When you start to think about tuckpointing, there are a lot of different terminologies that come into play. You may need to completely re-do your entire brick home and/or outdoor structure, or there might only be a few places may need fixing up. Regardless of what your needs are, it’s important to know the difference between a few key terms: spot and solid tuckpointing.
Solid tuckpointing is the long-winded way of simply saying “tuckpointing.” It involves the process of maintaining your brick and mortar buildings, infrastructures, or outdoor structures for the long haul. The process involves professionals going in and finding any deteriorating mortar that is old, crumbling, damaged, or just unsightly. Once old mortar has been removed, masonries can go in and match the coloring with fresh, new mortar to increased the structural integrity and overall aesthetics of a building. Solid tuckpointing helps combat weathering, aging, and overall damage in general of an entire wall or large-scale area.
On the contrary, spot pointing focuses on small-scale tuckpointing. It’s also commonly known as short for spot tuckpointing. This type of tuckpointing is more for any major, localized damage such as large holes or a major cracking in smaller areas. Spot pointing is done only when the rest of the wall is otherwise in good condition. It can be thought of more like patchwork that only addresses bad spots rather than overall tuckpointing. The good thing about spot pointing is that if you get it taken care of sooner rather than later, you’ll avoid the costly prices that solid tuckpointing sometimes brings. The process is the same as solid tuckpointing, just on a smaller scale.
If you’re curious whether or not you’ll need spot or solid tuckpointing, take a look at your wall or building. If less than 10% of the total area is damaged, you will be fine with doing spot tuckpointing. However, anything larger than that will need solid tuckpointing. Another helpful tip is that if you do find you need spot tuckpointing, take a look at the entire area. If the surrounding brick and/or mortar is on it’s last leg, it might be more economical to move forward with a larger scale solid tuckpointing. Otherwise, you’ll incorporate new mortar into near-failing mortar, which doesn’t provide very good overall structural support and will lead to solid tuckpointing down the line anyway. Plus, if the surrounding area is to a point where it’s visibly aging, spot tuckpointing will create more of an eyesore than simply repairing the entire wall or structure. Thus, spot tuckpointing is best done on a building that has had solid tuckpointing work done within the last 10-15 years.
Regardless of whether you need simple spot tuckpointing or full-scale solid tuckpointing, it’s important to take care of the matter before it gets worse. Since tuckpointing is a very labor intensive job with costs calculated based on how much labor is needed, it’s often a good idea to start with the worst areas and work your way around your home. If your fixing something smaller, say a mailbox or backyard patio accessory, it’s better to do everything at once.
Remember to regularly check your brick buildings or infrastructures for any signs of wear and tear or major damage. Localized damage occurs most frequently after large storms where trees or large objects could cause major damage, around improperly functioning downspouts, places where water easily collects, or simply in major household accidents. The important thing to remember is that while it may look localized, you still want to have a professional inspection to ensure there isn’t more damage than meets the eye.
That’s why it’s essential to call a professional masonry to come in for an inspection. The professionals at Chicago Tuckpointing are fully trained to spot even the smallest signs of damage and will quickly and effortlessly give you a quote and find a time that works for you to repair the damages. All of our professional masonries are experienced and have the skill set you need to get your building back to new or, at the very least, in a more promising state. Our professionals are dedicated to giving you the best service possible and are always respectful and professional with our clients. If you think you may need solid or spot tuckpointing work done, don’t hesitate to call us at Chicago Tuckpointing today. You can reach us by phone at (708) 942-1951 or by visiting our website at chicagotuckpointinginc.com .