How to Repoint Brick Using Only Hand Tools | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough visits Milwaukee to teach a homeowner how to repoint brick.
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Time: 3-4 hours
Cost: $75
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Repointing Brick with Hand Tools:
Brick hammer
Pointing chisel
Brush
Bucket
Trowel
Finish trowel (or hawk)
Flat joiner
Shopping List:
Pre-mixed mortar in desired color
Safety glasses
Steps:
1. Chisel out the existing mortar down to about _”. Start with all the head joints before moving to the bed joints.
2. Clean out any excess mortar with the clean out tool and the brush.
3. Dip the brush in some water and dampen the brick.
4. Put the mortar mix into a bucket and slowly add water. Mix with the trowel until the mortar has an oatmeal consistency.
5. Put a small amount of mortar onto the finish trowel or the hawk, whichever is more comfortable. Hold the trowel up the joint, then push the mortar in using the flat joiner. Be careful to not get any mortar onto the face of the brick.
6. Use the dry brush to clean off excess mortar.
Resources:
Mark used a premixed mortar, manufactured by SpecMix (www.specmix.com) in the color Moccasin. This particular mortar was purchased at The Brickyard, Inc. (www.thebrickyardwi.com), but should also be available at most local brickyards.
Other tools used for this project, including the masonry hammer, chisel, bucket, trowel, and jointers, can all be purchased at a home center or masonry supply house.
Expert assistance for this segment was provided by The Brickyard, Inc. (www.thebrickyardwi.com) and MJM Masonry (www.mjmmasonry.com)
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Repoint Brick Using Only Hand Tools | Ask This Old House
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[@MMGJ10]

They did nice "maintenance work" there. I'm going to be that jerk that has something critical to say though. Lol. I'm a 20 year mason. This has been pointed multiple times for a reason. Pause the video at 0:10 seconds. Look at the small basement window underneath, and particularly the joints and brick above the window. Crossing over that opening is a steel lintel to carry the brick. They rust due to moisture absorbing into the brick and staying on the steel. Rust expands and HAS to go somewhere. As it rusts and expands it lifts the brickwork above it and creates cracks. You can actually see the bow in the sill of the big window above it. It's been lifted in the middle. (On the thumbnail you can see how the brick is bowed up as well) The lintel bears on to the brick on each side of the window typically about 4", but up to 8".. If you look at the joints where the iron is, they are bigger and have been re-pointed. This will keep needing "fixed" until that lintel is replaced above the basement window. Even today they use primered steel lintels, and if you're lucky they'll paint them. They never flashed them years ago, or put weep holes (or vents) in. They do today unless they're being cheap. I always replace lintels with galvanized lintels, that are flashed and have drains (weeps).

[@gordonreynolds7315]

Your so rite there iam a Mason from Boston Massachusetts

[@Giggidygiggidy12]

Awesome insight

[@derekleesmith76]

@@gordonreynolds7315 Oh stop your no mason!

[@gordonreynolds7315]

@@derekleesmith76 ok

[@derekleesmith76]

That's usually all they do on this show! Just maintenance. Thirty years in the construction field! This guy is exactly right about the lintel!

[@edwardsferrazza9646]

I’m impressed of the fact that she tackled this project I was amazed at how she had asked which of the hammer to use. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume that she did that for video purposes only. Good job

[@MisterTwister55]

Imagine if you're a hard working Mason who's watching KZbin videos to learn how to get better and you see TOH show your previous project and cut it to shreds. "Sloppy guy doing a sloppy job...we aren't going to work like that of course"

[@sew_gal7340]

criticism is good for self improvement, i cant imagine ever getting better at anything when people only tell me how great i am. its all about balance, too much confidence leads to ego and narcissism

[@c0mputer]

She went from “Which side of the hammer do I use?” to actually doing a decent job pointing. Well done.

[@paulsalmon4771]

thanks to this video I was able to point my bricks today.thank you

[@mrbillhicks]

Neat job, giving me the confidence to tackle the brickwork on my own place

[@mollyholaway3475]

Great "how to" video! For those of us who have never worked with masonry or bricks, this was the best, and most succinct presentation I've seen. Thanks for the tutorial. I feel a little more informed and reassured that it's just tedious work, but not overly difficult. Thanks!

