Repointing Westhill

Repointing Westhill Scotland (AB32): At some point every building in Westhill will need a little maintenance, whether it's a commercial structure or a domestic house. You must not ignore the signs if your home's brickwork in Westhill is starting to look shabby, and you have discovered that the mortar joints are crumbling and cracking. It's essential to keep the brickwork in excellent condition to keep your home watertight, and the most efficient solution is to employ a brick repointing expert in Westhill.

The soundness of any house is only as strong as its mortar and bricks. To keep a house warm and dry the mortar has to be in sufficiently good condition to prevent any moisture or draughts from forcing their way in through gaps or holes. But precisely how can can you be sure whether your house needs repointing or not?

In essence, you have to inspect your outside walls and check for any damage. If a short examination like this reveals some clear issues, then you have definitely got a problem. In the vast majority of houses you should be able to see any indications of deterioration reasonably easily, although in some instances it may be a good idea to bring in a professional to inspect remote and hard to reach places such as under eaves or on chimneys.

Deteriorating mortar doesn't merely look terrible, it can cause safety issues as well. The structural strength of your Westhill property is determined by the condition of the mortar and bricks, and badly crumbling sections can adversely affect this. A property can become unpredictable if it's structure is weakened in this manner, and it can cause serious damage and even a danger to life, particularly when present in chimneys or tall buildings.

If you're upgrading an older home in Westhill, there might also be a need to repair any bricks that have been damaged or impaired through the years. Any deteriorating bricks identified during the inspection by the specialist will be repaired or replaced before any mortar repointing is completed.

In dwellings where the external walls were painted or plastered over in days past, you may see areas which are discoloured or prone to dampness, which may be an indication of problems underneath. It could point to the presence of more substantial problems underneath, if you begin to see flaking, cracks or bubbling of the plaster or paint. The only safe way to investigate an issue of this type is by employing a repointing and brickwork specialist who will be able to find the main cause of the mortar damage. By making use of this type of service you can make sure that your home is safe, sound and looking good.

WHAT STEPS ARE REQUIRED IN REPOINTING BRICKWORK IN WESTHILL?

It can take quite a while to repoint a building and, subject to the style of your home, can also entail working at considerable height. A visual survey is the initial step in this process and will evaluate the magnitude of remedial work that's required on your house. This will enable them to give you a quotation for the renovation project. Try to always get a minimum of 3 price quotes from local repointing specialists in Westhill, and check out the standards of service that each of them provide.

If the surveyor who did the initial survey was unable to view and inspect some out-of-reach areas of your building, ladders or even some form of scaffolding may be required to perform another more thorough examination. A quote after the second survey may be higher thanks to problems uncovered during this more comprehensive inspection. If you have an older house in Westhill which is more than 60 years old, it is much more likely to require remedial work on repointing than a more contemporary property.

A good repointing company in Westhill will go over any problems they have found with your property and agree the most effective options for restorative action before beginning any actual physical work. It is likely your repointing contractor will need to erect a scaffold so as to have a secure working platform while doing the work on your home. Once the scaffolding is in position a protective sheet will be secured to the outside of it. This is an added safety measure to both prevent harm to passers-by, and to stop brick dust or debris falling onto and damaging yours or nearby neighbour's properties.

All cables, conduits and pipes which are fixed to the wall may be removed or loosened to allow access to the brickwork behind them. This is of course only a temporary measure and they'll be returned to their proper position as soon as all reparation work has been accomplished.

So that your repointing specialists can get to the bare brick surfaces of your property in Westhill, any rendering, paint, pebble-dash will need to be removed from the walls prior to starting. The brickwork that is hiding behind such outer coverings will be sanded and cleaned to ensure a uniform finish for your exterior walls.

To help you pick out the style of repointing finish to your walls, a decent Westhill repointing company will be able to show the various pointing styles (Tuck, Flush, Recessed or Weather Struck), by the creation of a test section on your wall. This should allow you to visualise the final result and make sure that you are satisfied in respect of colour and style.

Now the messy work will begin as the old, crumbling mortar is taken out by raking and scraping out the joints. This painstaking process takes time as the joints need to have all the dust, old mortar and debris removed in order to supply a good bonding area for the application of new mortar. The repointing team will be particularly careful around doors, windows and openings where movement in the brickwork or too much mortar can result in difficulty in closing and opening them.

