Before & After ~ As I often remind folks here, the wrong mortar will destroy your house. Today I am adding *and* caulking is not an appropriate substitute. Undoing bad “repairs” like this is difficult and expensive.
All masonry walls need repointing every 50 to 100 years. Because the two materials expand and contract at different rates with changes in temperature and humidity, one has to “give” to the other to allow the expansion. The mortar is the sacrificial material and will slowly deteriorate and fall away from the joint. Repointing replaces the mortar to restart the cycle.
The upper photo shows a house where this has not happened, and someone “repaired” the missing mortar with caulking. It not only looks terrible, but it is also trapping moisture in the wall. This will lead to additional damage to the wall. I took the before photos in 2019.
I recently walked by this house and was happy to see that the caulking has been removed and the house repointed with appropriate mortar, as seen in the lower photos. There is still a bit of caulking residue in spots, which will hopefully wear away over time. I guarantee the mason cursed the whole time they were trying to get the caulking off the brick and that the owner paid a premium for that task.
The close-up before photo is one of more than 2000 photos and drawings illustrating the text in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.” It was used to illustrate what not to do to a brick wall.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
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© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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