[@johnroberts9560]

Hi TOH , I think Mark McCullough is a really good masonry guy with all of his knowledge in the building trade , nice job !! 👍😃🔨🔩🔧

[@Frygonz]

I know this stuff is semi-scripted, but "Which side of the hammer should I use?" seriously?

[@rustynail9793]

WHAT... You mean ive been hammering nails in with the wrong side... No wonder I keep missing and I have permanent nerve damage...

[@jamiewatchorn7639]

😂😂

[@splash5974]

Hahahaha

[@dopeysims7630]

😂😂

[@MaggieDwyer]

You guys seem desperate for something to criticize. Did you learn what you needed about repointing bricks? I did.

[@rapfuelpodcast336]

Great video. That was some clean work!

[@ig33ku]

She is one determined worker lol.

[@GaryJohnsonAdultShopit]

Now I know how to it thanks for the clear video

[@IntegraDIY]

She seemed like she knew exactly what do to haha she did it better than I could have ever lol

[@beerpolice17]

Great Video guys!

[@patrickrafferty9156]

Nice job!

[@TheWeirdSyndrome]

Good job Summer.

[@migsvensurfing6310]

Nice ! Thank you.

[@chrishall2594]

This wall was perfect should have done a wall that was actually in need of repair

[@haileyryan2405]

You keep the pointy end 3 inch's from your eye just to make sure your accurate with your blows

[@JimBob-vg2og]

😂😂😂

[@mr.t.3689]

Thank you very much.

[@Citizen-of-theworld]

Watching this after inspecting the shoddy job my builder did repairing my old retaining wall. Makes me realise how terrible my builder is. So hard to find good honest builders in England

[@lloydphillips5846]

Try me mate from Wales

[@SSHitMan]

Where I'm from in the USA all the best tuckpointers are from eastern Europe - Poland, Croatia, etc. At least for the old-style brick like this house.

[@zekenzy6486]

nice work

[@chrisbrown456]

am i the only one who noticed a MAJOR bow in the sill above those bricks?

[@terry4144]

I noticed it too

[@expertnugget]

It's just decorative bricks there they exactly the same as siding just a different material and look

[@escaflowne33055]

hope you don't actually believe that houses stay straight and level forever. all houses move and settle. this was a normal case of settling.

[@biblgrl6563]

Yes, houses do settle, BUT this was layed with a bow in it. If the bow was from settling that much, there would be cracks all over that wall not just under the brick rowlock.

[@DMM2714]

if I was him I would told her to use the opposite end of the hammer. LOL

[@silverlawz3510]

And I would bring you to English class

[@pierrerjeanantoine6065]

You're insame ...

[@OscarM.94]

😂😂

[@brotherdan3638]

@@pierrerjeanantoine6065 in the membrain

[@ParthPatel-ku4jr]

Did she really not know which end of the hammer to use?

[@Engineer9736]

Mookie Man LOL

[@1guitarnumber]

That's part of the show

[@Scott.Farkus]

It's in the script, makes the "pro" look like he knows what he's doing, even though he doesn't have enough sense to wear light colored clothes when it's 110 degrees outside.

[@romka_ind]

Cause Murica...

[@theprinceosama1]

Parth Patel I think she is a labor.

[@rafaymago1]

Hahahahaha that ladie just wanted to be on the show, which side of the hammer? is a bigger job that I anticipated, and in her mind, ( I thought He was gonna do all the work) funny.

[@Onlinesully]

Talented woman

[@ShannonRMcKenzie]

"A sloppy guy doing a sloppy job" 🤣 they obviously haven't watched this guys fireplace brick repair video

[@BrentLagerman]

MARK: So this is a brick hammer, and this is a pointing chisel... So have at it. SUMMER: So what do I do first. LMAO 1:20

[@watchmanexpert]

One company charged me 1,600 for part of my house and after 3 months the veneer crack in some parts like stair i called the company and they told me is normal .....wow 1,600 for this

[@augustreil]

The mortar really didn't look that bad to me, except maybe under the sill. Must be running out of jobs to video.

[@blahblahblahblah2837]

Yeah they should find a truly Old House. There's no end of jobs to do in a 100+ year old house!

[@MMGJ10]

They need to replace rubber lintel in the window below that's rusting and lifting the brick above it.

[@kalijasin]

@@MMGJ10 Exactly.

