Repointing Northam Devon (EX39): At some point in time every building in the Northam area will need a little maintenance, whether it's a residential house or a commercial property. You will need to act swiftly if the brickwork on your home is looking decidedly shabby, with mortar missing or crumbling, seeing as it will only deteriorate further if it's ignored. A reliable brick repointing specialist in Northam will offer a cost effective solution to repair your brickwork and guarantee that it stays watertight.
You must remember that any house is only as strong as the bricks and mortar that hold it together. If the mortar is in a bad condition with gaps, holes or crumbling areas, then draughts and damp can get into your dwelling and cause many issues with the integrity of the structure. But how are you to know when your brickwork needs a specialist to repoint it?
You essentially need to have a good look at the condition of the bricks and mortar on your home. If a short examination like this reveals some obvious problems, then you've definitely got an issue. You should be able to spot yourself in most situations the external signs of deterioration, but in awkward places like under eaves or on chimneys it may be best to get a specialist to check for you.
The issues of safety that cracked or crumbling mortar can cause should also be taken into account, in addition to the appearance of your home. The mortar placed between the brick is the "glue" that binds the structure of your home together. When considering damage to property and injury risks, any weeknesses in the structure of a building can have major implications, and this is especially so when it comes to buildings with chimney stacks or higher properties.
Frequently it's a situation where weakened or damaged bricks are the primary reason for any eroding or missing mortar that is discovered on your property. A local Northam brick repointing specialist will repair any defective bricks before continuing with the mortar repointing to achieve the best possible finish to your home.
The outside walls of a lot of Northam homes were often plasterered over or painted in past days. Degradation of either bricks or mortar beneath the surface could be suggested by flaking, cracks or bubbling of the paint or rendering. The only effective way to figure out an issue of this kind is by hiring a repointing specialist who will find the root cause of the damage. After that you can have the satisfaction knowing that your outside walls are in the best condition possible, and that the work has been carried out by a professional.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS FOR REPOINTING BRICKWORK IN NORTHAM?
Depending on the sort of property you have, repointing can involve working up high, and can be a long process. To allow a repointing contractor to accurately determine the repair work that is needed on your property they will firstly need to carry out a visual inspection. After that, they'll be in a position to offer you an itemised quotation for the brick repointing work. Try to always get at least 3 quotations from local repointing companies in the Northam area, and check out the standards of service offered by each of them in turn.
The use of ladders, or even a scaffold may be needed to gain access to more inaccessible areas of your home, and an additional site survey might be necessary to check this, once you've accepted a particular quote. A quotation after the second survey might be higher because of issues discovered by this more comprehensive inspection. If your Northam home has not been repointed previously and was built more than sixty years ago, it is likely to need more restoration work than would be the case with a more modern one.
When all the issues with your house have been established, a trustworthy repointing specialist in Northam will go over the best methods of repair. So as to have a stable working platform while refurbishing your home, the likelihood is that a repointing contractor will need to have a scaffold put up. As soon as the scaffolding is in place some protective sheeting will be secured on its outer side. This may be plastic sheeting to collect any debris and dust that's generated during the repairs.
Any pipework will need to be adjusted or removed to permit access to the wall surfaces behind, as will all exterior cables, for example TV or satellite. When the project has been completed and all pointing work undertaken these pipes and cables will be secured back in position.
So that your repointing contractors can get to the brick surfaces of your property in Northam, any rendering, paint, pebble-dash will have to be removed from the walls before any work can commence. The uncovered brickwork surfaces will then need to be thoroughly sanded and cleaned, so your outside walls have a neat and uniform finish.
A professional Northam repointing company should be able to prepare a test panel on your home to help you decide on the different mortar styles that are available, (Weather Struck, Tuck, Recessed or Flush pointing). This should help you visualise the final result and make certain you are satisfied with the finished product with regard to colour and style.
The brick joints are now thoroughly raked out to take away the old mortar and clean the spaces between the bricks. This is a very time consuming process and involves the chipping or grinding away of old mortar and brushing away all the loose debris and dust to provide a clean surface onto which to apply the new mortar. The repointers will be particularly cautious around windows, doors and openings where the movement of brickwork or an over application of mortar can cause difficulties in closing and opening them.
So that the new mortar does not dry out too rapidly, the brickwork will be damped down before any new pointing begins. This makes sure that the mortar remains flexible and allows it to dry at a gentler pace to avoid cracking, which can lead to a weak joint. Any smears and excess mortar that is left on the bricks can be cleaned off once the mortar is properly dry. The walls will be divided into areas, and each will be pointed, left to dry, and then cleaned off before the team get on with the next section.
It's quite possible that as the repointers are working they may find damaged brickwork that needs replacing, or perhaps issues with lead flashing or a damaged chimney stack, and an experienced repointer will be able to carry out these repairs as they progress.
After the brickwork has been cleaned for a final time, to obtain a uniform visual appearance, any plaster rendering or re-painting of the finished wall surface can take place. The cables and pipes will be reattached and the final phase of the project will be to disassemble the scaffolding and dispose of all building waste and debris.
