Repoint your brickwork.

For UK homeowners, maintaining these joints is not just about aesthetics; it is essential preventative maintenance. Properly executed repointing protects your property from frost damage and helps retain the thermal efficiency of your walls.

What Does the Work Involve?

• Site Inspection: Assessing the condition of existing mortar and identifying the original material type (lime vs. cement).
• Raking Out: Carefully removing the old, decayed mortar to a depth of roughly 15mm–20mm using hand chisels or specialist power tools.
• Cleaning: Brushing or washing out the joints to ensure the new mortar has a clean, damp surface to bond with.
• Mortar Mixing: Creating a mix that matches the original colour, texture, and strength to ensure a seamless finish and breathability.
• Application: Pressing the new mortar into the joints in layers and finishing with a specific profile, such as weather-struck, flush, or recessed.
• Clean Down: Removing any excess mortar from the brick faces before it hardens to prevent staining.

Typical Costs

Repointing costs vary significantly based on the size of the area, the type of mortar required, and whether scaffolding is necessary. Lime mortar, often required for pre-1920s properties, is more expensive and labour-intensive than modern cement mixes.

Pro Tip: Always check if the quote includes scaffolding. For two-storey properties or higher, scaffolding can add £800 to £1,500 to the total project cost.

How Long Does It Take?

• Minor patch repairs: 1 working day.
• Single garden wall or small extension: 2–3 working days.
• Large gable end or side wall: 4–6 working days.
• Full house repointing: 2–3 weeks depending on weather and crew size.

DIY or Professional?

While DIY repointing is possible for low-level garden walls, it is rarely recommended for the main structure of a home. Incorrect mortar mixes—specifically using hard cement on soft historic bricks—can cause permanent damage by forcing moisture to escape through the brick face rather than the joint.

Professional bricklayers have the equipment to suppress dust and the skill to ensure the "profile" of the joint sheds water effectively. If your home was built before 1920, you should almost certainly hire a specialist who understands lime-based mortars.

Choosing the Right Tradesperson

• Check Experience: Ask specifically if they have worked with your type of brickwork (e.g., Flettons, Accrington Reds, or Stone).
• Mortar Knowledge: Ensure they understand the difference between hydraulic lime and Portland cement.
• Dust Control: Ask if they use vacuum-assisted tools to minimise dust ingress into your (and your neighbours') homes.
• References: Request to see a local property they repointed at least 12 months ago to see how the finish has weathered.

UK Regulations

• Listed Buildings: If your property is Grade I or II listed, you MUST obtain Listed Building Consent before repointing. Using the wrong mortar is a criminal offence.
• Conservation Areas: Local authorities may have specific requirements regarding the colour and style of pointing to maintain the street's character.
• Health and Safety: Work at height must comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005, usually requiring professional scaffolding rather than ladders for major works.

Common Problems

• Cement on Old Bricks: Using a hard cement mix on soft Victorian or Edwardian bricks causes "spalling," where the brick face flakes off.
• Poor Colour Matching: New mortar often looks bright and patchy if the tradesman hasn't used dyes or specific sands to match the aged original.
• Over-pointing: Smearing mortar over the edges of the bricks rather than raking out properly; this looks messy and fails quickly.
• Weather Damage: Repointing in freezing temperatures or heavy rain can cause the mortar to fail before it has cured.

Frequently Asked Questions