You have been living in your house for almost two decades, and you have noticed that your home needs some repairs. These repairs don’t include replacing broken doors and window panes, rebuilding broken steps, or fixing leaking pipes, but a much more complicated and time-consuming job. Yes, we are talking about repointing the brickwork in your house.
Before you even start contemplating whether you should do it yourself or hire a professional to do it for you, think about all the work that must be put into this home repair and, of course, most importantly, how much all of it is going to cost you.
Since bricks are a hardy material that lasts for a longer time, the pointing, also referred to as mortar, is in between the bricks and is usually the one that needs to be repaired. At first, when you notice that there is a gap between the bricks or if the pointing crumbles when you touch it with your finger, you may think that you can fix it on your own. However, if you don’t have the skills to do this, you would do better to call a professional. They will have the skills and appropriate tools to do a better job, and as a result, all of that will cost more money. Therefore, in this post, we will break down all the prices and things you must take into account when repointing the brickwork of your house.
1. How Much Does it Cost?
This is the first question that you should ask yourself before repointing brickwork. There is no fixed price for this renovation process because it depends on the size of your house and the different conditions of the pointing. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, the cost of repointing brickwork depends on what you need repair and the size. For example, the full cost to repoint a wall is divided between the cost of the labor, the materials, and the support equipment. So, if you need to repoint the front or side of the house, it is going to cost you somewhere between £1500-£2000 and the entire job is going to take you five to seven days. In any case, whoever does the job, it is suggested that you calculate everything from the labor to the materials beforehand so that you will have a vision of how much money you need.
2. Getting Quotes
When something needs to be repaired at home, we all want that repair to be completed as fast as it can. However, when it comes to repointing, that is impossible. The reason for that is because even though repointing may seem like an easy and a simple job to do, not everyone has the time and patience to do the job properly. Therefore, it is recommended that we look for a professional bricklayer because not only do they have the proper equipment to do this, but they can finish faster and also may even save you a lot of money in the long run. The first place where you can look for a competent bricklayer is to ask your family and friends. They will be honest with you and tell you everything repointing entails. Also, you can look for professionals online or for others listed in official records. However you choose to find and hire a bricklayer, make sure that you read through at least three quotations, and look for someone who is fully experienced with repointing and will do a perfect job.
3. The How-to Guide to Repointing Brickwork
When you find out the cost of the repointing, the bricklayer will most likely inform you of how long this job is going to take. However, when you hear that repointing a semi-detached house takes about 12 to 16 days, you will probably be shocked by the time frame. This is because you aren’t sure of the entire process of repointing brickwork. First, the old mortar must be removed. The key with removing the mortar is not to remove it all at once and also to use a chisel, so the bricks aren’t damaged. Next, the new mortar is mixed with lime and sand because this mix cushions the bricks together, and then it is applied on the bricks using a large trowel. You can use the flat edge of the trowel to scrape off any mortar that can get on the front side of the bricks. After you finish applying the mortar on the bricks, then it is suggested that you wait for an hour or so until the mortar has hardened, and then you can clean up whatever is remaining on the brick.
Wrapping up
Almost any wall in your house needs to be repointed at some point. It is vital to take into consideration all the things that encompass this process, like cost, labor, and material.
Even though repointing of the house isn’t done very often, whenever you decide to do it, it is suggested that you do it properly, even if it requires spending a bigger budget. Even though it seems like a simple job to do, it is best that you leave it to the professionals to do it for you. Not only are they familiar with the entire process, but they also know which mortar is the best, which is crucial because if we try to do this job on our own, it can lead to an easy failure if we choose the wrong type of mortar. For that reason, make sure you look for the best bricklayers and read through all quotations thoroughly before you hire them. Also, read the guidelines on repointing brickwork and carefully follow all the steps, so you avoid any unnecessary mishaps.