An established Northam repointing and bricklaying specialist will provide a restoration that will be good for another 60 years. They ought to also provide you with a warranty to their work and be backed by professional qualifications and accreditation in the building and construction industry.
Such accreditation could include the likes of: the Federation of Master Builders, the National Federation of Building Contractors and the National House Building Council, whilst qualifications could range from NVQ's, Diplomas and City & Guilds from industry specialists like the Chartered Institute of Building. The Construction Skills Certification Scheme is now a requirement for everybody working in the construction industry and they must be prepared to show you their CSCS card when requested to demonstrate their aptitude be working on site.
It's not only in Northam that you can access repointing companies - surrounding places like: Lydacott, Westward Ho!, St Johns Chapel, Newton Tarcey, Roundswell, Yelland, Handy Cross, Weare Giffard, Newton Tracey, Abbotsham, Instow can generally also be covered. Local Northam repointing contractors will probably have the dialling code 01237 and the postcode EX39.
Chimney Repointing
Chimneys are frequently overlooked with regards 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 Northam, a professional could recommend repointing or even a rebuild of your chimney, according to the size of the affected and damaged area. Chimney repointing by a specialist will restore the structural stability of your chimney by replacing the old, crumbling mortar with fresh, new material. In many cases this should forestall the need for a complete chimney rebuild and give you peace of mind for years to come. Chimney repointing also helps prevent damage to the internal surfaces of your chimney, by stopping moisture from seeping through the cracks and gaps in the mortar. Most recently constructed chimneys are steel lined and if this liner comes into contact with moisture, reduce its lifespan. When the repointing work has been finished, an exterior sealant is used which repels water and allows any internal moisture to be released.
Tuckpointing Northam
What Exactly is Tuck Pointing? Tuckpointing (or tuck pointing) is a procedure for repointing old and deteriorating brickwork where the mortar joints are crumbling and unstable. It's a technique which is employed to aesthetically improve the appearance of walls to give the illusion that they're in perfect condition.
First of all, the crumbling, old mortar is raked out, and this is then replaced with a new coloured mortar which closely matches the colour of the stone or brick in the wall. A thin contrasting strip of mortar is then inserted to make it appear like the joints are neat and even, where in fact the joints may be irregular in width.
Without the requirement for any disruptive refurbishments, the outcome of tuckpointing can be quite impressive, in particular when seen from a distance, and can dramatically improve the overall appearance of a wall. You should also be able to get tuckpointing done in Lydacott, Westward Ho!, St Johns Chapel, Newton Tarcey, Roundswell, Yelland, Handy Cross, Weare Giffard, Newton Tracey, Abbotsham, Instow, and and of course in Northam.
Coming Next:
Spalling brickwork repairs - article 321.
Repointing Specialists Near Northam
Also find: Instow repointing, St Johns Chapel repointing, Yelland repointing, Lydacott repointing, Roundswell repointing, Newton Tarcey repointing, Handy Cross repointing, Newton Tracey repointing, Abbotsham repointing, Weare Giffard repointing, Westward Ho! repointing services and more. The majority of these places are serviced by experts in repointing. Northam business and home owners can get price quotes by going here.
Other Tradespeople in Northam: When you are doing repointing on your property in Northam, Devon you may also need to find several other tradespeople and services such as a renderer in Northam, SKIP HIRE in Northam, stone worktops in Northam, a plasterer in Northam, groundwork in Northam, a roofer in Northam, a building contractor in Northam, a scaffolder in Northam, stone cleaning in Northam, a loft conversion specialist in Northam, a bricklayer in Northam, a flooring specialist in Northam, a carpenter in Northam, jet washing in Northam, waste removal in Northam, a tiler in Northam, brickwork cleaning in Northam, and more.
Northam Repointing Tasks
Just Some of the Jobs That a Repointing Specialist Can Do
There are a number of different tasks that can be carried out by your local Northam repointing specialist including repointing of brickwork, garden wall repointing, brickwork pointing and repointing, the replacement of damaged brickwork, lime mortar repointing Northam, crack repairs to brickwork Northam, the repointing of chimney stacks, mortar rake grinding, the repair and repointing of stone walls Northam, the repointing of stone walls, chimney stack repointing Northam, the repointing of brickwork joints, domestic repointing Northam, chimney repairs, crack injection, mortar raking, lime mortar repairs, mortar joint repointing, ridge tiles rebedded or repointed, patch repointing Northam, masonry restoration, fireplace repointing Northam, the renovation of damaged brickwork in Northam, lead valleys repaired or renewed, pebbledash removal, stone strengthening, weather struck repointing, brick repointing, porch repointing Northam, brick step repointing Northam, stone restoration, ridge tile repointing Northam, slab repointing Northam, stone pointing and repointing, brick joint repointing, and repointing scaffolds. Listed are just some of the tasks that are accomplished by those specialising in repointing. Northam professionals will inform you of their whole range of services.
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