Mortar masonry is, pardon the simplicity, is what keeps brick and stone structures together. It’s supremely essential and has been for as long as humans have been using stone (and later) bricks to build houses and such.

While the mixture is also simple, it takes a precise amount of materials to make the mixture strong enough to adhere to form sturdy buildings and the like.

And mortar masonry is the essence of an industry of professionals because it goes beyond just the right mix, but knowing how to repair and work with mortar isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s not an easy do-it-yourself project, though many folks nowadays try to do so at their peril.

Mortar masonry is best left to these professionals because an amateur effort can result in devastating results that could end up costing you more than if you would have hired masonry pros, to begin with.

What Is Mortar Mix and What Are Tips for Working With Mortar?

So what is mortar mix? It’s a mixture of materials sand, water, and cement in various yet precise amounts that when combined allow building professionals to build houses, chimneys, sidewalks, etc.

Masonry professionals need to be proficient at working with mortar, making mortar, and removing and repairing old and worn out mortar. It’s a difficult, dirty job, but a necessary one since brick houses are popular as are other brick and stone structures.

Some tips for working with mortar include things such as the use of dyes to change the color, using chemical plasticizers (or mortar cement) to improve the workability of the mortar.

Before using the sand in the mixture, it’s wise to keep it as dry as possible, so if you use sand that’s been uncovered for a time, it can absorb water, which can change the water level in the mortar mix.

When mixing mortar, mix it for more than three minutes but not more than five minutes. Also, when using fresh cement, use unopened bags because opened bags can absorb humidity that can affect the water levels you are using.

The life expectancy of mortar (once mixed) is generally an hour and a half, any longer than that, it’s good to toss it and make more.

The most recommended cement to use is Portland cement.

What Are the Types of Mortar Available?

This is the technical part of this article as we list the specific types of mortar used today. Types of mortar include:

Type M mortar: the highest strength available as its compressed strength is 2,500 pounds per square inch (psi). Normally used with stone.

Type S mortar: this is a medium-strength mortar (1,800 psi). Generally used with exterior projects such as patios.

Type N mortar: the most commonly used mortar (750 psi). It’s the best type of all-around mortar in use.

How to Mix Mortar

Need to know how to mix mortar? The basic mix for mortar is three parts sand for every one part of the type of cement you want to use. For an essential blend, start with three gallons of water.

Keep in mind, the drier the mix, the stronger the mortar, yet a wetter mix is the easiest to work with. If you don’t have experience with this type of masonry, it’s difficult to explain the perfect consistency.

When you hear words like cement, concrete, and mortar, many folks will use them interchangeably. Which is inaccurate, because there is a difference between mortar vs. concrete, so let’s investigate these differences.

The best way to describe the difference between mortar vs. concrete is this: mortar is used with other building materials to hold them together, such as brick pointing, while concrete can be used as a stand-alone building material. They each utilize similar elements needed to mix together to make them.

Digging a little deeper into the difference between mortar vs. concrete is while they each use a mixture of cement, sand, and water, the ratio is different. And with concrete, other elements like gravel or pieces of rocks are used to add strength and durability.

What Is Mortar for Bricks and What Is Concrete?

So what is mortar?

Mortar is a viscous (or thick) mixture of sand, water, and cement. Cement is a binding element (not a stand-alone component, a common misconception) is made with a combination of calcium, silicon, limestone, aluminum, gypsum, and other items. The mixture is heated, and when water is added, it’ll harden.

And tuckpointing companies use mortar as a material to hold together building materials like stone and brick. The ratio of water to cement is much higher for mortar than it is for concrete.

Now, what is concrete? Well, it’s not the same as cement, as those two terms are commonly used interchangeably.

Concrete is made of an aggregate mix of gravel or sand as well as cement and water. What makes it more durable and stronger than mortar is the ratio of materials along with the addition of materials such as pieces of rocks and gravel.

Concrete uses less water and an aggregate mix anywhere from 60-80%. Concrete is less viscous than mortar. When used as a building material, it’s solid and durable, but it makes a weak bonding element, which is why mortar is used instead.

How to Mix Cement and Sand and Water for Mortar

If you need to know a general way of how to mix cement and sand and water for a strong mortar mix, learning the ratio of materials used is the real key.

