Tuckpointing is necessary when your home experiences cracked, deboned and disintegrated mortar joints. These cracked and deteriorated mortar joints are the number one reason for water penetration into your home. The intrusion of water may appear on your ceiling or walls and in some cases biological growth such as moss, mold or mildew will form requiring proper remediation.
Tuckpointing is necessary when your home experiences cracked, deboned and disintegrated mortar joints. These cracked and deteriorated mortar joints are the number one reason for water penetration into your home. The intrusion of water may appear on your ceiling or walls and in some cases biological growth such as moss, mold or mildew will form requiring proper remediation.
How long mortar joints will last depends on the amount of exposure it has to Chicago’s extreme weather conditions and the mortar materials used.
Spalling or flaking brick is a condition caused by too much moisture. In the winter, this moisture freezes creating expansion thus forcing the bricks to split and break apart.
Damaged bricks should be removed and replaced and the immediate area properly tuckpointed to stop further erosion to the masonry structure.
Tuckpointing is necessary when your home experiences cracked, deboned and disintegrated mortar joints. These cracked and deteriorated mortar joints are the number one reason for water penetration into your home. The intrusion of water may appear on your ceiling or walls and in some cases biological growth such as moss, mold or mildew will form requiring proper remediation.
Brick and masonry walls are porous which permits the structure to breathe; therefore water vapor that is absorbed by the brick structure should also exit into the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, over time the capillaries in the brick and mortar may become partially blocked not permitting water vapor to escape. If the trapped moisture collects and freezes after it works its way to the surface of the brick and mortar, you can suffer spalling of brick, flaking, and surface deterioration and need Chicago brick repair as a result.
A corrective measure of treating masonry is to apply penetrating water repellant that blocks unwanted moisture, dirt and pollutants. Many film forming sealants on the market today take claim to being the appropriate repellant for your brick and masonry, but adversely these repellants close the pores trapping moisture inside creating a cesspool of destruction. We use a high performance (siloxane) chemical that repels unwanted water vapor and permits the brick and masonry to continue to breath as designed.
Hans Nombach employs highly trained and licensed tuckpointers and bricklayers with the necessary skills to get your job done right the first time.
A comprehensive analysis by our Chicago Tuckpointing technicians of your project will be conducted to ensure that proper materials are considered including the type of sand mix and color to ensure the best possible match.
We have both class B and C masonry & concrete licenses (license #MC6627-4) issued from the City of Chicago, Department of Buildings. These licenses permit us to legally perform concrete and brick work and obtain permits as needed.
Due to a lack of enforcement, approximately 9 out of 10 contractors performing extensive masonry repairs in Chicago lack a class C license and are not adequately insured.
As an educated consumer, do your due diligence before hiring a contractor because, unfortunately, not all contractors share our commitment to the profession. Don’t assume or take a contractor’s word for it, demand to see the physical license and make sure it has not expired. If the contractor can’t produce a current license, continue your search for a licensed masonry contractor in Chicago.
