Repointing old brick wall

[markwm]

We have an old brick wall outside the house. Bricks are probably 150 years plus old, currently pointed with lime. Some of the bricks are very soft.

My dad wants to do the repointing and plans to do it with cement. I think this is wrong as it will damage the bricks , every single bit of advice I've read or been given suggests lime is better for a variety of reasons.

My dad is not likely to listen to me, so can you please post your opinions in this thread so I can print it out and show him?

 

[r896neo]

If the bricks are that soft and he wants to do it with cement then it would need to be 6 or 7 to one, in which case it would be so weak you be redoing it every year anyway.