Hello:
I have a 2-story brick house, attached on both sides, which I moved into 4 months ago. Now that the weather is warmer, I want to replace the rain gutter, which apparently has been leaking for years. The rear wall of the house has at some point in the past been “smeared” with cement- that is, entirely covered with a thin layer- to weatherproof it. In the corner where the gutter has been leaking, the bricks badly need repointing, and the area around the gutter needs “re-smearing”. (Sorry, I don’t know the proper word for this.)
What I would like to find out is:
– What kind of cement/sand/lime (or whatever) mix do I use for the
pointing? Can I use the same mix for the smearing?
-What kinds of trowels do I need to do the pointing work and the
smearing?
-Anything else I should know, or look out for?
I plan to clean up the entire surface with a wire wheel on a grinder, before I start the work. I will use a dry diamond wheel on the grinder to clean out the old pointing.
Thank you in advance for any help you might give.
Alex R.
Replies
You'll get more detailed advice from more knowledgeable people tomorrow, but I can get you started. As for the mortar for pointing, it depends on your brick. Modern brick can take a modern mortar mixture. If it is historic brick, they were fired at lower temperatures and are softer. If you use modern mortar, the mortar is harder than the brick and as the wall moves with temperature changes and vibrations the hard mortar can damage the softer brick. In that case something called lime mortar is used. It is a softer mortar, much like the mortar that would have been used years ago. I don't have the formula handy, though.
As for smearing the wall, that's called "parging". It doesn't do much in the way of waterproofing, though, because it is quite porous. But it will protect the underlying brick from weathering. Mortar and concrete soak up water like a sponge.
You are wise to replace the gutter. Water is the cause of most building problems. If the house is not wide you may be able to do the entire length in one piece. Expect to have to change the fascia (the vertical trim board) behind the gutter because it is probably rotted. I'd recommend using fiber cement fascia. James Hardie is one manufacturer of fiber cement fascia. They make a "board" specifically for fascia. It would be nailed in with stainless steel nails, then is primed and painted with acrylic primer and paint.
Thank you for your information. To clarify a couple of things:The house was built in 1915 (in case this helps determine the type of bricks). I live in New York City, which means that yearly temperature fluctuations are from about 5 degrees to 95 degrees F. (Occasionally more!) Actually, I meant to refer to the downspout, not the gutter; the gutter, on first visual inspection, appears to be ok. The water damage, therefore, is limited to a vertical strip 2-3 feet wide.Thanks again for your help.Alex R.
what waynel5 told you is correct... the "mortar" on your house is most likely Lime mortar... nothing but lime & sand has a psi of about 250.... white lime from the farmers co-op and sand... 1 part lime to 2-3 parts sand... I use a grout bag and add a little liquid dish washing soap into the mix... u need to wet the bricks... you can grind out the old stuff... but we do better with a pressure washer and it's no dust...
pony