[@motifman07]

I’ve never had oatmeal that thick. Lol Maybe peanut butter

[@TeeDub96]

At least he gave her a consistency to go off of. The other TOH members are famous for answering that question with "Well you want it not too thick and not too thin"😂😂

[@HandyMike78]

Seems appropriate that the next video is how to avoid melanoma while she has a raging sunburn haha

[@bmich281]

I thought that also.

[@stevenhaskins1655]

Hello, I love watching your shows. Just curious at what instance would you use a mortar bag to put the mortar between the bricks?

[@sethbrandenburg941]

A mortar bag is usually intended for larger jobs where you're trying to save the time the labour of a pointing tool would require while still maintaining quality. They do require a little more practice to control and still end up with your mortar being extruded to the back of the joint so there isn't a gap that water can collect in and bust the face of the brick.

[@jesusnthedaisychain]

It's always a bigger job than what you anticipate. Repeated trips to the store to get another can of paint, another brush, another drill bit, etc.... And then you notice a shopping cart full of acetone, tygon tubing, and the incorrect matches. You tell the cart's dirty and dangerously underweight user that they want the other kinds of matches (the kind with the individual matchbooks), because the red phosphorus they need is in the striker strips, not in the matches themselves. They bolt and you have to confront him and his partner in the parking lot. All because you had a leaking hot water heater that needed to be replaced. The job is always bigger than what you anticipate at first.

[@BlackSwan912]

jesusnthedaisychain lol. poetic

[@MAGAMAN]

" Repeated trips to the store to get another can of paint, another brush, another drill bit, etc..." That's just poor planning. If it's a stock paint color, buy an extra can or two and then return them when the job is done. I have at least 10 of every common size drill bit. Not sure why you would need another brush, if you had adequately planned your job. Plan well, expect the unexpected and if you are not sure how much of something you need, but a few extras and return them when the job is done. It will save you a lot of time and time is money.

[@dandylandpuffplaysminecraf8744]

A friggin mask too. And a hat. Don’t want to be coughing up a lung with carcinoma in middle age.

[@jesusnthedaisychain]

@@MAGAMAN It's not really poor planning, oftentimes. Usually, in the attempt to fix one problem, you uncover another problem, and as you work on that problem, you discover something else, and so on... Sometimes, you can't know what you're going to need to completely finish a task.

[@bgjr2304]

Shes a natural. I would hire 10 of her

[@nitchmoney6037]

If your right handed. Always start pointing from right to left.

[@michaelbarrigan6176]

We put a high shine on a brick decorative wall, and now the brick is turning white maybe the shine is oxidating due to the sun. Live in El Paso, Texas. I've tried to clean the bricks with vinegar, grease spray, soap, etc with no results. what can i do to get rid of the oxidation spots on the decorative bricks?

[@MrAjscott03]

@ 5:24 Climb little buggy! Climb!

[@daddydoc1115]

"Which side of the hammer do i use?" Have....have you ever touched a tool....

[@robertf6344]

Don't diss her now, shes probably a college professor.

[@sharpshooter012345]

"Which end do I use" 😆

[@jonock1]

2:30 Mortar does not stick to mortar? Yes it does if the mortar is sound and clean, otherwise it wouldn't stick to the surrounding pointing and you'd have to do the whole wall

[@rasra9957]

Here is a chissel and a hammer, what do i do like this

[@JenniferFuchek]

I'm finding cracks scattered around my 1974 brick home (Florida)... was wondering how to repoint the mortar myself or if I had to hire it out. Thanks for this video - I'm confident I can tackle it myself. I just need to know how far out on sides of cracks do I go??

[@eddieharding2432]

Do it yourself , it is a lot easier than the video says . Chop the joint out the full width of the joint . 10 mm in UK and 3/8" in the US . Take your time and find the mortar mix that best matches the existing .Mix the mortar fairly dry AND use a jointer the same as the original joint . On the video the expert has used a flat tool but the original was a half round . Best of luck .

[@JenniferFuchek]

@@eddieharding2432 awesome tips/info! Thanks! This is my childhood home so it's more than just the monetary cost/value to me. I want to ensure it stays structurally sound and stable (just trying to figure out WHY the mortar is starting to get so crumbly and cracking in places too 🤔)

[@EarendilTheBlessed]

Wow they actually did a pretty good job. I've hired a "pro" with his card to work on my house. He was using his hands to insert the mortar. Horrible job.. trying to contact the association to remove his licence.

