Masonry Magazine June 2004 Page. 22
Restoration Techniques
Luckily, most of our past has been well documented in one way or another, and it's usually possible to find out through research what we need to know to do the best job possible.
3) The Pigments.
The typical mineral oxide pigments available at your local masonry supplier will do.
4) The Joint Finish.
There used to be many styles for tooling a mortar joint, which not only require the right tool but also the skill. On the one hand, producing the proper texture in the mortar joint consists of using a mix that matches the existing. On the other hand, getting the texture right consists of acquiring the skill of matching the way the mortar was tooled. This is a skill you usually acquire by looking at the existing mortar on the wall and then working at reproducing the texture. Stay away from simply and arbitrarily using a rounded tube to finish the joint-the same tool that bricklayers use when they are jointing the work (Figure 6). This will work with a modern wall that needs repointing, but it will never work for an older building. Repointing structures built before 1930 usually requires a recessed joint of some sort, due to the eroded nature of the existing surrounding mortar that will not have to be replaced, but must be matched both in color and texture. Slickers are a better way to go for this type of joint (Figure 7).
A lot more can be said on the subject of brick and stone mortar restoration. Luckily, most of our past has been well documented in one way or another, and it's usually possible to find out through research what we need to know to do the best job possible.
Mario Cantin, President of Invisible Tuckpointing Ltd., located in Ontario, Canada, and Lewiston, N.Y., offers brick mortar replacement with a perfect color match and teaches others how to earn a six-figure income doing the same. You can contact him at (416) 948-2591.
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