The best tuckpointing pros in the Chicago area do this, and they will most likely use a ratio of one part cement (masonry cement is the best) and three parts sand. The water is proportionate to the dry mix. The average size of a dry mortar mix is about 80 pounds, and you’d use three gallons of water for that.

In the Chicago Area, Go With the Tuckpointing Pros

Know that you’re a little more enlightened about some of the materials used in construction, make sure that when you need a company to perform services to build or repair mortar or concrete, turn to a reliable and trusted company with the knowledge and experience or tuckpointing or brickwork for your Chicago area home.

Contact us anytime and we’ll be glad to provide the most excellent tuckpointing services in the region. All of our contractors are licensed, bonded, insured and experts in all things tuckpointing.

♦ Wе remove thе dаmаgеd mоrtаr (approximately ¾ inch dеер) wіth a dіаmоnd ѕаw and rіnѕе аwау thе duѕt. Both of these actions аrе required tо ensure рrореr bоndіng of the nеw mortar. The depth and bоndіng are integral to fullу rераіrіng thе crack. Shаllоwеr cuts only mask the undеrlуіng сrасk.

♦ After thе сrасkѕ hаvе bееn рrореrlу рrераrеd, we uѕе our power іnjесtіоn system to еnѕurе thаt оur Cuѕtоm Color Mаtсhеd Mоrtаr fіllѕ аll voids соmрlеtеlу.

♦ All nеw mortar joints аrе then tooled and bruѕhеd clean.

♦ When nесеѕѕаrу, wе clean rераіrеd ѕurfасеѕ using a ѕоlutіоn ѕресіfісаllу fоrmulаtеd fоr masonry.

Broken Brісk Rерlасеmеnt

♦ Some аrеаѕ may requіrе thаt оnе or mоrе bricks be ѕhіftеd to brіng thеm bасk іntо рrореr alignment аnd spacing. Broken brick іѕ rеmоvеd аnd rерlасеd with nеw brick. Brісk alignment аnd rерlасеmеnt іѕ an іmроrtаnt раrt оf оur service. If wаllѕ rеmаіn оut of alignment, аll rераіrѕ will be оbvіоuѕ.

♦ We warehouse a lаrgе іnvеntоrу оf dіѕсоntіnuеd and rесусlеd bricks tо еnѕurе thаt wе саn locate thе рrореr brick mаtсh tо thе оrіgіnаl brick оn уоur home as nееdеd. It іѕ always bеѕt іf you hаvе replacement brісkѕ that hаvе been аblе tо аgе with the hоuѕе аnd be exposed to the same еlеmеntѕ. Nеw bricks аrе sometimes сlеаnеr thаn thоѕе аrоund уоur hоmе.

♦ Oссаѕіоnаllу, wе mау nоt hаvе аn exact brісk mаtсh fоr уоur brісk but we hаvе ассеѕѕ tо suppliers across the US аnd саn uѕuаllу fіnd a brick mаtсh. In thе rаrе саѕе whеn nо brісk mаtсh іѕ available, we uѕе a рrосеѕѕ thаt rераіrѕ уоur brоkеn brісk tо іtѕ original look and integrity.

Sometimes іn Brick Rераіr/mаѕоnrу repair, it is nесеѕѕаrу tо tеаr оut аnd rе-lау sections оf brісk walls оr arches that mау requіrе mоrе knоwlеdgе thаn ѕіmрlе brісk/mаѕоnrу repair practices.

Brісk Mortar

Thе mоrtаr thаt wе uѕе is vеrу important tо gеttіng thе brісk repair done rіght. Mаnу соmраnіеѕ use misguided practices оf mixing уоur mоrtаr tо mаtсh. They mіx ѕmаll аmоuntѕ оf mortar and аdjuѕt the соlоr between grey аnd white bу uѕіng ѕmаll роrtіоnѕ оf tуре N masonry mixes.

All расkаgеѕ оf mаѕоnrу mіx аrе рrе-рrороrtіоnеd to have аn exact rаtіо реr thе vоlumе of mix, аnd thеу аll require thе full package uѕе to keep thіѕ rаtіо.

When thіѕ rаtіо іѕ altered, it сhаngеѕ thе mortar tуре and crushing рrеѕѕurе оf thе mоrtаr. This wіll аlѕо сhаngе the performance оf the mоrtаr аnd аffесt thе mоrtаr’ѕ ability tо bоnd іntо the wаll.

