Mortar Type Suggestions for Re-pointing Brick

Hello All, Wanted to tap into the knowledge of those who have re-pointed brick themselves. So, I have an interior brick area on a party wall that I would like to re-point. I am aware of and understand the need to match the new mortar with the old. However, the testing process is quite expensive. This is where I wanted to pick the community’s brains. I am assuming that some building techniques and materials were uniform from home to home within a geographical area when constructing similarly structured homes back in the late 1800’s. I am hoping that this may be true with mortar types. So, if there are folks in the Bed-Stuy area, more specifically, Bed-Stuy East, who have performed this task themselves, would you be able to share your experience with the type of mortar you used, where you purchased it, and if you were able to use something “off the shelf” from a home center/local supplier. Thanks, appreciate your help!

nalusurf

in About Brooklyn 11 years and 10 months ago

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mylrob | 11 years and 9 months ago

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I will make this simple. Most commonly used mortar in NYC is type “N” (do not confuse with type “M”, used in lower temperatures). It is available at any masonry yard. DO NOT add lime to it- it already contanis it, just add sand in a 1:5 ratio. Also, if you are looking for a color blend, look for GLen Gery blended mortar and SpecMix blended mortar (the latter also contains sand in it). You can find both at Extech Indusrties in LIC, Glenwood Mason or KIngs Mason in BK.

nalusurf | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Thanks Wiley, that is what I suspected.

wiley | 11 years and 10 months ago

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exceeding the spec means that it is a harder mortar and has a higher psi tolerance. The N mortar will work in the short run but over time it will damage your wall as it won’t respond like the other mortar. It’s really not hard to mix up mortar on your own and if you were to do a test, say mix one batch of n and one batch of o you would see the difference visually between the two.

nalusurf | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Also found one that says it **meets** the ASTM spec C-270 for type N.

nalusurf | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Wiley, I have a technical question for you. I was looking at the ASTM specs for Type O mortar and they reference ASTM spec C-270 as the standard for Type O. I found a pre-mixed Type N mortar that states it exceeds ASTM Spec C-270 and C-387\. If this mix exceeds the spec, as opposed to meets the spec, is this something I can use? Or by exceeding the spec will it be too strong for this application? Bob M, if your recollection is correct, I am wondering if this mortar type would work on a more modern brick type. My home is from the end of the 19th Century.

BobMarvin | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Is this soft mortar needed for buildings dating to the end of the 19th century, or just earlier ones? I seem to recall reading that more “modern” types of bricks were used as the century came to a close.

nalusurf | 11 years and 10 months ago

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Thank you, Wiley!

wiley | 11 years and 10 months ago

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You basically need a type O mortar which can be difficult to find. It’s better to make it yourself. Older mortars contain lime. You’ll need to purchase lime, portland, sand and experiment with the mix. To match your mortar color and grain size experiment with the portland (white or gray) and types of sand. You can find basic mix ratios for soft type O mortar on the internet.