Dear Tim: I have a lovely brick patio that has mortar between the brick. After pressure-washing it this past weekend, I noticed several locations where the mortar has disintegrated. Most of the mortar ...

Brick and mortar is a solid building material, but it won't last forever. Here are the basics for "tuckpointing", the process of repairing and rebuilding a brick wall. The mortar and cement holding ...

You may not know this, but I received a bachelor of science degree in geology many moons ago. I was fascinated by the topic, and it helped me build houses and buildings that would not fail.

Brick walkway or patio mortar joints need to be almost level with the brick tops to avoid water damage, as well as deter unwanted plant growth. Repairing the mortar joints between walkway or patio ...

A reader recently emailed me, seeking advice on whether to take on a do-it-yourself repair of the mortar around her brick masonry. She regularly performs hands-on maintenance around her home, she said ...

INDIANAPOLIS – Do you know what “repointing” bricks means? By definition, it consists of “removing a portion of the deteriorated mortar and redoing the joints with new mortar.” Doing that basically ...

Question: It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I had my brick building repointed with new mortar, and it has deteriorated quickly. Do you have any idea what caused it to happen? The building ...

The mortar in between these bricks was repaired, but the mix failed. It can be removed and repaired. (Courtesy of Tim Carter) Analysis by Tim Carter It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I ...