Repointing UK

Repointing UK Area: All properties in the UK at some point will require a little maintenance and repair. If the brickwork on your UK house looks decidedly shabby with mortar missing or crumbling, you'll need to act quickly to stop the condition from deteriorating. An experienced brick repointing specialist in the UK will provide an effective solution to repair your brickwork and keep it watertight.

It must always be remembered that any structure is only as strong as the bricks and mortar that hold it together. The mortar must be sound, without any gaps or holes to be able to repel any draughts and moisture from finding a route into your property. How can you tell when your home in the UK needs repointing?

Quite simply, you need to have a good look at the state of the mortar and bricks of your external walls. If problem areas can be swiftly spotted by this perfunctory inspection, then its likely that you're going to need some repointing. In sections such as under eaves or on chimneys it may be necessary to use a professional to check, but you ought to be able to see for yourself in most cases the physical warning signs of deterioration.

It's not just that damaged mortar looks unsightly, there are issues of safety that come out of this too. The integrity of any UK house is only as effective as its bricks and mortar. Any weak points in the construction can render a dwelling unstable with major consequences and possibly even a risk to life.

If areas of brickwork have been damaged or weakened over time and are the root cause of problems with your mortar they might need to be removed and replaced. A competent UK brick repointing specialist will replace any deteriorating brickwork before attempting the mortar repointing to ensure a perfect finish to your home.

To help safeguard the brickwork, lots of properties in the UK had their external walls painted or plastered over. If you find signs of peeling, flaking or other damage to painted or rendered brickwork, it may suggest issues with the bricks or mortar allowing dampness to seep into the walls. The only safe way to guarantee the deterioration does not spread further and trigger structural problems in the future, is to get a brick repointing company to investigate. By using this kind of specialist service you will be able to keep your house safe, solid and looking awesome.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN REPOINTING BRICKWORK IN UK?

It takes time to repoint a building and, subject to the layout of your home, can also involve working at considerable height. A visual survey is the first step in the process and will determine the magnitude of the remedial work that's required on your home. This inspection will enable them to give you an estimate for the the entire project. You should not always assume that the best estimate is the cheapest estimate, and be sure you get no less than three price quotes before make up your mind.

If the surveyor who carried out the original survey was unable to inspect some out-of-reach areas of your home, ladders or even some form of scaffolding could be necessary to carry out a more thorough investigation. This second survey might reveal additional problem areas that might impact on the initial quote. If your property in the UK was built more than sixty years ago and has never been repointed previously then it's very likely to need additional work compared to a more current building.

Repointing work can start once any problem areas have been confirmed and discussed with the owner of the property. To provide a stable working platform for the team of repointing specialists, most homes will require a scaffold to be erected. Some protective shielding will be secured to the exterior of the scaffold, after it's been put up. This is an added safety measure to both prevent harm to passers-by, and to stop debris falling onto yours or surrounding properties.

All external cables, such as TV or satellite, will be detached from the walls and any pipework may be adjusted or removed to permit easier access to the brickwork behind. These will all be re-fixed after the project has been completed.

Any paint, pebble-dash, rendering or other covering will now need to be removed carefully to enable the repointing contractors to access the brickwork and move along with their repair work. A thorough cleaning and sanding of the brickwork behind such coverings will then be essential, to ensure that your walls have a neat and even finish on completion.

A professional UK repointing company will be glad to mock up a small test panel on your property in order to allow you to choose the various different mortar finishes that are available, (Recessed, Tuck, Flush or Weather Struck pointing). This helps you to see how each design will look on your home and showcase the different colours and styles on offer.

The next step is to remove the old, crumbling mortar by raking and cleaning out the joints. This can be quite a laborious process where any debris, dust and old mortar has to be carefully cleaned out to produce a good bonding surface for the new mortar. Any doors and windows will be given extra attention by the repointing team to avoid any distortions of the frames or having too much mortar applied which could cause problems in their opening and closing.

