Around the Chicago metropolitan area there are a variety of new infrastructures such as office or multipurpose buildings, houses, churches; as well as historical infrastructures built up to 100 years ago and that are made from masonry, brick, stone or concrete blocks. Although these infrastructures have a mortar that keeps the masonry in place, it is important to carry out tuckpointing adjustments from time to time because it has a lifespan of 35 years or a little more, which can be shortened by embattlements of time to the point of compromising structural integrity. And if you are looking for tuckpointing contractors for such work, Delta is your best option.
But first of all, you will ask yourself the following: what is tuckpointing? Tuckpointing is the removal of the old mortar that is between the bricks, stone or blocks to replace it with a new one to match the texture and color of the original mortar as much as possible, in order for the structure to maintain its appeal. If by chance the mortar in your house or building is beginning to fail, especially if it has cracks or pieces falling off, the first thing that will come to mind is to perform a masonry repair on your own using ready-mix mortar that you bought from your nearest DIY store.
Unfortunately in doing this, you made your first tuckpointing mistake, as the mortar you found in the store is designed to be used only on modern bricks, which can only be found in new construction of buildings and houses and is harder than the old infrastructures. When using this type of mortar on old bricks, what will happen is that they will begin to crack until they fall apart and allow moisture to enter the bricks until they settle on the walls.
Another of the most common mistakes of tuckpointing is to perform any type of masonry restoration without having done an evaluation of other potential problems that affect your mortar and masonry, such as foundation settling. In the case of a foundation settling, what will happen is that after tuckpointing without having done a previous inspection, new cracks will develop to the point where the walls will lean outside the house or come off their foundations. This can pose a serious risk to people in terms of injury and even death.
If in such case you have any tuckpointing problem, you can hire Delta’s masonry contractors, as we have enough experience and expertise to evaluate and carry out the necessary repairs with the highest quality standards. If you want to know more about our services to extend the life of your building or home, call us today!