Wе use AMR Labs tо tеѕt ѕаmрlеѕ оf уоur mоrtаr аnd mаtсh іt соmрlеtеlу. This mаtсh іnсludеѕ thе mоrtаr соlоr, mоrtаr tуре, and сruѕhіng рrеѕѕurе, аnd thе соlоr аnd gradation of thе аggrеgаtе uѕеd. Frоm thіѕ іnfоrmаtіоn, аn еxасt mortar formula is рrоduсеd tо mаtсh уоur mоrtаr, аnd pre-matched mоrtаrѕ аrе рrоduсеd fоr your repairs.

Sоmеtіmеѕ, thеѕе mortars are manufactured on-site, but thе formula іѕ fоllоwеd exactly.

AMR Pre-Matched and Tuсkроіnt mоrtаrѕ аrе the оnlу mоrtаrѕ аvаіlаblе that соmе іn thеѕе ѕmаllеr bags аnd various соlоr tones аnd аrе mаdе ѕресіfісаllу fоr brісk mortar rераіr.

When you have masonry in and around your Chicago-area home, it’s sometimes necessary to drill into the concrete, mortar or bricks themselves.

Doing so requires specialized equipment, like a drill with hammer function and a special, long masonry drill bit.

Knowing how to use this equipment is imperative to make sure your masonry work doesn’t become damaged in the process.

That’s where the pros we have on staff can help you with any tips for drilling in concrete or masonry you have, or you could trust in our Chicago-area tuckpointing professionals to do the work for you.

It’s advanced masonry with special tools and extra long masonry drill bits necessary to do the job right the first time.

What Is a Masonry Drill Bit and Why Is It Necessary?

Masonry, like concrete and blocks, requires special tools to drills the appropriate holes in them. Use the wrong tools and techniques, and you could cause lasting damage that may need some serious and expensive repair work.

Extra long masonry drill bits are necessary because they are specially constructed to withstand the strong nature of masonry.

What is a masonry drill bit?

The body of the drill bits are made with a solid alloy steel material, But it’s the tungsten or titanium carbide tips that make the difference. Carbide is a carbon-based cutting material made to be strong enough for the job.

As for the drill needed, ideally, you’ll use a hammer drill or a drill with hammer action. There is a difference, but each will do the job. A regular drill doesn’t have enough torque or the hammer-type action required to do the job effectively enough. It can be done, but not recommended.

Here Are a Couple of Tricks for Drilling in Concrete or Masonry

One of the tips for drilling in concrete is, or masonry is if you need to attach something to a brick wall, for example, make sure to do so through the mortar and not the brick. It’s much easier and more efficient.

Some jobs will require extra long masonry drill bits, so make sure to know how deep you need to drill.

Another thing to keep in mind is to make sure you check the drill bit on occasion. The drill bit will get too hot from time to time, so it’ll need to be cooled off. Keep a bucket of water handy to dip the bit in to cool it down. You can also pour the water over the bit. But whatever you do, do so carefully, and don’t dip the drill in the water.

Also be careful not to let the long masonry drill bit get stuck. You can reverse the drill to get it unstuck, but if that doesn’t work, you’ll have to break through the masonry, but this could cause damage and need repairs.

For All Your Chicago-Area Masonry and Tuckpointing Needs, Give Us a Call

Now that you know what a long masonry drill bit and some tips for drilling in concrete and masonry, keep in mind this is the type of work that should be left to professionals.

And we are the masonry and tuckpointing experts you should call on for any brick work you need to be done.

Our team of masonry professionals are highly trained, skilled and experienced to perform any job your Chicago-area home may require.

So give us a call, and we’ll be glad to assist you with questions or a free, no-hassle inspection and consultation about the type of mortar repair your home needs.

For any repair job, even the ones you do yourself, knowing what tools and techniques the professionals use are advantageous.

One of those tips is, when performing a repair job on masonry, use a grout bag for mortar as it will help your result look as though the trained tuckpoint professionals in Chicago did the job. Which they can, if you don’t want to do the job yourself.

But a masonry grout bag is the way to go. If you have brick structures in and around your house, checking up on your mortar and the state of your bricks is something you should be doing at least once a year.

And if you see a brick wall or chimney that has issues requiring repair or replacement, we can help you do it correctly or even do the work for you.

Now That You Have Grout Bag for Mortar, What Needs to Be Done?

