It’s difficult to estimate how much lime mortar you’ll need to point your wall. It depends on how badly your wall is in need of repair, and whether you’ll be pointing 1, 10, or 100 cracks. That said, if you’re pointing a relatively small wall that’s 3. 3 feet (1 m) high by 6. 6 feet (2 m) (2 m) wide, you’ll need about 40 lb (18 kg) of lime mortar. [2] X Research source A 60-pound (27-kg) bag of lime mortar will usually cost around $5–$10 at your local hardware or home-supply store. You’ll likely need to buy your own sand too, although this should be inexpensive. Bring a sample of the existing mortar to the store with you so you can get an exact color match. [3] X Expert Source Gerber Ortiz-VegaMasonry Specialist & Founder, GO Masonry LLC Expert Interview. 10 March 2020.
Either a bucket or wheelbarrow will give you plenty of space to mix the mortar in. If you need to make a large amount of mortar—or are mixing far from the wall you’ll be pointing—opt for the wheelbarrow.
You can purchase sand at a local hardware store.
Add only a small amount of water at first. It’s easy to pour more water into dry mortar, but if you add too much water all at once, you’ll have to pour in much more mortar and sand to absorb all the extra water. [7] X Research source If you’re mixing the mortar in a wheelbarrow, mix the mortar using a front to back motion. To speed up the mixing process, use a mixing paddle attached to a drill to stir the mortar. Make sure you wear safety glasses, a mask with ventilation, gloves, and long pants when you’re working with mortar. [8] X Expert Source Gerber Ortiz-VegaMasonry Specialist & Founder, GO Masonry LLC Expert Interview. 10 March 2020.
Check for these gaps in both the bed joints (horizontal) and cross joints (vertical).
You’ll be able to purchase a variety of trowel sizes at any local hardware store or gardening center. You can also wear gloves and press the mortar into the cracks using your thumbs.
After about 20 minutes, test the mortar to see if it’s hardened sufficiently. Press your thumb firmly into the mortar you’ve added to a joint. Your thumb should leave a dent in the mortar, but it should not displace any gooey, wet mortar.
If you don’t have either a pointing tool or a length of rubber hose, you can even use a bucket handle to point the mortar in a joint.
The outer surface of the joint should be indented from the surface of the bricks. You don’t want the mortar from the joint to protrude out past the brick face. [15] X Research source
A weather struck joint will protect your brick wall from absorbing water. The angle of the joint will deflect moisture and force rainwater to run down the surface of the bricks, rather than soaking into the mortar. Weather struck joints are only used on bed joints. There is no corresponding pointing angle for vertical joints. For a professional finish, smooth out the joint and surrounding area with a medium-soft mason brush when it’s about halfway dry. Wait for the mortar to fully dry after this step. Give it at least another 30 minutes.
Be careful when you’re using the wire brush. If there’s moisture still in the mortar, the wire brush may pull the mortar out.