[@itsmeanthony9704]

Is this the same with Stonework?

[@MrIncredibleK7]

Is this guy a UPS driver on the weekends? ;)

[@YourMomsSideDude]

Nope, he's a mason on the weekends. lol

[@jamiewatkinson4123]

He's a shoemaker

[@Leonardbro_NoCaprio_]

He must be because aint nobody doing this without a grinder lol

[@jtmacready]

this is a dumb question I'm sure...but does anybody know why the bricks don't fall down after they remove the bed joints?

[@waynebecker1933]

Jereme Macready because your not removing the whole joint only about an inch of it the mortar is still under the back of the brick

[@MrBobchat]

Why don't they demonstrate on a wall that actually needs repointing? No one would do this wall yet.

[@skutsenkow]

Anyone know what kind of brick texture this is?

[@verdatum]

When I was in the 3rd grade, in recess, I saw some busted mortar on the school wall, so I started hitting away at it with a rock or something. I had no idea that this was making a very loud noise in the classroom on the other side of the wall. The teacher was royally upset at me and came out and grabbed me. I had to go to her class during recess for weeks, partly because sometimes I would forget to go one day and that would earn me more punishment. I was just a dippy little ADD kid. I had no notion that I was doing anything wrong.

[@aaronrood4508]

verdatum great story thanks for sharing

[@tyvanbor3140]

And now that you’ve watched this video, you can go back to the school and fix what you did.

[@paultyler7355]

@@tyvanbor3140 bwaaa hee haa

[@TampaMaximumMike]

It was easy because he told you how to do it every five seconds.

[@highlydoubtthat4578]

This mason is total pro. Love watching the guy work. Good teacher too! Oddly enough, hate this show.

[@kalijasin]

Didn’t know which side of hammer to use 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@MachoRaton]

She don’t need you any more she’s got a new business good teacher

[@maggs131]

No lady you hit it with the rubber handle

[@josephwall9161]

Yeah she’s tapping that hammer and moving with the angles and never missed the chisel. This ain’t her first rodeo..

[@christiansotterley3805]

"which side of the hammer do I use?" Lol

[@kingraiderr]

Christian Satterlee yeah petty dumb if u ask me lol

[@adamphillips7072]

for a woman it's to be expected

[@chmoduk]

the right side

[@sew_gal7340]

I am a woman, you put me in the kitchen i can make the best food anyone has ever created. put me in the yard i have no idea how a hammer works...so yeah it isn;t that obvious for women. so be quiet!

[@MMGJ10]

Also, the mortar color originally was probably gray, but as mortar weathers it washes away the cement and reveals the sand. A 57k restoration mortar would probably be perfect. Also, mortar DOES stick to mortar. Provided it's solid, dust free, and dampened before hand. Cementitious materials bond to cementitious materials. ..but yeah.. just smearing a little bit of mortar on a joint will just fall off soon.

[@thecivillain]

I'm guessing I can just use a regular hammer if I don't happen to have a brick hammer? I'm not planning on splitting bricks or anything, just need to repoint a small section and don't want to buy tools I'll never use again.

[@derekleesmith76]

Yes a regular hammer 🔨 is fine

[@traviswatson4986]

He should have told her to use the point end of the hammer

[@brooks886]

Someone get these poor people out of the sun.

[@expertnugget]

Eric Brooks the sun won't kill them it's actually good for you just not for long periods of time

[@adventureswithdogshikingwi3664]

That's what I was thinking lol

[@jc5604]

@@expertnugget they are red. So.. ya know.. long period of time. lol. People are dumb.

[@joshsteele5701]

This guy is so professional and good it's contagious

[@drumtwo4seven]

Do it yourself and own the tools, gain the skill.

[@FourDollaRacing]

She done good! The color of the mortar should be named dookie.....

[@harriscordin1396]

Hey! I'm a sloppy guy doing a sloppy job 😥

[@andymoens4818]

Serious question, is this how they all do it in the USA?

[@iamnickmartin]

Sunblock and respirator.

[@Leonardbro_NoCaprio_]

This person will be there all day and get nothin done lol

[@MAGAMAN]

When they ask you which side of the hammer they hit the chisel with, just take the hammer away.

[@dividendz]

They are both Sunburned? Must have been a long shoot in the sun.

