If you live in a brick home, you may be considering restoring the brickwork. Bricks maintain an authentic look for heritage homes. Plus, they add character to a house, making it stand out from modern cement-render buildings. If you're wondering whether this kind of upgrade is worth it, consider the following ways brick restoration enhances a home.

Structural Integrity

A brick restoration makes a wall more secure and structurally sound. Over time, the mortar between bricks crumbles and falls away from a wall. When this happens, the bricks aren't embedded in a secure foundation. Crumbly mortar can also let rainwater seep inside to cause dampness, mould, and mildew problems. A restoration repointing process fixes these issues. It involves removing the decayed mortar and replacing it with new cement so the bricks are securely embedded on all sides. Afterwards, the wall will be more stable and form a more secure barrier to rain. Contractors can also apply a sealant to keep moisture out for added protection.

Neatness

This repointing process will also make the walls neater and more attractive. Exterior walls cover a large expanse, and they're visible from the street. So damaged bricks and mortar give a shabby look. However, once the new mortar is applied, the wall will be smoother and even without gaps and holes. You can also have the bricks pressure washed, and a masonry stain applied to bring out their colour. The kerb view will be enhanced as a result.

Beauty

Typically, during repointing, the replacement mortar contrasts with the brick colour. For example, if the bricks are a red shade, the mortar might be cream or grey. You can take another approach, called tuckpointing, to rejuvenate the brickwork even further.

During a tuckpointing process, mortar is applied to the walls in the same colour as the bricks so that the joins are disguised. Then, a contrasting thin line is applied on top of the brick-coloured mortar, in a cream colour, for example. This gives the cosmetic appearance of extremely fine joins and perfectly straight-edged bricks. It hides crumbly brick edges, which tend to blend with similar-coloured grout. This process creates stunning brickwork. Of course, it provides the same structural benefits as standard repointing.

Thus, brick restoration enhances a house in several ways. It makes walls more structurally sound and creates a barrier to rainwater that may otherwise get inside. Brick restoration, both repointing and tuckpointing, also improves the appearance of a house. Though tuckpointing takes the aesthetics to a new, stunning level.

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