Cracks & Stitching

[handyman11]

Hi, is crack stitching / bedding pieces of metal into mortar joints a specialist job? I ask because there is a wall with some cracks down it that needs pointing. Cracks have been been there years - internal, exposed bricks in a cupboard, the crack runs down in between and around bricks - its not got any worse. But when I look online about this type of work I only seem to see specialist companies, who will want to do a paid for survey etc first, but do general builders also do this type of work. i.e. would this be something that could be done by someone who does repointing? I dont know how complex it is. ANy help appreciated.

 

[Notch7]

It’s pretty straight forward, most builders with bricklaying / pointing skills could do it.

In fact it’s sometimes specified to be done above new steels fitted, so something a builder would do.

Basically you need 6mm or 8mm stainless helical bars and special grouting

The work involves grinding out the joints, blowing out the dust, putting some grouting, pushing in the bars, more grout then finally repoint the last bit with matching pointing

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[handyman11]

It’s pretty straight forward, most builders with bricklaying / pointing skills could do it.

In fact it’s sometimes specified to be done above new steels fitted, so something a builder would do.

Basically you need 6mm or 8mm stainless helical bars and special grouting

The work involves grinding out the joints, blowing out the dust, putting some grouting, pushing in the bars, more grout then finally repoint the last bit with matching pointing

Hey thank you the info, thats really helpful. As I say the cracks are not really wide and have been there good few years, so I just want to repoint but thought that this sort of approach would hold it together better. Its helpful to know I might be able to find a builder / bricklayer who can do it. Its only a small area. Couple of questions please:

- so the 'grout' is different to mortar? And you would use both?
- lets say there was a crack running down a wall - about 8 rows of bricks, more or less going down vertical winding around the bricks, so it does not stretch far horizonatlly across the wall - maybe a brick an halfs worth - so lets say area is 45cm by 62cm....... where would the bars go - presumably all horizintal, but would it be every row or every other? and would they be cut down in length so they were just about 40 odd cms long?