Repointing advice - style colour etc

[danlightbulb]

The tool should have lots of overhang over the brick. Mine has two ends, I always use the broader one for faces and the smaller just for internal corners. The broader one is probably double the size of a mortar joint and doesn't have that daft V shape yours does.

I think what it is is that the tool looks like a v shape because it's only the 1/2 size. The bit that's curved, is a quarter circle, but it's sitting within a larger piece of metal which makes it look like a tighter radius. If the joint was narrower, the tool would be sitting on much more of the brick and wouldn't go as deep.

For the width of my joints, I must need a much larger tool so it sits much more on the brick and therefore less into the joint. I didn't see any advice before I started this on which size tool you need to use unfortunately.

But anyway I've looked at some other houses around the place and many of them are just done completely flush. Do you think I'd be better off with that finish please?

And I'm back to thinking to use maybe some lime or sharp sand as well to give it a look more like what would have been there originally. Or texture it with a brush.

In your opinion if it was your house what finish would you use and what mix?

 

[danlightbulb]

Here's some photos of my other walls that I haven't touched yet.

The front of the house is a textured brick, not smooth like the side and back. You can see from one close up that the a thin layer has just been put over the original mortar here.

The original mortar is very fragile, can scrape it away with a finger and it just turns to sand.

 

[danlightbulb]

And here is a photo of my neighbour's wall for reference. Same type of brick obviously, but alot neater looking and I like the colour match.

If I could achieve this look I think that would be nice?

 

[danlightbulb]

Here is a photo of the neighbour the other side. Again it's more buff coloured and just looks an overall integrated look with the brick which I like. Again I don't think it's bucket handle finish.

 

[stuart45]

Brick

Brick trowels of a professional standard can be purchased from Speedcrete, United Kingdom who supply a range of masonry tools. W.Rose, Kokoro and Marshalltown are all available.

www.speedcrete.co.uk

I get most of my tools from hear. I know they are a bit pricey for DIY, but if you have a lot of pointing to do they produce a better finish. Rose are better than Marshaltown.

 

[23vc]

At the risk of repeating myself, all the pictures apart from the bit you did are weather struck pointing. You did bucket handled. That’s your fundamental issue. See my earlier post. Use a pointing trowel, practice weatherstruck.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Here is a photo of the neighbour the other side. Again it's more buff coloured and just looks an overall integrated look with the brick which I like. Again I don't think it's bucket handle finish.

Weatherstruck, again. Definitely not DIYable, you need to hand-pick someone good enough to do this - not even every bricklayer can do it nicely.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Cowboy job. They could have done that with a paintbrush, it's a smear over the existing, probably done to sell the place.

The others look messy too, with vast amounts of slop on the brick faces on some.

Either get the right tools and plasticiser and build a garden wall first for practice, or pay someone who knows what they're doing.

Your efforts and the previous attempts on your house all look naff. Sorry if this is harsh, but it's honest. You sound like you'll keep arguing until everyone agrees that your work looks good but it doesn't.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I'm a DIYer. I've built a huge garden wall and various other unimportant bits, usually stuff that's going to be plastered over. I did re-point the side of my last house, bucket handle, and it looked good.

I now consider myself good enough to build a brick shed. If I and my other half think it's to an adequate standard I'll then let myself loose on the garage conversion on the front of the house. If the shed's only 90% good enough then I'll get someone else in. Nobody is brilliant at everything on their first attempt, some skills need the right tools and knowledge, but most of all experience. Which you won't get from reading stuff on the internet.

 

[danlightbulb]

Weatherstruck, again. Definitely not DIYable, you need to hand-pick someone good enough to do this - not even every bricklayer can do it nicely.

At the risk of repeating myself, all the pictures apart from the bit you did are weather struck pointing. You did bucket handled. That’s your fundamental issue. See my earlier post. Use a pointing trowel, practice weatherstruck.

Replying to both of you.

Forgive me but weather struck pointing has quite a distinctive angle to it where the top of the joint is recessed into the brick and the bottom of the joint protrudes from the surface of the brick leaving a distinctive raised line. This looks nothing like that. This is almost completely flush with the surface of the brick.

