It’s been a few weeks since I checked in with my fellow Kansas Citians over at Dwelling:3918, and what do you know? One post detailing their stone exterior repairs and a Google search later, and I now have a basic understanding of tuckpoint mortar — and when, as in the case of Dwelling:3918, it can be sloppily done and end up detracting from a stone exterior.
First, a quick tutorial. Tuckpointing mortar is a repair technique used in lieu of replacing an entire brick or stone. The process involves “tucking” mortar into the damaged area with a pointed trowel – see the name inspiration?
Yet it takes a certain degree of skill and finesse to complete this repair so that it blends seamlessly with the surrounding brick or stone, and in the case of these Hyde Park homeowners, it seems previous repairs were becoming more of an eyesore.
So how did they restore their home’s exterior to its original, stony glory? First up, a thorough power washing, which knocked down at least 50 percent of the tuckpointed mortar. Afterwards, the homeowners opted to grind out the remaining mortar and properly replace it, resulting in a finish that they wrote “really pops.”
Does your home have a stone exterior? And if so, what tips and tricks do you recommend for keeping it clean and in good condition?
Photo courtesy of Dwelling:3918
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