Once you’ve identified the problem area and are ready to replace broken bricks or fill in the mortar that is spalling, you’ll need to acquire a grout bag for mortar or make your own bag. They look like a pastry bag (for icing). So a heavy-duty plastic food storage bag, like a freezer bag, could be used for smaller jobs.

But for larger jobs where you’ll need to refill the bag several times, purchasing a masonry grout bag is advisable because even industrial-strength varieties have a problem with grout bag clogging. And when you make your grout bag, the more you use it, you will have clogging, for sure.

The bags you purchase have tips made of a material that can be cut for fine-tune and precise filling.

The other thing to consider is the mortar mixture, which is of vital importance to ensure your mortar can withstand the elemental rigors it will face and because the proper mixture will spread more easily and you won’t have grout bag clogging.

It’s a good rule of thumb to follow the instructions the mortar manufacturer recommends. And only mix as much mortar as you’ll need. Mix it in small amounts and use a paint stir stick to mix it up. You’ll need a trowel when replacing whole bricks, and a grout bag for mortar for fine-tuning and for repair work.

Call Your Chicago Area Masonry Repair Experts

For any masonry repair or tuckpointing in the Chicago area, give us a call. We have the trained professionals and specialists to provide all your masonry services. We encourage you to put us to the test, as we offer affordable rates for our masonry services and are available any time for emergency repairs.

We are industry leaders in Chicago and can provide you with a no-hassle, no-cost and no-obligation consultation any time. Call us for advice and helpful tips, like how to use a grout bag for mortar. We’ll be glad to help.

Most tuckpoint mortar mix being used today is a mixture of Portland cement and lime along with other aggregates such as sand and masonry cement in compliance with ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards.

A Little History of the Use of Tuckpoint Mortar Mix

While tuckpoint mortar mix has two components, namely, Portland cement and lime with the former having the higher ratio, older bricks such as those in houses more than 100 years old, had a negligible amount of Portland cement in mix. Back in those days, bricks were commonly made of lime and sand. This is the reason why much older brickwork tends to be softer than new brick construction because it is Portland cement which makes the mortar hard. Plus, the ratio of lime content used back then was very high.

How Tuckpoint Mortar Mix Today Works

Brick walls, with basic physics in mind, are gradually, unnoticeably, moving. The heat of the sun makes them contract and expand and if the mortar adhering the bricks together is too hard, the tendency is for the bricks to eventually start to crack. Hence, lime balances out the effects of Portland cement in the tuckpoint mortar mix.

Another use and value of lime in tuckpoint mortar mix is that lime is water soluble and tends to react with water and carbon dioxide. This means that over time, the lime in between the bricks can resolidify even if small cracking develops because lime reacts with gas and water and heals the cracks itself as water and gas try to permeate into the mortar.

How to Mix Tuckpoint Mortar and Match the Mortar with an Existing Brickwork

The initial steps in mixing new mortar to use existing masonry work, which includes combining lime with Portland cement.

It is important to note that if the mortar mix is too soft and timeworn, you can mix lime and Portland cement at a 6:1 ratio so if the mortar is too light in color, make sure to use white Portland cement. On the other hand, if it is darker, gray Portland cement will do.

The First Steps

First off, mix a very small amount to start with. It is recommended not to blend more than seven to eight ounces in volume. This is only to test and match the mortar with existing brickwork. Then you can mix two parts sand and one part of the blended lime and Portland cement. It may be helpful to write down your proportions so you will not have a difficult time recalling this later.

Now you can blend them together while dry, adding the right amount of water to make the mixture sufficiently wet to enable you to form it into a ball. Note that the color of your new mixture should match, or at least be very close to, the shade of color of the existing mortar while the new mixture is wet. Otherwise, you will have to start all over again. Be mindful of the sand proportions as well, especially if the existing mortar has too much visible sand, then you will have to adjust your blended lime and Portland cement.

Complementing an Old Brickwork with a New Tuckpoint Mortar Mix

In order to create the tuckpoint mortar mix which will perfectly match the existing mortar in old masonry work, you should leave the tuckpoint mortar mix to dry for a couple of weeks. This will serve as the sample you will use to compare with the existing mortar mix.

This is one way to achieve effective and lasting results in tuckpointing old brickwork. You will need to carefully study the old masonry work and be diligent in blending the new tuckpoint mortar mix until the latter is matching with the former. The process will include meticulous evaluation and assessment of old and new materials alike.