When masons point brick, they need to wet the brick to ensure it doesn’t pull too much moisture out of the mortar. When that doesn’t happen, the mortar becomes crumbly and dry. When a homeowner’s breezeway brick floor mortar started to crumble, he called the team at Ask This Old House for help. Mason Mark McCullough knew just how to solve it.
How to Spot Point Brick
- With safety glasses on, start chipping away the damaged mortar with the masonry chisel and hammer. Make sure not to place the chisel on the face of the brick or you’ll damage it.
This mortar was soft and powdery because of the improper application, so it was easy to use a chisel and hammer. If it was a harder mortar, Mark would have used an angle grinder with a diamond blade to remove it. - Continue chipping until you’ve removed at least ¾-inch of mortar. Removing more is fine and will result in a better joint.
- Use a wet/dry vacuum to clean up the mortar and any dust caused during the mortar removal process.
- With a bucket of water and a masonry brush, wet the brick and existing mortar. For larger areas, use a shop broom to push the water over the surface. The mortar and brick will soak up the water and stay hydrated, allowing the fresh mortar to cure properly.
- Mix water, Type N mortar, and a bonding agent in a masonry tub. Start with the water and Type N mix and add water until it reaches an oatmeal consistency. Then, add the bonding agent and mix until it disappears.
- Grab a small amount of mortar mix with a brick trowel and carefully slide it off into a brick joint. Lightly shake the trowel to allow air to escape so the mortar can sink into the joint. Make sure the joint is filled.
- Use the flat jointer to press the mortar into the joint. Any mortar that squeezes out can be folded back into the joint.
- Once the joints are filled, use a stiff masonry brush to brush the excess mortar off the brick and vacuum it up.
- With a sponge and a bucket of water, sponge the joints to remove the cream from the top of the mortar joint and expose the aggregate. This will help blend the repaired areas into the existing mortar.
- Once the mortar cures, apply a water-based brick and masonry sealer with a brush. Allow the first coat to dry for 24 hours before applying a second coat.