Before any fresh mortar is applied, the brickwork will be damped down to prevent it from drying out too rapidly. This helps produce a strong joint by keeping the mortar flexible and preventing cracks. During the application of the mortar there will be smears and some excess mortar on the brickwork that looks messy, however this can be removed once it's dried out. The walls will usually be split into areas, and each one in turn will be pointed, left to dry, and then cleaned before the repointers move on to a new section of wall.

During this stage the necessity for any brick replacement, chimney repairs or lead flashing work will be completed by your contractor.

Any paint, rendering or other wall covering that you require will be re-applied as soon as all the remedial work has been completed. The final phase of the project will entail all cables, pipes and other fittings mounted back in their original locations, scaffolding dismantled and all building waste removed from the site.

An established Westhill repointing and brick repair company will provide you with a restoration that will last at least sixty years. Warranties that are offered for the repointing should have an affiliation with manufacturers and providers from the construction industry giving cover for substandard materials.

If a repointing company has qualifications or accreditations from organisations like the NFBC (National Federation of Building Contractors), the NHBC (National House-Building Council) and the FMB (Federation of Master Builders), you can be certain you're using the services of a professional and respected business. Every person who works on repairing and repointing your property is also required to be part of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme and be willing to demonstrate their ability and skills by producing their CSCS card.

You should be able to access repointing companies in Westhill, and adjacent places like: Northfield, Wester Ord, Elrick, Kingswells, Milltimber, Mannofield, Dunecht, Skene, Echt, Cults, Kingsford, Kirton of Skene, Peterculter, Bieldside. Postcode areas like AB32 6LD, AB32 6PE, AB32 6PF, AB32 6QF, AB32 6WH, AB32 6SU, AB14 0WY, AB32 6YY, AB32 6PB, AB32 6UW can also be covered. Locally based Westhill repointing contractors will likely have the postcode AB32 and the phone code 01224. Confirming that this is the case will guarantee that you're hiring local repointing. Westhill householders can use and benefit from these repointing services.

Ridge Tile Repointing Westhill

Ridge tiles and mortar joints should be examined at least once every two years. Repointing cracks in mortar joints can prevent leaking roofs and costly re-roofing jobs in Westhill. Pay close attention to ridge tiles because they are exposed to weathering 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 repoint the joints or rebed the ridge tile.

Of course, from time to time a ridge tile has to be rebedded instead of repointed which requires a little more work. Again, be sure to take all safety precautions while working on the roof. Use a hammer and chisel 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 bottom of the ridge tile. Once the ridge tile is off, replacing the ridge iron is a good idea, particularly if there's any sign of rust. Remove any organic matter such as moss and algae 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 tile and roof as you work. Mortar each side of the tile and use a trowel to lay a bed of mortar on the roof. Position the tile 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.

Coming Next:

Spalling brickwork repairs - article 321.

Westhill Repointing Tasks

Just Some of the Tasks That a Repointing Specialist Can Do

There are a whole host of tasks that can be conducted by your local Westhill repointing specialist including roof verge repointing Westhill, slab repointing Westhill, stone strengthening, tile repointing Westhill, repairs to damaged brickwork in Westhill, stone restoration, ridge tile repointing Westhill, ribbon re-pointing, the repointing of patios in Westhill, repointing services in Westhill, lead valleys repaired or renewed, pebble-dash removal in Westhill, stone wall repointing, masonry and brickwork decorating, valley repointing Westhill, commercial repointing, brickwork crack stitching, repointing mortar joints, brick gable end repointing Westhill, mortar rake grinding, masonry repairs, the lime pointing of brick joints, brickwork pointing and repointing Westhill, dry verge systems Westhill, repointing crazy paving in Westhill, crack repairs to brickwork Westhill, brickwork joint raking, re-mortaring of brick joints, the re-pointing of brick joints Westhill, brickwork repointing in Westhill, chimney repairs, cheap re-pointing, the repointing of stone walls, brickwork joint raking and repair, brick conservation, and scaffolding hire. Listed are just some of the tasks that are undertaken by those specialising in brick repointing. Westhill professionals will be delighted to keep you abreast of their entire range of services.

Repointing Specialists Near Westhill

Also find: Milltimber repointing, Peterculter repointing, Echt repointing, Mannofield repointing, Bieldside repointing, Cults repointing, Elrick repointing, Dunecht repointing, Northfield repointing, Kirton of Skene repointing, Kingsford repointing, Wester Ord repointing, Kingswells repointing, Skene repointing services and more. All of these areas are served by experts in repointing. Westhill home and property owners can get price quotes by clicking here.

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