Do you want to upgrade the appearance of an interior or exterior brick structure or maybe you are interested in protecting your worn bricks from mortar deterioration while giving them a new sharp look? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about tuckpointing.

Bricks provide durable cladding for interior and exterior walls, chimneys, and fireplaces. But the mortar used to fill joints deteriorates over time—even if the bricks themselves are still in good shape. That’s where tuckpointing comes into play.

Used to cosmetically enhance the appearance of masonry, tuckpointing involves removing a portion of the deteriorated mortar, filling the joints with new mortar (that closely matches the color of the brick), and then applying a thin line of putty in a contrasting color down the center of the joint. This creates the illusion of well-maintained and narrow joints. Although tuckpointing can be applied to any type of brick construction, it’s most commonly found on historical brick homes, where the owners want to recapture the appearance of the home’s original thin joints.

While the terms “tuckpointing” and “repointing” are often used synonymously, the final products are aesthetically different. Both involve removing and replacing deteriorating mortar with fresh mortar, but repointing does not involve the additional step of applying contrasting lines in the centers of the joints.

Some homeowners choose tuckpointing because it creates a crisper visual illusion. That’s because the mortar matches the color of the bricks; unless you examine the wall closely, you won’t notice where the mortar ends and the brick begins. The fillets further fool the eye into thinking the perfectly straight lines are the actual mortar joints, which makes the entire wall look as if it were constructed with crisp new masonry. On the other hand, repointing results in a soft and wavy appearance on the new mortar joints. The edges of the bricks won’t be perfectly square, and the repointed mortar highlights those discrepancies.

When mortar fails

It’s beneficial to understand why mortar joints fail. The deterioration can have many different causes, including faulty workmanship, erosion from extreme temperature and moisture, or pressure from the overhead weight of the bricks. While bricks often last a century, the lifespan of mortar is typically 25 to 30 years—meaning it typically needs replacement or repointing more than once during the life of a brick building.

Since mortar joints are the weakest parts of a brick wall, it’s common to see cracks running through the joints, even if the bricks themselves remain whole. A few hairline cracks do not signify the need to repoint or tuckpoint, but when mortar begins to crumble and fall out of the cracks, homeowners should repair it before any additionally lost mortar affects the structure of the wall. What’s more, if the deteriorating mortar isn’t repaired, it could eventually cause the wall or chimney to collapse.

Is tuckpointing a DIY project?

While homeowners can tackle tuckpointing as a do-it-yourself project, they should consider leaving it to a professional. The labor-intensive method requires extreme precision to create the illusion of level mortar joints. If the fillets used to create the finished joint effect are even slightly off-kilter, the whole project will look sloppy.

In any case, repointing and tuckpointing must be left to the pros if entire bricks need to be replaced—especially when dealing with exterior brick walls, which are often load-bearing. Installing or resetting new bricks is a more complicated process than repointing or tuckpointing on a structurally sound wall or chimney.