Ask This Old House - Tuckpointing a brick foundation

Tuckpointing a brick foundation along with behind the scenes guidance from B & K Tuckpointing.

[@cwinter84]

Okay, I get it. For all the professionals, this isn't traditional "tuckpointing". In some parts of the United States and Canada, some confusion may result as the term is often used interchangeably with "pointing" (to correct defects or finish off joints in newly laid masonry) and "repointing" (to place wet mortar into cut or raked joints to repair weathered joints in old masonry). And remember, this is a TV SHOW. Mike can't be awesome at everything like you all want him to be. He's not a mason, we get it. He could have put the brick in differently to not expose the damaged portion. He's bad with the trowel. He pointed in the mortar going the wrong direction. Now go make a carpentry video so he can be the one to hate on you all.

[@82ray]

He should learn how to butter a brick properly, holy crap...lol

[@timothykeith1367]

@@blackkitty2871 I've heard it called "tuckpointing" - whatever its called, just do it well.

[@irvingfive7955]

Don't excuse the ignorance. These videos are meant to be educational and informative, and they do a great disservice to the trade.

[@davecotterell420]

In the United kingdom you don't see much tuckpointing nowadays that's down to the price (very expensive) It starts with the type and colour of the brick. After all the old pointing is removed next step is to flush point the whole area, (normally just the front of the building) next get the cement mix as near to the colour of the brick, so when finished the pointing matches the colour of the brick. Now comes the tuck pointing, first mark out the whole front of the building with a plum bob (2 man job) starting with the perps then the beds. When its marked out, perps and beds are perfectly in line. Next lime putty on a small board flattened then cut into strips roughly 5mm x 3mm and around 200mm to 300mm long then following the chalk lines each strip is applied to the brickwork, job done.

[@robertgagne4844]

Should always moisten the bricks and joints being re-pointed. Dry bricks and joints will suck the moisture out of your mortar, thus not giving the new mortar a positive bond to your repair. I recommend pre-treating the bricks and joints being repaired with diluted Weldbond pre and post repair. This maximizes adhesion and also waterproofs the bricks and joints.

[@AustinHansen]

did anyone notice that on the last brick, he could have flipped it so the giant chunk that was missing wouldn't be visible, while keeping the face of the brick facing the correct way?

[@AlexAtGuilford]

Yep! I did.

[@adrianruiz4904]

Austin Hansen rookies.

[@plummetplum]

My thoughts too.

[@paulfreegard1271]

cowboy builder

[@rolondoscott3997]

First thing that caught my 👀

[@jivepatrol6833]

Good video. Tom is very patient and does a good job of showing the steps needs for the repair and restoration.

[@skaizun]

One step is missing: Before applying the mortar, you should lightly spray the surfaces receiving the mortar, so that they don't absorb the moisture from the mortar, thus, eventually, causing failure due to drying out prematurely (n.b., in very hot areas (90+ degrees F), more water may be needed; you should be able to see the spray on the brick or other surface, and apply the mortar before the water has a chance to evaporate or be totally absorbed by the brick or other surface).

[@EarthREALTOR]

Beautiful historic home! Thanks for saving it!

[@fredrubble4305]

I’d personally give up on this money pit but thankful these people are trying to make it right.

[@carmenwakeland9026]

The best part was customer doing the labor.Brillient idea..lol

[@srwilliams3844]

Damn you are so right on tuckpoint...... lol

[@zaydansari4408]

New business model. Pay me to tell you how to do it while I sip a coffee.

[@mikeleone1347]

@@zaydansari4408 Nothing new about that model. That's what a lot of consultants do LOL

[@geodegroot8310]

This is an awesome primer! I am ready to unleash my new mad skills on a 144 year old darling, also in the St. Louis area. Uhh, perhaps I should practice on the basement foundation first, where the window has eroded the ancient morter. Thanks Tom, and keep slinging it.