[@DyLemmaOG]

it seems fine lol

[@Gabe-zz5gw]

We got a tomato on the show today. Jk lol. I feel bad that she had the misfortune of getting a sunburn before a show thing..

[@cobone04]

The guy who did the original brick work must have been drunk..LOL...The lines look like a banana..LOL..

[@rudytorres399]

Silica

[@simenskaar5843]

when you call someone to have something fixed, isnt the guy you called supposed to do the work rather than guiding the person who called?

[@anthonysaponaro6318]

Thats one hell of a salesman! Customer: why does it cost me so much money? Salesman: grab that hammer and chisel and come pop out a few joints!

[@Coliva0001]

I hate to be "that guy" but shouldn't they be wearing masks?

[@Leonau7]

Shoutout to people watching in 2020

[@maddnuz]

That was not oatmeal consistency!

[@LogenNineFingers43]

i said out loud to myself alone "that's not fuckin oatmeal, that's sand castle

[@expertnugget]

Some people actually like that consistency for oatmeal

[@bob-ny6kn]

Wasabi

[@Jg.Wentworth.877cashnow]

Not everyone eats the same consistency of oatmeal.

[@xcxrgames9918]

I’m surprised she didn’t say how do i use a brush

[@veeamd]

Can you tell me what's mortar clean out tool at 3:20? Thanks.

[@derekleesmith76]

It cleans out mortar! Your welcome!

[@Jungla694]

3:43 wetten?

[@Jungla694]

Wetten definition Filters Meanings (nonstandard) To make wet; to wet.

[@Kauppamopo]

did somebody hose that guy down with water? XDD

[@drfc94]

Should do the perpendicular joints first

[@RewStein4039]

pie crust might make more sense to her

[@shermz8888]

Water Da Mortar....

[@I.AM.Issachar.]

i'll give you some lessons on how to use a tool the right way

[@MachoRaton]

Which end of the hammer do I use ? OMG 😊

[@oliviagreen8853]

Brushing all that dust out with no mask?!

[@dannyamaro6826]

The motor did not look bad, but I guess she's really picky 🤔

[@1806StoneHouse]

Oh my!! I’m going to get sooo good at this...We’re restoring a 1806 stone house and putting the videos on KZbin.. we’re up to 40 episodes..

[@nikob7]

Giving y'all a follow

[@1806StoneHouse]

nikob7 hey! Thanks.. we post a video every week and we love comments and information.. this is our first project and we’re learning everything.. thanks again!

[@nikob7]

Yeah no prob

[@tarickman]

I'll give you a follow as well!

[@michaelorr2827]

I'm no hater km a union bricklayer and anytime you repoint you want the mud super dry no mess and you can really pack it in

[@jeztickles4361]

Invest in a grinder

[@Mr.Saephan503]

I would of trolled her so bad by saying Yeah that the right side to use the more pointed side works best.

[@peterpantoffel2844]

Maybe you would have. Hmm.....

[@Eric_thedisciple]

What kinda oatmeal he eats ?

[@sharpshooter012345]

They both look like couple of lobsters

[@83devildog]

get that dude a bottle of water

[@RockRocky09]

2:36 is it hot out there? His arm pits are running more than a Kenyan in the Olympics

[@michaeluribe-gamboa7032]

You mean cookie dough consistency 😂

[@GD15555]

That tv cable looks even worse

[@abybaby777]

Hammer side???? Really ????

[@abuehn]

Good video, except mortar absolutely sticks to mortar. Otherwise when laying stone veneer, you couldnt stick the stone with mortar on the back to a scratch coat made from the same mortar. Just needs to be clean and dust free. They bond together just fine.

[@derekleesmith76]

Stone and brick are 2 different materials so I know you don't work in the trades like I have for over 30 years mortar will not stick to mortar over time it will break down a year or so, so if every year you want to re-point be my guess! Mortar sticks best to damp brick the best 🧱!

[@abuehn]

They still bond together just fine. Doesn’t matter if it’s stone or brick. If mortar didn’t stick to mortar, then every stone/thin brick installation guide wouldn’t say to prepare a scratch coat of mortar, and then stick to it with mortar. That’s a mortar on mortar bond. Look at masonry veneer association install guides etc. Otherwise every single house with a veneer would just be falling off the house. Not discounting your experience, but I was the mortar rep for over a decade, working with cmu, stone, and brick.