You must have heard of tuckpointing as an effective method to make repairs in your house. The term refers to repairing damaged mortar joints on stone or brick masonry walls. The old mortar is first raked out to a certain extent before filling the vacuum with new mortar. Maximum damage is caused to mortar joints by the natural elements and harsh weather conditions after prolonged exposure. Chimneys are especially vulnerable.
Tuckpointing is not an easy task, and you might have to hire professional masonry contractors who will take care of it for you. However, it will be worth the cost for the following reasons.
Restore beauty:
As your house gets old and worn down with time, its aesthetic value drops. Pretty surroundings do a lot to improve your mental health and your overall living standards. By tuckpointing the required areas, you will be restoring your house’s beauty. It will look new once again, and the best part is that you can now use a different-coloured mortar between the joints. Feel the joy of customizing your most favorite place in the world.
Make it weatherproof:
You need to protect your house from the weather Gods. Tuckpointing can help prevent water intrusion to reduce further deterioration of the walls and mortar. You may think that the small cracks and holes will finally amount to nothing, but you never know when the problem might get serious due to frequent weather changes. Seeping water can cause extra moisture that will even ruin your interiors, starting from the wallpapers. You have to protect your masonry structures by tuck pointing the damaged areas.
Insulate:
While your heating or cooling costs may not fall, tuckpointing does help insulate your house against a variety of other factors. There will be lesser intrusion from unwanted insects, pests and bugs. Sometimes, the cracks in a wall become the germination point for plants. You might also have to deal with ant infestations, and frequent visits from small animals like mice, bats chipmunks, birds and rats unless you repair cracks and holes. These animals can also establish their own little homes inside your stone and cement structures.
Increases structural stability:
After tuckpointing, your masonry wall becomes sturdier and more capable of handling all sorts of pressure which improves its structural value. The fresh mortar replaces the deteriorated joints giving it more integrity. Tuckpointing can often act as a preventative measure against further damage.
Improves its market value:
Your house is one of your most valuable investments and keeping it in good shape can turn out to be very profitable for you. If your masonry structure is as good as new, it will fetch much more value than it would have in an unrepaired state. A brick home that has been restored more or less to its original state will make more ripples in today’s competitive market. If you have knowledge of real estate, then you must know that an appealing exterior can cause sales faster. Tuckpointing will also be a cheaper alternative for you than to tear the wall down and rebuild from scratch.
If you have left any crack in the walls of your house unattended, it is time that you tuck point the area and eliminate the chances of future loss.