[@tomm5293]

Tom spikes the water bottle off his head and says I said slow down damnit

[@cwinter84]

The tool is called a "raker bar". Any blacksmith could create the same tool. There is a blacksmith near St. Louis that still makes them- kaimann welding. He was taught how to make these raker bars and the St. Louis style jointers from an old man who has since retired and was one of the only manufactures of these tools. You will not find these raker bars in any major tool store as this and the jointers that they use on the show are more or less only used within the St. Louis area. On a side note, as some have stated, raker bars are pretty obsolete now. Grinders, arbor saws, hammer drills, routers are the choice for most masons. Tommy is shown using the raker bar briefly to rake back the mortar joints. As soon as that portion of the shot was done, background professionals ground out the foundation with grinders, and then cut back to Tommy and the homeowners "finishing up raking" the mortar joints. The magic of TV.

[@michaeljohnston243]

cwinter84 I live in St. Louis and my neighbor gave me one of those bars! He didn’t know what it was but I did! I’m currently in the process of putting it to good use on some brickwork on the back of my house. I also dabble in back yard blacksmithing and could possibly replicate the tool in about 30-40 minutes if needed, but unfortunately like you said, they are kind of obsolete..... but it never runs out of battery and you never have to change a wheel!

[@robertgagne4844]

A grinder works much better.

[@williamlattanzio4529]

This is a more than acceptable patch job when considering the circumstances: two homeowners with zero experience, a television show/crew needing to create shots, an obvious constraint on time, the work is likely being performed for free, and the guy doing the work is a GC, not a mason.

[@sharonbeatty8047]

Only American show with good advice on this. All the others were English "brickies" 😊

[@jasonbrindamour903]

He seems so young here, I'd love to see a current update of the repair!

[@lennyadamowicz7642]

Tommy is the Best!!

[@johnenright4969]

Lenny Adamowicz Tawmey isn't comfortable with no Bahstin accent!

[@ashleybanner7260]

Pure comedy If your a bricklayer

[@philbarrows424]

When Tom was watching the folks rake, he shoulda had a 🍺👍🏻

[@mr.t.3689]

Thanks Mr. Silva

[@Frenchwine15]

Never use a brick hammer with a masonry chisel, lump hammer only. I think the corner needed rebuilding completely .

[@richardprice5978]

i found white limestone/white bricks to be super soft and brittle so FWI do not use a chisel nearby it as it will crack the bricks or at least i had some do it trying that gently better ideas is using a multi-tool/sander or sawsall or hand-held grinding wheel and in my case be very careful and slow. there very good build material and is from the 60-70's in my case so it's held up well just it's got it's limitations, side note it's self cleaning as i found out marking it for electrical work which is why i was removing some bricks but i was trying to save them for spares for later repairs/fill in unused holes

[@paulfreegard1271]

that brick went in with chunk off the face end

[@1aquinas]

Very good demo!

[@jimmymorgan3324]

I REMEMBER THAT RACKING TOOL ,(. WE USED A ‘ iron DOG. ‘THAT WAS USED ON FIXIN. WOOD SLEEPER,s. Twisted the end for a pull handle.

[@3654522365]

great pointers

[@mikegildea8694]

That's not tuck pointing! In UK that is just jointing.

[@robertgagne4844]

You also drive on the wrong side of the road.

[@Mustaine1ify]

@@robertgagne4844 No we don't.

[@gregkosinski2303]

@@Mustaine1ify it’s not the right side of the road.

[@Mustaine1ify]

@@gregkosinski2303 No "The Left" Is correct "The Right" is wrong. Look up the reason then apologise.

[@debbiethornton3200]

Thank you. My house in Australia has smoothed tuckpointed grooves that are flat rather than indented. I believe it was a lime mortar, would that be the same and how would I get that finish.

[@lcfcfan1655]

Scrape the mortar off the brickwork Customer, hold my tooth ill smudge the mortar over the face of the brick 😭😩🤣

[@dogtownzephyr4986]

Does this work for block walls also? Thanks for your help!

[@cwinter84]

Block walls are trickier because they are usually hollow. It isn't too difficult to remove and replace individual block. When repointing them, you need to be careful not to remove to much mortar in between the block. As I mentioned earlier, they are hollow and if you grind clear through the mortar, it is VERY time consuming pointing new mortar back in. Just have to make shallow cuts with an angle grinder would be the best method.

