Do you own a masonry home that’s made of brick or stone, especially one of the beautiful historical homes found throughout Chicagoland? If so, you need to start asking about tuckpointing. And when you ask, we hope you’ll contact Fortune Restoration, tuckpointing contractors in Oak Park.
If you’re like many homebuyers, at this point you may be scratching your head and asking, “What the heck is tuckpointing, and why do I need to ask anyone about it.”
Stated simply, tuckpointing involves replacing the original mortar holding a brick or stone structure together. When properly maintained, masonry structures can last a century or more, but because of exposure to the elements, masonry can deteriorate and weaken the entire structure.
When mortar joints become damaged, the most cost-effective action that a homeowner can take is to repair affected areas via tuckpointing. The alternative is allowing the mortar joints to deteriorate to the point that a structure like a wall or a chimney collapses, making a complete rebuild necessary.
How is tuckpointing done?
The basic idea behind tuckpointing is removing damaged mortar and replacing it with fresh mortar. For example, tuckpointing a red brick wall involves the following:
• Grounding or routing out the old mortar to a uniform depth
• Filling red mortar in the newly routed joints
• Cutting this strips down the middle of the red mortar to form grooves
• Filling in the grooves with a mortar whose color and composition match the original mortar color
This last point is crucial. Incompatible mortars can cause irreversible damage to historic brickwork, including cracking and interior mortar rot.
Benefits of Tuckpointing
The benefits include:
• Corrosion of the mortar joints is stopped.
• Structural stability is restored.
• Tuckpointing prevents moisture from entering the interior of the structure.
• Tuckpointing is far more cost-effective than a complete tear down and rebuild.
• Putting the mortar in top condition enhances the value of a home.
So, asking about tuckpointing and the integrity of your home is extremely important. It’s also important to find the right tuckpointing contractor in Evanston. When you contact Fortune Restoration we’ll give you a free, no-obligation estimate of your tuckpointing needs, and you can be confident about the advice you’re given. And once on the job, our high-trained technicians won’t stop working until you’re completely satisfied. So call Fortune Restoration, tuckpointing contractors in Evanston, at (847) 647-2500 and let us restore the integrity and beauty of your home.