaned, and if you would like to recover the walls with rendering or repaint the bricks, now will be the time to do this. The final phase of the project will see all pipes, cables and other fittings fixed back into their rightful positions, scaffolding disassembled and all waste materials removed and disposed of.
Your brick repointing can last between fifty to sixty years provided that it is accomplished by a certified and experienced repointing contractor in Hendon. Guarantees should be provided for the repointing work and they should have an affiliation with providers and manufacturers from the building industry giving cover for defective materials.
If a repointing company has qualifications or accreditations from trade bodies like the National Federation of Building Contractors, the Federation of Master Builders and the National House Building Council, you can be reassured that you're working with an experienced and qualified provider. Furthermore, each and every worker on the repointing team who works on your house should be a member of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme to confirm they have the appropriate skills and training to be working on the project.
Repointing work can be undertaken in Hendon and also in nearby places like: Burnt Oak, Highgate, Mill Hill, Church End, Brent Cross, Golders Green, Childs Hill, The Hyde, Dollis Hill, Mill Hill East, and in these postcodes NW4 2EL, NW4 1QL, NW4 2HG, NW4 2BL, NW4 2ET, NW4 2NS, NW4 2SS, NW4 3AQ, NW4 1DX, NW4 2LL. If they've got the telephone code 020 and the postcode NW4, it is probable that they operate in Hendon or somewhere close by. To find specifics on repointing near you just click on the "quote" banner or form. Or you can CLICK HERE if you prefer.
Ridge Tile Repointing Hendon
Ridge tiles and mortar joints should be inspected every other year at a minimum. Repointing simple mortar cracks can prevent leaking roofs and costly re-roofing work in Hendon. Be extra vigilant with ridge tiles since they are exposed to the extremes of the weather from all sides and may exhibit mortar cracks before other tiles on the roof. If you discover cracks in the mortar between ridge tiles, the options are rebed the ridge tile or repoint the joints.
If the cracks are small and the tile seems firmly bedded, repointing is a satisfactory option. If the cracks in the mortar are as wide as the mortar joint and there seems to be some movement in the ridge tile, it's a better idea to rebed the entire tile instead of repointing. If you repoint a tile that's no longer strongly bedded, the repair will not last very long and the reappearance of the crack is inevitable.
The most important thing to remember when repointing in Hendon is safety. When working on the roof, be sure to tie off to a sturdy structure. As well as considering your own safety on the roof, it is best to set up a roped-off area on the ground, where falling objects may land. Repointing ridge tiles is the same process as repointing brick or block work. Once you're secured, use a metal spike to rake out loose mortar in joints that you've decided need repointing. Dampen the joint, apply mortar, and use a pointing trowel to smooth the joints between the ridge tiles.
Unfortunately, at times a ridge tile needs to be rebedded instead of repointed which requires a bit more work. Again, be sure to take all safety precautions while working at height. Use a chisel and hammer to remove the mortar as well as the ridge tile. Use the chisel and hammer to remove the mortar from the bed on the roof, and mortar from the underside of the ridge tile. As soon as the ridge tile is off, replacing the ridge iron is sensible, particularly if there's any evidence of rust. Remove any organic matter such as moss and lichen and use a fungicide to make sure the area is protected in the future. Then soak the area in water while mixing mortar. Mix a stiff mortar in a ratio of 3:1 (sharp sand: cement). Dampen the tile and roof as you work. Mortar either side of the tile and use a trowel to lay a bed of mortar on the roof. Position on the mortar bed and firmly press down. Remove any mortar that spills out between joints. Make sure the joint gaps are filled, and smooth joints with pointing trowel.
The integrity of the roof protects your biggest investment from weather damage in Hendon. Checking and repointing your roof before cracks enable water to penetrate into the house, are effective ways to save cash.
Chimney Repointing Hendon
A chimney is frequently overlooked in relation to property maintenance, however a chimney that is falling into disrepair can be a costly hazard. During an initial examination of your chimney in Hendon, a professional could recommend repointing or perhaps a rebuild of your chimney, subject to the size of the damaged and affected area. Specialist chimney repointing will restore the stability of your chimney by replacing the old, decaying mortar with fresh, new material. In most instances this can avert the need for a complete chimney rebuild and give you peace of mind for years to come. Having your chimney repointed also helps in preventing damage to the interior of your chimney stack, by preventing moisture from seeping through the cracks and gaps in old mortar. Most recently built chimneys are lined with steel and if moisture makes contact with this liner, it can significantly reduce its lifespan. When repointing work has been finished, an exterior sealant should be applied which repels water and allows any internal moisture to be released.
Coming Next:
Spalling brickwork repairs - article 321.
Hendon Repointing Tasks
Just Some of the Work That a Repointing Specialist Can Do
There is a variety of work that can be accomplished by your local Hendon repointing specialist including porch repointing Hendon, commercial repointing Hendon, strap re-pointing Hendon, tuck pointing, brickwork crack stitching, roof verge repointing Hendon, dry verge installations, pointing and repointing mortar joints, the repointing and pointing of brickwork, fireplace restoration, repointing of garden walls, lintel replacement, re-pointing crazy paving Hendon, patio repointing Hendon, weather struck pointing and repointing in Hendon, repairs to cracked brickwork, patch repointing Hendon, chimney repointing Hendon, stone pointing and repointing, re-pointing paving, lead valleys renewed or repaired, lime mortar pointing, repairs to stone walls, domestic repointing, the repointing of chimneys, stone strengthening in Hendon, masonry and brick decorating in Hendon, brick gable end repointing Hendon, re-mortars to brick joints Hendon, ribbon pointing and re-pointing, house re-pointing, brick joint renovation, ridge tile repointing Hendon, brickwork repointing, slab repointing Hendon, and scaffolding hire. Listed are just an example of the activities that are accomplished by experts in repointing. Hendon professionals will tell you about their full range of services.
Repointing Specialists Near Hendon
Also find: Burnt Oak repointing, Mill Hill repointing, The Hyde repointing, Dollis Hill repointing, Childs Hill repointing, Church End repointing, Mill Hill East repointing, Brent Cross repointing, Golders Green repointing, Highgate repointing services and more. All these places are catered for by specialists in repointing. Hendon residents can get quotes by clicking here.
Other Tradespeople in Hendon: Hendon home improvement projects usually require the expertise of many different tradespeople, and although you are currently interested in repointing services in Hendon, a bricklayer in Hendon, a building contractor in Hendon, a roofer in Hendon, SKIP HIRE in Hendon, waste removal in Hendon, a stoneworker in Hendon, a loft conversion specialist in Hendon, a plasterer in Hendon, scaffolding in Hendon, stone cleaning in Hendon, window installation in Hendon, a flooring specialist in Hendon, an electrician in Hendon, patio cleaners in Hendon, a bathroom specialist in Hendon, groundwork in Hendon, a flooring specialist in Hendon, may also be required at some stage of your project.
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