Pointing is a common term in building construction and maintenance. It is the technique of filling joints of brickworks or masonry with mortar. Mortar is made using lime and/or cement and sand mixed with water.

Bricks and stone blocks are normally placed in a mortar bed. The process of placing these blocks (or bricks) in the mortar bed causes the mortar to be extruded between the blocks. The excess mortar is sometimes cleared down to about a few centimeters before applying the pointing or repointing mortar in filling out the spaces.

Now, the quality and quantity of materials needed to make mortar mix for pointing brickworks is very important. Generally, materials needed for mortar mix are cement, lime, sand, plasticizer and water.

Basically, a good mix for a cement-based mortar mix for pointing brickwork would be 1 part cement added to 1 part lime and 3 to 6 parts soft sand. For older and softer brickworks, lime mortar made by mixing about 1 part of hydrated lime, water and 2 parts sharp sand will be more suitable. However, the composition and aggregate of the pointing mortar may vary according to the purpose or application of the construction.

For example, some builders prefer to use different amounts of lime, cement, soft sand and sharp sand for different mortar mix for pointing brickworks. Pointing mortar for house walls, bricks and building blocks may require cement mortar with about 1 part cement and 5 part soft sand.

Lime based pointing mortar could be applied to brickwork in chimneys, paving, slabs and retaining blocks with up to 2 part lime, 1 part cement and 2 part sharp sand. The volume of water used is also very important, which usually depends on the weather and humidity of the area as well as wetness or dryness of the sand.

Depending on the amount of work to be done, the mix can be done on a mortar board, in a bucket or in a wheelbarrow. When dealing with large aggregates, it is always better to have a small amount of mortar mixture at a time than having a large amount.

The mortar mix may get dried out and thus wasted if it’s left to stand for too long without being used.  It is, however, possible that the mortar does begin to get dry before or during application, adding a little more water won’t be a bad idea.

Chemical plasticizers or masonry cement can be added to improve the workability of the mixture. Since sand influences the color of the mortar, the color of the sand to be used should be considered prior to mixing.

For repointing mortar, that is, reapplying pointing to cracks and breaks in mortar joints of walls due to factors, such as rain and other agents of denudation, the defective mortar is removed manually by hand or with specialized mechanical tools.

The voids left are then replaced by filling with pointing mortar of similar properties with the original mortar. The original mortar should be made first with the purpose of making recommendations for the repointing mortar so that it fits physically with the walls or building.