One thing that needs to be avoided is the new mortar drying out too rapidly, and this can be prevented by dampening down the brickwork. This makes sure that the mortar remains flexible and enables it to dry at a slower pace to avoid cracking and generating a weak joint. During the application of the mortar there'll be excess mortar and smears on the adjacent brickwork which looks untidy, however this will be removed once it's dried. The walls will usually be divided into areas, and each one in turn will be repointed, left to dry, and then cleaned before the team get on with a new section.

During this stage the need for any lead flashing replacement, brick replacement or chimney repairs will be carried out by the contractor.

Once the whole of the house has been repointed and cleaned, and if you want to re-apply the walls with rendering or repaint the bricks, then that will now be accomplished. After the pipes and TV and satellite cables have been put back into position, scaffolding will be dismantled and all the debris and waste is taken away from the site.

Your brick repair and repointing can last between 50-60 years providing it is undertaken by a skilled and experienced repointing company in the UK. All repointing work should be offered with a guarantee of at least 12 months and have the backing of affiliations from the building industry.

Such accreditations could include the likes of: the National House Building Council (NHBC), the National Federation of Building Contractors (NFBC) and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), whilst qualifications can range from Diplomas, City & Guilds and NVQ's from industry specialists such as the CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building). The Construction Skills Certification Scheme is now a requirement for anyone working in the building industry and they should be prepared to produce their CSCS card when requested to verify their suitability to work on site.

Ridge Tile Repointing

Ridge tiles and mortar joints should be checked at least every other year. Repointing simple mortar cracks can prevent leaking roofs and costly re-roofing work in the UK. Be extra vigilant with ridge tiles since they are exposed to weathering from all sides and may exhibit mortar cracks 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.

Of course, occasionally a ridge tile needs to be rebedded instead of repointed which requires a little more work. Again, ensure that you use 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. Once the ridge tile is off, replacing the ridge iron is advisable, particularly if there's any sign of rust. Remove any organic matter such as moss and lichen and spray on 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 roof and tile as you proceed. Mortar either side of the ridge tile and use a trowel to lay a bed of mortar on the roof. Position on the mortar bed and press down firmly. Remove any mortar that squishes out between joints. Ensure the joint gaps are filled, and smooth joints with pointing trowel.

Brick Replacement

During a wider repointing project, the team will often find a handful of bricks that simply cannot be saved, and will have to be replaced rather than worked around. These are normally the bricks that have blown faces, split corners, or have turned powdery after years of damp sitting in open joints. The mortar is carefully ground out first, then the brick eased free without shaking the surrounding courses - rushing it will tend to loosen more than intended. Getting a decent colour match is important as well, because a fresh brick that looks fine wet can stand out badly once the wall has dried out. The replacement is bedded in a slightly stiffer mix so that it holds firm, and later the pointing is carried through around it so that the repair blends in, instead of looking like a patch that was dropped in afterwards. (Tags: Brick Replacement UK)

UK Repointing Tasks

Just Some of the Jobs That a Repointing Specialist Can Do

There is a variety of work that can be completed by your local UK repointing specialist including masonry restoration, valley repointing, repointing quotations, lime mortar repairs, masonry and brick decorating, the repointing of brick joints, crack repairs to brickwork, pointing and re-pointing crazy paving, brick conservation, patch repointing, patio repointing, pointing mortar joints in the UK, lime mortar repointing, re-pointing paving, commercial repointing, mortar raking, fireplace repointing, rubble masonry, brickwork joint raking and repair, slab repointing in the UK, tile repointing in the UK, lintel replacement in the UK, the repointing and pointing of brickwork, brickwork joint raking, brick gable end repointing, cheap repointing, repairs to damaged brickwork, brick staining, and scaffolding hire. These are just some of the activities that are handled by local experts in repointing. UK providers will be happy to inform you of their full range of services.

Repointing Specialist Services UK

Find a Repointing Specialist in the UK Here

• Gable End Repointing
• Chimney Repointing
• Roof Repointing
• Brick Joint Raking
• Bucket Handle Pointing
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• Brick Repointing
• Paving Repointing
• Repointing Services
• Commercial Repointing
• Residential Repointing
• Repointing
• Brickwork Repointing
• Cheap Repointing

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