[@kierenboimufc5940]

That looks strong for a 6-1-1 mix

[@kierenboimufc5940]

fifthof hydrated lime is just a plastersiser I bet that original mortar is just a lime mortar maybe hydraulic lime but yeah my mixes would never come out that dark lol

[@kierenboimufc5940]

fifthof yes water gets in and can’t escape

[@kierenboimufc5940]

fifthof no loads of people have watched this video and now are doing the same lol

[@mikefate4185]

What mix would you use, using a mortar squeeze bag?

[@cwinter84]

You can use the same mix, except add more water until it is more of a pancake batter consistency. Squeeze the mortar into the joints and allow to set up 10-30 minutes depending on the weather. As soon as you can press the mortar without it sticking to your fingers, joint the mortar and really pack it into the mortar joints. This will press out air pockets and create a longer lasting, clean finish. Lightly brush or sponge off any smears and you're good to go.

[@brickit26]

World class carpenter pretending to be a boot mason.

[@riley4616]

brickit26 yesir

[@stephensimpson7665]

if you do it like this for a living in the uk you wouldn't have a house to live in. plus in all the videos on youtube have low cement content. many jobs have inconsistent mortar also! you can scratch it out then hit areas that will kill a grinder with a 8mm blade. every single job is different. I would say the most important advice nobody mentions is sand. been doing this 15yrs everyday and its the difference from having a rubbish day with ok quality work to making loads of money and doing perfect work.. but I suppose with enough determination someone with little money could maybe point their own house. next vid could be "How to not s%!t your pants while standing on a 2m table lift pointing the pike of a big gable"

[@joshsteele5701]

That was fun

[@judy123]

i guess its best to avoid a house for sale with this problem or should it just be fixed, no worries long as no water damage?

[@cwinter84]

No worries and the repairs they performed were not expensive at all. The house is over 100 years old so some brick repair is very common for a house that age. As long as the foundation below ground is in sound condition, no worries.

[@sethjohnson7872]

btw old house. just a biiit more water to set back the loose bricks

[@belvorcryptiic3220]

Where can you buy that raking bar they use in the video?

[@hewittmcelroy3711]

I have a two story, circa 1900 brick building, soft lime based mortar, and am having it repointed. The mason wants to start at the top and work downward. My intuition is to do the opposite and start at the bottom and work up. Opinion? Thanks.

[@cwinter84]

Both can be done. More of a personal preference. But if concerned about stability, have them point as they remove. They can grind out old mortar for a few days and then repoint the area. Rinse and repeat.

[@hewittmcelroy3711]

@@cwinter84 Thank you for your excellent help!

[@tieust1986]

Trust the mason. We can't all be experts. That's why we hire experts. 😉

[@BenjaminKWeber]

How do you figure out the hardness of your brick so you can choose the right mix?

[@cwinter84]

That's pretty difficult without damaging one of the brick. Usually when I'm grinding out a mortar joint, I inevitably slice a smidge of the brick while exposing a nice clean surface for the new mortar to adhere to. From experience, I can tell by how easy my grinder blade goes through the brick. Or how easy a brick breaks using my brick hammer. Generally, the older the brick, the softer it is. Anything pre 1950's should be relatively soft; Type N or O mortar should be used. Type N mortar is pretty standard. Unless you're working on a historic building where hydraulic lime mortar should be used, you're probably safe to use a Type N mortar.

[@charlesberndt9310]

Question - what is the best way to repair a very old brick foundation/basement wall on the inside that has a lot of effloresense? CharlieB

[@JerryAndSherry]

the outside

[@geodegroot8310]

Effloresense?! I've been trying to find those replacement bulbs for a year! Where do you get them :-)

[@jmenajmena]

I live here

[@thequion]

Bricklaying comedy show 😊

[@dec0y0ctopus62]

4:35 Yup....

[@jamesmena3331]

Neat!

[@davidhunter9367]

THIS IS NOT TUCK POINTING! This is an ordinary ironed-in joint. See elsewhere on KZbin for the real thing.

[@Joebunkyss1]

the word "TUCK" is grossly over used.

[@kierenboimufc5940]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2XYf3quoLmfgLs

[@StevenEElkins]

Yeah, that drives me absolutely crazy. Not to mention he’s using a totally inappropriate mortar, but that’s typical for these guys. Even though we’ve come a long way with regard to using appropriate lime mortar. Look at how gray that mortar is compared to the original white lime mortar. He’s also using an incorrect joint detail for historic brickwork.

