When mortar joints are hit by wind and moisture, they start to disintegrate. Loose mortar is washed away, and the mortar continues to wear. Eventually, the masonry units being held into place become loose and fall out
Tuckpointing is a common maintenance repair for masonry walls. It involves filling in eroded/weathered mortar joints between masonry units with new mortar material. Prior to tuckpointing, the existing mortar joints should be properly ground (routed) to provide a clean substrate for the new mortar to adhere to.
Tuckpointing is often necessary to restore the integrity of the mortar due to normal weathering and aging of a masonry building; however, the need for tuckpointing often indicates more significant problems, such as a movement or shift in the vertical or horizontal plane of the wall.
Even well-built masonry walls require occasional repairs. Mortar joints that are exposed to the weather typically need to be tuckpointed every 30 years or so.
Chicago Building Restoration's recommendation for a long-lasting tuckpointing job is to grind and chisel out all the joints. If your grout lines generally are worn and cracking, you need to tuckpoint the entire area or the problem will worsen rapidly.
We use only the grinding tools with vacuum attachment that provide dust removal at a rate of 95 procent or more.That means the tools meet Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) and OSHA's requirements for a clean, safe work area.
