Materials:Screwdriver
Sponge
Water
Mortar
Grout bag
Pointing trowel
Brick Re-pointing
1. Clean out old mortar (figure A). Rake out the damaged, powdery, disintegrating mortar with a cold chisel or old screwdriver. Brush out any brick dust.
2. Use a sponge, brush, or rag to moisten the area with water.
3. Use mortar and a grout bag and apply fresh mortar into the joints (figure B). Go back over the joints with a pointing trowel and trim off the excess (figure C). Be careful to avoid smudging and staining mortar on to the face of the bricks.
4. As the mortar starts to set, go back and shape the mortar joints to match the look or the original, using an appropriate shaped tool. When the mortar is almost set, use a brush and lightly brush off any excess still on the brickwork (figure D).
Re-pointing Rules
1. Whenever mortar has lost 1/4 inch of its original depth, it's time re-point. Thoroughly rake out and clean joints to a depth twice the width of the joint.
2. Do not chip, cut or remove the brick's skin, which will accelerate decay.
3. Re-point only when temperatures remain between 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, even at night. Cold makes mortar brittle, while heat dries it out and prevents hardening.
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2005/11/10/dttr507_2fa_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2005/11/10/dttr507_2fb_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2005/11/10/dttr507_2fc_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2005/11/10/dttr507_2fd_e.jpg",350,450))