Cowboy job. They could have done that with a paintbrush, it's a smear over the existing, probably done to sell the place.

The others look messy too, with vast amounts of slop on the brick faces on some.

Either get the right tools and plasticiser and build a garden wall first for practice, or pay someone who knows what they're doing.

Your efforts and the previous attempts on your house all look naff. Sorry if this is harsh, but it's honest. You sound like you'll keep arguing until everyone agrees that your work looks good but it doesn't.

I completely agree it looks poor, hence why I'm asking. I had a tradesperson do a section before I did my own bits, it looks the same as mine. So paying someone to do it is a big risk as there's no guarantee it's any better. Much better taking the time to do it myself and learn about it. This is a DIY forum isn't it?

You also don't seem to be listening when I say how unlevel all the walls are and how wide alot of the joints are. The section that looks the worst is where the biggest most uneven joints are.

I've asked about the colour issue and nobody has bothered commenting on that.

It used to be to the case that people help each other on forums now it's like pulling teeth to get any solid advice.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

It's a very bad attempt at weatherstuck. You can't learn weatherstruck pointing from a forum. You need an apprenticeship and a teacher.

You could have a go, but it will look terrible.

I did my side wall, bucket-handle. After building a garden wall. It looked great. But I didn't think I was good enough for the front wall, and I wanted weatherstruck, so I got someone in after carefully researching them and ensuring they were up to the job.

If I'd got the cheapest cowboy off facebook and then they made a crap job of it then I wouldn't claim this as evidence that getting someone in is a bad idea.

Your work is terrible, and the cowboy you hired was terrible too. By your argument that rules out the entire human race.

What advice were you looking for? Your work looks great, carry on (((hugs))) all round??!?

You could get better if you even listened to advice. I've told you your tool's no good, you've told me I'm wrong. I give up.

 

[stuart45]

Weather struck is slightly different to weather struck and cut. With weather struck and cut the bottom of the bed joints overhang the brick below slightly.
It's done with pointing trowels, straight edges and a bent knife called a Frenchman.
By using a dark mortar with a black dye it's possible to make the joints appear more even as your eye catches the bottom edge of the joint, which has been cut off in a straight line with the Frenchman.

 

[23vc]

Replying to both of you.

Forgive me but weather struck pointing has quite a distinctive angle to it where the top of the joint is recessed into the brick and the bottom of the joint protrudes from the surface of the brick leaving a distinctive raised line. This looks nothing like that. This is almost completely flush with the surface of the brick.



I completely agree it looks poor, hence why I'm asking. I had a tradesperson do a section before I did my own bits, it looks the same as mine. So paying someone to do it is a big risk as there's no guarantee it's any better. Much better taking the time to do it myself and learn about it. This is a DIY forum isn't it?

You also don't seem to be listening when I say how unlevel all the walls are and how wide alot of the joints are. The section that looks the worst is where the biggest most uneven joints are.

I've asked about the colour issue and nobody has bothered commenting on that.

It used to be to the case that people help each other on forums now it's like pulling teeth to get any solid advice.

I’ll ignore the moaning about how rubbish we are/the forum is…

As said, “cut and struck” is the very sharp, protruding, pointing which Stuart is the expert on but as said above, basic weatherstruck is the existing which you’re trying to reproduce. It’s actually very close to a completely flush finish but is slightly angled. Which in my experience is just done by letting the joints firm up a bit then ironing it a bit with the pointing trowel.

Colour - only thing you can really do is try different building sands. Dont bother trying to use dyes.

 

[23vc]

This is some that I did ages ago that I’d call weatherstruck. Not to be confused with what Stuart is referring to this is just gone over with the trowel and the snots brushed off. (And I’m not claiming it’s any good lol)

 

[stuart45]

Looks good to me. A struck joint is done the opposite way. Very old fashioned method, easier method when working overhand.
Double struck is done from both edges, sometimes called birds beak.