Repointing Swaffham Norfolk (PE37): Sooner or later every building in Swaffham will need some maintenance and repair, whether it's a commercial premises or a residential house. If the brickwork on your Swaffham property looks decidedly shabby with mortar missing or crumbling, you'll need to act fast to prevent the condition from worsening. A professional brick repointing specialist in Swaffham will provide an effective solution to repoint your brickwork and ensure that it stays watertight.
A building is only as sound as the bricks and mortar that hold it all together, and you shouldn't forget this. To prevent any damp or draughts from forcing their way in through holes or gaps, and thus to keep your property dry and warm, the mortar needs to be in good enough condition. Is it quite easy to determine when you may need repointing?
It's just a matter of visually checking your brickwork. If you discover damage or sections which look distinctly different to the remainder of the house, you may need to speak to a local repointing contractor for further analysis. In awkward places that are hidden or remote, for example under eaves or on chimneys; you may need an expert to help you, but in most instances you'll easily be able to see any external signs of damage for yourself.
The issues of safety that cracked or crumbling mortar can cause should also be taken into account, in addition to the appearance of your house. The mortar in between the brickwork is the "glue" that binds the entire structure of your home together. If this is compromised, the framework can become unsound, which when it comes to chimneys or taller buildings, can cause significant damage as well as a danger to life.
It might be the case that damaged bricks are the main reason behind any eroding or missing mortar that you find on your home. Any deteriorating brickwork discovered during the inspection by the repointing specialist will be repaired or replaced before any repointing takes place.
If the external walls of your Swaffham property have been painted or plastered over in past times you may see patches that are prone to damp or discoloured. Any flaking, bubbling or cracks of paint or plaster could indicate damage to either mortar or bricks beneath the surface. A thorough investigation of this issue, by a professional repointer is the only practical way to ensure that the degradation doesn't spread further and trigger structural problems in the future. After that you can be secure in the knowledge that your outside walls are in the best condition possible, and that the work has been completed by a professional.
WHAT STEPS ARE REQUIRED FOR REPOINTING BRICKWORK IN SWAFFHAM?
A fair amount of time and effort will be required to repoint your property in Swaffham, and working up high may also be involved. When you contact a repointing business, the initial thing that they'll need to do is undertake an eyes-on survey of the structure, so they can assess the amount of work that's required and the severity of the damage. A survey is the only way in which a repointing contractor can offer you a quotation for the volume of work that's required on your unsound brickwork. The same level of service might not be offered by all repointing specialists in Swaffham, so take the time to obtain a minimum of 3 price quotes, and closely consider each one. Remember, cheapest isn't necessarily best!
If you've got inaccessible sections of your property that were unable to be inspected in the initial on-site survey, a second inspection with extending ladders and perhaps scaffolding might be necessary. Extra charges may be added to the initial quotation, if this more in depth investigation exposes further issues. The older a property is, the higher chance that it will require restoration work, and for properties that haven't been repointed previously and are more than sixty years old, this is especially true.
As soon as the issues have been detected then repointing work can begin. To provide a stable platform for the repointing team, most properties will require a scaffold to be put up. The outside of the scaffolding can then have a protective shielding fitted to it. This might be plastic sheeting to collect any debris and dirt that's created during the repair work.
Any drainpipes may need to be removed or adjusted to enable access to the wall surfaces behind, as will all exterior wires, such as satellite or TV. Once the project has been finished and all repointing work undertaken these pipes and cables will be secured back in position.
Any pebble-dash, rendering, paint or other covering will now have to be safely removed to allow the repointing team to gain access to the brickwork and move along with their restorative work. The brickwork that is hiding behind such outer coverings will be sanded and cleaned to make sure that the finish on your walls is consistent.
A professional Swaffham repointing specialist will be glad to knock up a small test panel on your home in order to help you settle on the different styles available for the mortar, (Flush, Weather Struck, Tuck or Recessed pointing). This allows you to see how each design would look on your house and showcase the different colours and styles available.
Now the dusty work begins as the old, damaged mortar is removed by raking and scraping out the joints. This painstaking process can be quite time consuming as the joints need to have all the old mortar, dust and debris removed in order to supply a good bonding area for the new mortar to be applied to. Particular attention and care is taken around doors and windows since any movement in the brickwork may result in issues with their opening and closing.
So the new mortar doesn't dry out too fast, the brickwork will be damped down before the new pointing commences. This helps establish a solid joint by maintaining the flexilibility of the mortar and preventing cracks. Any excess mortar and smears that are left on the bricks can be cleaned off once the mortar is thoroughly dry. The walls will be split into areas, and each will be repointed, left to dry, and then cleaned before the repointers get on with a new section.
During this stage the need for any lead flashing work, brick replacement or chimney repairs will be completed by your contractor.
Any render, paint or other wall covering you require will be put back once all the remedial repointing work has been finished. The final step of the project will entail all cables, pipes and other fittings fixed back in their original locations, the scaffolding dismantled and all waste removed from the site.
A reputable Swaffham repointing and brick repair company will provide a restoration that should last as long as sixty years. They ought to also supply you with a guarantee for their work and be backed by professional qualifications and certifications in the construction industry.
Suitable accreditations can take many forms, but those that stand out in the repointing industry are: the NHBC (National House-Building Council), the FMB (Federation of Master Builders) and the NFBC (National Federation of Building Contractors), with certifications and qualifications from industry front-runners such as the CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building). Furthermore, every one of the repointing crew who does work on your house should be a member of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme to verify they have the relevant training and skills to be part of the project.
Swaffham Repointing Tasks
Just Some of the Jobs That a Repointing Specialist Can Do
There is a wide range of work that can be carried out by your local Swaffham repointing specialist including repointing crazy paving, stone re-pointing in Swaffham, lead valleys repaired or renewed, chimney repointing Swaffham, ribbon pointing and re-pointing in Swaffham, brick joint repairs, brickwork crack stitching, tile repointing, brickwork joint raking in Swaffham, porch repointing, repointing of brickwork, re-mortaring of brick joints, brick and masonry decorating Swaffham, fireplace restoration, strap repointing, repointing services in Swaffham, bed joint reinforcement, repairs to stone walls, chimney repairs, brickwork inspection, dry verge system installations, ridge tile repointing Swaffham, brick step repointing in Swaffham, bucket handle pointing and re-pointing in Swaffham, brickwork repointing, slab repointing, brick repointing Swaffham, lintel replacement in Swaffham, roof repointing Swaffham, brickwork sealing, residential repointing, the repointing and pointing of brickwork, stone wall repointing Swaffham, brick colour restoration services, gable end repointing Swaffham, and repointing scaffolding. Listed are just some of the duties that are undertaken by experts in repointing. Swaffham providers will tell you about their full range of services.
Repointing Specialists Near Swaffham
Also find: Hilborough repointing, Sahan Hills repointing, Beachamwell repointing, Ashill repointing, Great Fransham repointing, Oxborough repointing, Castle Acre repointing, Sporle repointing, Necton repointing, Great Dunham repointing, West Acre repointing, Saham Toney repointing, Litcham repointing, West End repointing services and more. All of these areas are serviced by experts in repointing. Swaffham homeowners can get estimates by clicking here.
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