[@Joebunkyss1]

smash them bricks girl.....give the poor woman a mallet.

[@torbenkjeldmann2975]

Scott Awaywithit

[@mikejames663]

Rough as, practically plastered the first two course, while laying a chipped brick on the quoin, wanted a thick bed, then had to whack it down level, they are the first two bricks he's ever laid. If you need to demonstrate, get a pro in.

[@SIRMMA]

Halleluja! Show some respect for the trade by bringing in a pro, have a good conversation with him/her and actually teach the viewers something. Would have been more befitting.

[@johnenright4969]

Epic comment below: have you ever seen the show? The guys been doing all kinds of this stuff for 40 years look up Silva Brothers!

[@shyguy2481]

Push it in nice, there you go.

[@Bousfield123]

👍

[@grahamjohnson7934]

gallon and half water to a bag, !!!!!!! would be like piss

[@greyhairedphantom4038]

Head joints??.....Perpends..... i was taught!

[@cwinter84]

I was always taught bed joint for the horizontal and head joint for the vertical joint. I was under the impression that in Europe and Australia, it's verts and perps.

[@mikejames663]

@@cwinter84 Beds & perp's in UK

[@jimmymorgan3324]

MESSY BRICK WORK ‘. ON THE CORNER. WHYDID,NT YOU REVERSE THE BRICK. ( as to not show the bad face , )

[@albertmorales2126]

Wish you could come to my house and help me

[@cherylharms5600]

spent hours trying to find a raker bar..shouldn't show what to use when one can't buy one!

[@cwinter84]

kaimann welding, you're welcome.

[@irish89055]

Sharp pry bar.. even a crowbar might work

[@pensans1]

Sloppy! Down the road muttering for you.

[@martincosens1123]

He’s not a brickies just a diy er

[@jeremyhensley5612]

Diyer😆 he's built and remodeled some of the nicest homes in New England for over 30yrs

[@maxbouvatte]

I bet that mike guy is in some sorta pansy music group

[@AlexAtGuilford]

Whaaat? Why do you say? The tats?

[@markocynamon5921]

This is dumb Why not use a joint cleaner with the roller wheels ? This is so slow!!! Ps he laid the brick with the broken end out and this is some low quality sloppy pointing ....

[@cwinter84]

We've all said the same thing. Mike is a carpenter, not a mason. And ditch the joint cleaner and use an angle grinder (which is what they did use behind the scenes). They just made it appear that they used a raker bar. I'm going to delete your comment to keep the comments a bit less toxic, but all the professionals that have commented on the video, including myself, are in agreement with your thoughts.

[@kylerichard7459]

Hahahaha why use a broken brick??? Lmao

[@scirxscigal3539]

Did you miss the point that the home owner had a few old bricks that matched??? Small point to use the chipped brick. However, with good packing it could have been set to the inside.

[@kylerichard7459]

SciRx SciGal is it really that hard to find whole matching bricks these days???

[@Mustaine1ify]

Turn the fucking brick around kidder

[@gordonreynolds7315]

Mud is Way to wet for joining

[@arthurrivera4230]

First of all don’t buy a house that needs all those repairs!!!!🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@francissciarrillo8691]

This is NOT Tuckpointing

[@cwinter84]

I understand, thanks for your input. I would have thought you wouldn't be as much of a troll from all the comments in your own videos, but you proved me wrong. It's a TV show; meant for entertainment and they asked for some behind the scenes help from an actual masonry restoration company. There's only so much you can teach the guy in the 30 minutes before they start filming. Now instead of trolling other peoples videos, keep skimming joints on your own projects at a snails pace. I bet even Mike could outpace you repointing.

[@francissciarrillo8691]

It's not about being a troll it's about labeling your video right look up the definition of tuckpointing you have two videos on your KZbin channel both say tuckpointing either one is not tuckpointing I made the same mistake years ago thinking that recessed pointing was tuckpointing when it wasn't so I fixed my mistake you have yet to fix yours. And by the way I was clocked at 60 square feet an hour.

[@cwinter84]

Where I'm from, we use it interchangeably with pointing, and repointing. I don't call soccer "football", or football "American football". And we all could point 2 square a day if we didn't grind out the joints and skimmed them all back in like some "experts"