mortar-stained exterior brick
The pointing on our brick townhouse was redone about 4 yrs ago. The job was fairly sloppy, such that the mortar extends onto the brick faces. From the street it looks sloppy, so I’d like to get it cleaned up. For the most part it’s not caked on top, but just a very thin layer…
The pointing on our brick townhouse was redone about 4 yrs ago. The job was fairly sloppy, such that the mortar extends onto the brick faces. From the street it looks sloppy, so I’d like to get it cleaned up. For the most part it’s not caked on top, but just a very thin layer (it probably could have been cleaned up adequately had they acid washed at the end of the job). I was able to remove the mortar pretty well from a few test spots with diluted muriatic acid. Anybody have general recommendations? Some specific questions:
1) Is removal of mortar like I describe feasible? (based on my test acid cleaning, I think it is, but I can’t do the whole thing myself).
2) Alternatively, I’ve considered some sort of reddish colored staining (changing the gray mortar to red). A neighbor has something of that sort, and it looks nice (IMHO) – certainly nicer than our bricks. I’m not talking about paint, which would give it a caked on look that would not be to my liking, just a stain-like product that still shows the brick texture; my neighbor doesn’t know what the product on his is, but it’s clearly a stain of some sort, and it lasts, as it’s been there many years according to him).
3) any contractor recommendations for this?
4) will a contractor have to erect a scaffold (like I see all over this summer), or can they use a hanging platform like was common in recent years (and presumably saves cost).
Thanks!
Thanks vinca, for the introduction. I guess you’re humor-challenged too.
I think you can spend your money better elsewhere but If it makes you happy I would call a few masons and ask for an estimate.
Yup, start getting estimates, checking references, and doing what you know you have to do!
Personally, I’d probably live with those bricks and that pointing job too. . . As long as there’s no water penetration, what’s all the hoopla about?
Sorry…meant to say “formally” (though apparently wishing otherwise).
Also meant to write “more harm *than* good”.
Djch: apparently you’re new around here, and haven’t yet been formerly introduced to cmu, who rarely provides useful information, but always finds the time and energy to impugn and malign concerns he does not share. You’re likely to do more harm that good by applying muriatic acid (no matter how diluted) to exterior brick. Leave it alone and live with it. The bigger issue might eventually be whether the sloppy mortar is an indication of an overall lousy repointing job. For additional information, see: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief02.htm
and, overall list at: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm
looks ok to me too.
Honestly, it doesn’t look that bad to me. But if it worries you, call a mason.
Sorry, I think you’re not being meticulous enough at all! Just in that limited area, I can clearly see at least three bricks that are severely blemished, to the point of embarrassing your neighbors. What will Landmarks say?
Re: off-color bricks. The bricks actually look better in person than in this picture (not sure why … kind of like HD TV highlighting blemishes, I guess). The bricks are solid, and don’t need replacing (nor will I be replacing them). But the picture does highlight pretty well the irregularity and waviness of the mortar. Although you can’t tell from the picture, much of this is due to mortar very thinly smeared on top of the brick, not the width of the joint itself. So, I think it should be fixable.