Over the years we've been asked many times .."How Do you Repair A Damaged Brick Wall?' so here it is our in a nutshell Brick Wall Repair-101.

 So here is the first issue, you've seen those urethane caulking tubes sold online and in the hardware store. They advertise the ease of use, and how well they blend into the crack.  Well let's just say.. bologna. As a master mason with over 40 years in the industry, and they last 30 years specializing in cracked or damaged brick wall repair. I've removed so much caulking from brick because it looks terrible and don't match or even stay sealed. Therefore, my suggestion is to completely avoid that stuff. Secondly, your going to want to make sure the crack repairs are going to last. For best results and to make sure the brick repair don't just pop loose, never point new mortar to the damaged brick and mortar before first removing all the loose material from the mortar cracks. I like to grind out all cracks mortar a minimum of 5/8" deep. 

(See Picture Labeled Mortar Joint Repair)

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Now that you've removed all the loose debris its time to blend the mortar to match the existing. This is done the same every time, so the same shade and tint of mortar you start with is what you end with too. I have seen some interesting mortar colors over the years. You don't want to mistake one color or blend it incorrectly. 

Here is how I blend custom mortar colors and shades to match existing mortars.

1. By observing the existing mortar, I determine first the shade.   i.e., Gray mortar or white mortar, or a shade created by blending the two together.  Our system uses both gray and white mortar colors. The exact science is our secret. 

2. My favorite part of brick repair is tuckpointing. I use a grout bag to repoint the mortar joints and cracks. Some masons claim that isn't the correct method... I think they are idiots.  In one pass I fill the entire mortar joint using the bag method. Whereas, tucking takes about 3-5 passes.  See Image (Tuckpointing Repair)

3. Now that the joints are all filled, you need to joint them. Using a stick or S-jointer rake the joints and concave them to match the existing. I like to roll the jointer as I drag it across the mortar joint. I think it makes better looking joints.

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