Repointing Larne Northern Ireland (BT40): Irrespective of how old your house in Larne is, there will come a moment when a little repair and maintenance is necessary. You'll need to act swiftly if your home's brickwork is looking decidedly grotty, with mortar missing or crumbling, seeing as it will only get worse if it is left unattended. The most effective solution would be to employ a brick repointing specialist in Larne, to keep your home watertight and get your dilapidated brickwork back into pristine condition.
A house is only as strong and sturdy the bricks and mortar that hold it all together, and this is always worth bearing in mind. To keep a structure warm and dry the mortar must be in sufficiently good condition to stop any draughts and water from forcing its way in through gaps or holes. But exactly how can you tell whether your house needs repointing or not?
Essentially, you need to have a close look at the mortar and bricks of your outside walls. If you find damaged areas or spots that look a bit different to the remainder of the house, you may need to get in touch with a local repointing contractor for a more thorough examination. In places such as on chimney stacks or under eaves it may be necessary for a professional to check, but you should be able to see for yourself in most cases the physical signs of degradation.
You've also got to think about the safety issues that cracked or eroding mortar could potentially cause. The structural integrity of any Larne property is only as effective as its mortar and bricks. In taller structures and houses with chimneys, any weakness in the framework of the building can have serious consequences with regards to property damage and the risk of injury.
If areas of brickwork have been damaged or weakened over time and are the cause of the problems with your mortar they may need to be replaced. A professional brick repointing contractor in Larne will swiftly identify any areas that need potential replacement and offer a service to refurbish the brickwork while doing the repointing.
The exterior walls of a lot of Larne houses were painted or rendered in past times. It could all point to more severe damage underneath, if you begin to discover flaking, bubbling or cracks of the paint or plaster. To stop the damage from spreading and causing more serious issues in the future, it is a good idea to seek the help of a professional repointing contractor who can ascertain the root cause of the problem. By making use of this sort of specialist service you'll be able to make certain that your house is safe, solid and looking great.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN REPOINTING BRICKWORK IN LARNE?
Repointing can be a time consuming process and may entail working up high, depending on the style of your property. To allow a repointing specialist to accurately evaluate the restorative work that's required on your property they will first have to undertake an eyes-on survey. They will be able to provide you with an itemised quotation for the entire project, once they have carefully considered all of these details. It is always wise to get 2 or 3 quotes from different repointing contractors in Larne and verify the levels of service offered between them.
When you've agreed to a specific quotation, an extra site survey may be necessary using a ladder or even scaffolding to fully inspect your house and get to those inaccessible areas. Supplemental charges might be added to the quotation, if this more comprehensive survey exposes more serious issues. Extra pointing work is likely to be required if your house in Larne was built over 60 years ago and has never been repointed.
As soon as any issues have been detected then work can begin. To provide a robust working platform for the team of repointing specialists, most buildings will require a scaffold to be erected. The exterior of the scaffolding can then have a protective shielding fitted to it. This sheeting should stop any debris or mortar dust from causing damage to your home, or neighbours properties, and also gives a layer of safety to help prevent injuries to anybody that is passing by.
Any pipes will need to be removed or adjusted to permit access to the brickwork behind, as will all external wires, for instance TV or satellite. These fixtures can all be put back into their original positions at the end of the project.
To allow the repointers to get to the brickwork of your external walls, any paint, rendering or pebble-dash will now have to be removed before work may start. A thorough sanding and cleaning of the brickwork surfaces behind such coverings will then be necessary, to ensure that your finished walls are neat and even upon completion.
A reputable Larne repointing company will be willing to knock up a small test panel on your brickwork in order to help you decide on the various different mortar styles that are available, (Weather Struck, Tuck, Flush or Recessed pointing). This enables you to see how each would look on your house and highlight the different colours and styles on offer.
The joints in the brickwork are now vigorously raked out to remove the old, damaged mortar and clean the gaps between the bricks. This is a time consuming process and entails the grinding or chipping away of old mortar and brushing away any loose debris and dust to provide a good platform onto which to apply the new mortar. Particular attention is made around windows and doors because any movement in the brickwork can result in problems with their closing and opening.
Once the joints are clean, the walls will be dampened to help prevent the new mortar from drying out too rapidly and ultimately cracking. The slower drying time stops the mortar from becoming inflexible and cracking, which can create a weakened joint. Any excess mortar and smears that are left on the bricks can be cleaned away as soon as the mortar has had sufficient time for drying. A wire brush can be used to clean the brickwork that have been finished before starting on the next portion of the wall requiring work.
