Regular maintenance of brickwork
can prevent minor damage from
turning into a major headache.

About this Project

Though far more permanent than wood siding or shingles, brick walls also require occasional attention. Their most common malady is crumbling mortar. You can repair deteriorated joints by tucking mortar into them with the point of a trowel -- a process masons call pointing or tuck pointing.

Some specialized tools will help you do the job. You'll need a pointing trowel, which is slightly smaller than an ordinary masonry trowel, and a joint strike, used to shape the concave joint. Also handy is a hawk, which you can buy or make by screwing a short length of dowel or broom handle to a square of plywood. Practice on a less visible area first if you're inexperienced with masonry work.

Pack the joints with mortar mixed with a liquid latex binder. You also can use conventional mortar mix or vinyl patching cement, which is easier to apply but doesn't look like mortar. After you have filled and smoothed the joints, strike or shape them to match the other joints.