Repointing is one of the most common brickwork jobs on North London houses, and one of the most often done badly. This guide explains what it involves, how to tell if your walls need it, and why the choice of mortar matters so much on Victorian and Edwardian properties.
Repointing means raking out old, failing mortar from the joints between bricks and replacing it with fresh mortar. The bricks stay where they are and only the joints are renewed. It is maintenance, not rebuilding, and on a structurally sound wall it can add decades of life.
Mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part of a wall. It should be slightly softer and more porous than the brick, so that moisture and movement are taken up by the joints, which can be renewed, rather than by the brick faces, which are far harder to replace. Pointing is the term for finishing joints on new work. Repointing is the same finish done again on an existing wall.
Not every wall needs doing at once. Often it is one exposed elevation, a chimney stack or a garden wall that has weathered first. Things to look for:
Most Victorian and Edwardian houses across North London were built with soft bricks, often London stocks, laid in lime mortar. Lime is flexible and breathable, letting moisture escape through the joints. When these walls are repointed in hard sand-cement, water gets trapped in the brick instead, and over a few winters the faces start to spall. Many of the damaged period frontages you see around London are the result of well-meant cement repointing.
Sand-cement is the right choice for modern bricks, newer extensions and harder engineering bricks, where it matches the original construction. If your house is in a conservation area or is listed, check with your council before work starts. Listed buildings may need consent, and conservation officers usually expect lime and a close match to the existing joints.
Old mortar should be raked out to a depth of about 15 to 20mm, or roughly twice the height of the joint, without chipping the brick edges. On soft period brick this is best done by hand or with great care, because aggressive grinding can widen joints and ruin the look of a wall permanently.
The joints are then brushed out, dampened and packed with new mortar in layers before being finished. Common finishes are flush, bucket-handle (a rounded recess) and weatherstruck (angled to shed water). The aim is to match what the house originally had, including the colour of the mortar, which comes mainly from the sand. A small test panel before the full job is sensible. Lime work also needs protecting from frost and quick drying, so spring to early autumn is the best window.
Cost depends on the area involved, whether scaffolding is needed, the condition of the joints, lime versus sand-cement, and the finish required. Scaffolding can be a significant part of the total on two- and three-storey terraces. As a rough guide, a chimney stack may take a day or two once access is up, while the front of a typical terraced house might take one to two weeks.
For builders, architects and developers, repointing often comes up alongside extension work where new brick must sit next to old. Matching both the brick and the joint is what stops an extension looking bolted on. Whoever you use, ask for a site visit, an itemised written quote that states the mortar mix and finish, and a test panel before full work begins.
Not quite. Pointing is the finishing of mortar joints on new brickwork, while repointing is raking out and renewing the joints on an existing wall.
Done properly with the right mortar, repointing typically lasts several decades, though exposed areas such as chimney stacks and garden walls may need attention sooner.
Yes, patch repointing is common where only some areas have failed. The new mortar should match the existing mix and colour so the repair blends in rather than standing out.
Tell us about the job and we will quote within 48 hours.
North London brickwork. Two trowels, one company, on every job from start to finish.