Everything You Need to Know About Masonry Pointing

1. Everything You Need to Know About Masonry Pointing

2. Brick masonry construction can be extremely effective, durable and attractive when used in a construction project, and pointing in brick masonry can be used to accentuate the craftmanship and improve its overall appearance. To restore the condition and physical appearance of the structure of a building, pointing work typically forms an important part of overall and ongoing building maintenance, and can even make the structure more robust and weatherproof. Carried out by a professional masonry contractor, let’s look at masonry pointing in a little more detail:

3. What exactly is pointing? When used in the maintenance of a building, such as your home, pointing refers to the technique in which mortar joints between bricks and other masonry elements is professionally repaired. Removed by hand or with the use of a power tool, the aging mortar is replaced with fresh mortar of the same composition as the original. What are the different types of pointing used in brick masonry? When deciding which type of pointing to use in brick masonry construction, it’s important to discuss your options in detail with an experienced masonry contractor, who can guide you towards the best solution for your building’s particular needs.

4. Below are 8 of the most common types of pointing: • Flush pointing With this technique, the mortar gets filled and pressed into a mortar joint, and the finishing work is completed by flushing off the edges of the stones or bricks, to give it a smooth appearance. • Tuck pointing This method involves the mortar joints being filled and pressed to make them level with the masonry surface, and the grooves are cut in the mortar joint while it’s still fresh, before being filled with white cement putty.

5. Beaded pointing Beaded pointing is when grooves that are concave, are formed into a joint and pressed into a masonry joint. Tools that are concave in shape are used to match the shape of the grooves. • Weathered pointing When the fresh mortar is pressed into a joint using the weathered pointing technique, the tip of the horizontal joint is pressed back with the aid of a pointing tool, to give a sloping look from the top to the bottom.

6. Keyed pointing Using a trowel, fresh mortar is pressed into the joints before being gently curved, to form a curved arc in the joint and give a smooth surface to the face of the masonry. • Recessed pointing Once the joint is filled with mortar in recessed pointing, a straight tool is used to push it back from the edge, giving an even, straight and vertical line and finish.

7. Struck pointing In struck pointing, the mortar is filled first, before being pressed to match the face of the brick masonry, before the joint’s top edge is pressed inside around 10mm in comparison to the bottom corner. This technique helps to form a slope from top to bottom, in which rain water will simply slide off quickly and drain away. • V grooved pointing In much the same method as keyed pointing, the mortar is filled and pressed into a joint, before a V-shaped tool is used to form a V-shaped groove in the joint; this method has a particularly aesthetic appeal.

8. It’s important to remember that masonry work can literally, make or break a building, and that only by working with an experienced masonry contractor, can you ever guarantee that you’ll do your home justice when maintenance work is being carried out.

9. RZ Construction Group Inc is one of the best fully inclusive masonry contractors in Queens NYC and provides high quality services including apartment renovation. From initial design to final clean up, our results speak for themselves. We are fully licensed, insured, and bonded to provide both commercial and residential construction services to customers in Astoria and the surrounding area. Proud to serve New York State for 25 years. No job is too small nor too big. If you are looking for masons in Astoria NY or want to know more about our wide range of professional but affordable construction and repair services, reach out to us at (718) 938-9887.