Urgent brickwork repair advice

[opps]

Thanks. One of my main concerns is that the mortar is so fragile. I could just keep scraping and it comes out like sand.

So I could repoint like an inch all the way, but if the middle is like sand, what does this mean?

Do o just keep scraping it out and filling ever deeper voids or what?

A mate of mine is a pointer. I often work on the same site with him. He normally rakes out about an inch, dusts off and puts in a bedding joint and later points over that.

 

[danlightbulb]

Im not having much luck getting quotes.

I have one quote which was to replace low level bricks that are damaged (at/near to ground level), and brick up small window, areas of repointing around the vicinity. That was £1k including materials (estimated 2-3 days work).

Another guy has let me down twice now to give me an estimate.

I also have tried to take off the paint, with limited success. I had a quote off a local company to clean off with a DOFF steam machine - £750 + VAT. Seems high. But Im not having much success getting it off myself. What would you do here please?

 

[Mr Chibs]

Well if it was me, I'd try a sample brick with either a wire brush type thing on my drill/angle grinder or paint stripper, no way would I pay what you've been quoted.

Think you can get it blasted but not something I have knowledge on.

Good luck

 

[opps]

Im not having much luck getting quotes.

I have one quote which was to replace low level bricks that are damaged (at/near to ground level), and brick up small window, areas of repointing around the vicinity. That was £1k including materials (estimated 2-3 days work).

Another guy has let me down twice now to give me an estimate.

I also have tried to take off the paint, with limited success. I had a quote off a local company to clean off with a DOFF steam machine - £750 + VAT. Seems high. But Im not having much success getting it off myself. What would you do here please?

How are you currently removing the paint?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I also have tried to take off the paint, with limited success. I had a quote off a local company to clean off with a DOFF steam machine - £750 + VAT. Seems high. But Im not having much success getting it off myself. What would you do here please?

When my windows were replaced with DG, it left a ring of paintwork, where the original wooden frames had been over painted. What I used to remove it, was a wire brush in an electric drill. An angle grinder, fitted with a wire brush, would have been even more effective, but it worked.

 

[danlightbulb]

Yeah I'm using a wire brush in drill now, in combination with more paint stripper chemical and a brick cleaner. It's working but the bricks will never be normal colour again I don't think.

Maybe once Ive got the brick repairs and repointing work done I'll consider having the whole wall rendered.

 

[Burnerman]

Is there a company near you that offers mobile wet blasting?
The blasting medium is often glass and the results are amazing. You'll be sick of your life after that lot!
John

 

[danlightbulb]

Is there a company near you that offers mobile wet blasting?
The blasting medium is often glass and the results are amazing. You'll be sick of your life after that lot!
John

Been looking and haven't found anyone yet.

Looked at a buying a sandblasting unit myself but they seem to need a hefty compressor to power them, so the pots themselves are quite reasonably priced but the compressor would be expensive. Also it seems the media is quite expensive at £25 per 25kg bag, and Im not sure how quickly it gets used up.