It is possible that as the repointing team are working they could find crumbling bricks that need replacing, or perhaps issues with a damaged chimney stack or lead flashing, and a professional company will be able to undertake such repairs as they go.
Once the whole of the building is repointed and cleaned, and if you wish to re-paint the bricks or re-apply the rendering, then that will now be accomplished. After the pipes and TV and satellite cables have been put back into placethe scaffold will be removed and all debris and waste disposed of.
An experienced Larne repointing and brick repair company will provide you with a service that will last as long as 60 years. Guarantees that are provided for the repointing should have an affiliation with manufacturers and providers from the building industry giving cover for defective materials.
Such accreditations 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 City & Guilds, Diplomas and NVQ's from industry specialists like the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). In addition, each member of the repointing team who works on your home should be a holder of a CSCS card (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) to verify they have the relevant skills and training to be part of the project.
Repointing companies can be obtained in Larne itself, in these nearby postcodes: BT40 1PR, BT40 1LX, BT40 1HW, BT40 1DJ, BT40 1AL, BT40 1ND, BT40 1BG, BT40 1BN, BT40 1AU, BT40 1DF, and in surrounding places like Magheramorne, Ballycarry, Island Magee, Moorfields, Cushendall, Glynn, Whitehead, Ballygalley, Glenarm, Cullybackery, Cloughmills. Local Larne repointing companies will most likely have the postcode BT40 and the phone code 028.
Chimney Repointing Larne
A chimney is frequently overlooked when it comes to property maintenance, however a chimney that's showing signs of decay can be a costly issue. During an initial inspection of your chimney in Larne, a specialist may recommend repointing or possibly a rebuild of your chimney, according to the size of the damaged and affected area. Chimney repointing by a professional will re-establish the integrity of your chimney by replacing the old, decaying mortar with fresh, new material. This can prevent the need for a total chimney rebuild and give you many more years of peace of mind. Chimney repointing also helps to prevent damage to the inside surfaces of your chimney stack, by stopping moisture from seeping through the holes and cracks in old mortar. Most modern chimneys will be steel lined and if this liner comes into contact with moisture, it reduces its lifespan. After repointing has been finished, an external sealant is used which repels water and allows any internal moisture to be released. (Tags: Chimney Pointing Larne, Chimney Repointing Larne, Pointing Chimneys Larne, Repointing Chimneys Larne).
Coming Next:
Spalling brickwork repairs - article 321.
Other Tradespeople in Larne: Undoubtedly, whenever you happen to be doing home improvements and repairs in Larne, Northern Ireland, you'll probably be in need of all types of different tradesmen and as well as repointing in Larne, Northern Ireland, you could also need an electrician in Larne, a building contractor in Larne, a handyman in Larne, a renderer in Larne, SKIP HIRE in Larne, stone cleaning in Larne, a plumber in Larne, patio cleaners in Larne, a scaffolder in Larne, a loft conversion specialist in Larne, a plasterer in Larne, a roofer in Larne, a window fitter in Larne, brick cleaning in Larne, a bricklayer in Larne, waste removal in Larne, groundwork in Larne, and various other different Larne tradesmen.
Repointing Specialists Near Larne
Also find: Ballygalley repointing, Cloughmills repointing, Cullybackery repointing, Glenarm repointing, Cushendall repointing, Magheramorne repointing, Ballycarry repointing, Moorfields repointing, Glynn repointing, Whitehead repointing, Island Magee repointing services and more. All of these locations are serviced by experts in repointing. Larne householders can get repointing estimates by going here.
Larne Repointing Tasks
Just Some of the Tasks That a Repointing Specialist Can Do
There are a wide range of tasks that can be accomplished by your local Larne repointing specialist including slab repointing Larne, porch repointing Larne, masonry restoration in Larne, the lime pointing of brick joints Larne, chimney repairs, ridge tile repointing Larne, brick gable end repointing Larne, the repointing of chimneys, facade restoration, rubble masonry, industrial repointing Larne, brick step repointing Larne, residential repointing, the repointing of mortar joints, repointing estimates Larne, brickwork crack repairs Larne, stone wall repointing, ridge tiles rebedded or repointed Larne, brick conservation in Larne, lead valleys renewed or repaired, tile repointing Larne, the repointing of stone walls, cheap re-pointing, chimney repointing Larne, lintel replacement, repointing mortar joints, lime mortar pointing, patch repointing Larne, brick repointing, lime mortar repointing Larne, repointing paving, pebble-dash removal, bucket handle pointing and repointing, damaged brickwork replacement, brickwork crack stitching in Larne, and repointing scaffolds. These are just a handful of the tasks that are handled by local experts in repointing. Larne specialists will be happy to inform you of their whole range of services.
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