Jesse's Amazing Tuckpointing Skills

Today I want to highlight some excellent work done by Jesse Scott of J. Scott Handyman and More, LLC.

Jesse is one of the craftsmen in our referral network, and he sent some awesome photos of a tuckpointing job he recently completed here in Asheville.

"Tuckpointing" (which is also called "repointing") simply means replacing the mortar between bricks.

Bricks can last for hundreds of years, but the mortar between them usually wears out in about 25 years. Water gets into the joints and freezes and thaws repeatedly until finally the mortar crumbles away and if the wall is left unrepaired, the bricks tumble down.

In this case, the bricks were part of the foundation of a house. They had been plastered over and painted blue some years before, so he had to remove the crumbling plaster first, then carefully replace the mortar where it had disintegrated.

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Let's get a close-up of that beautiful wall. I know from experience that tuckpointing is hard physical labor, and Jesse did a great job!

It's not just a question of hard work... good masonry repair also requires know-how, and that is where Jesse's experience really shines through. In his words,

I custom blended the mortar batch by batch to ensure that the bricks would not “deface” any further.  Most folks just shove in a bunch of mortar from off the shelf, and that is not the correct way.  The mortar needs to be as soft as, or softer than, the bricks.  If not, then the bricks “deface” and degrade prematurely. 

So this isn't just a quick patch job... it's a real repair that will last for another generation.

As a bonus, the newly-exposed red brick looks great against the green siding, much better than the crumbling old blue plaster. Talk about curb appeal! His customers must be very happy with their new foundation.

If your home needs repairs done with the same care and experience that Jesse brought to this brick foundation, give us a call. We'll put you in touch with a craftsman who's just right for the job.

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