Repointing & Brick Pointing Across North Wales & Cheshire

The owner of a two-storey solid-wall brick property in Bebington had noticed damp and cold patches on internal walls, and asked Quirks Property Maintenance Ltd to look at the condition of the external brickwork. We inspected the front and gable elevations and quoted for repointing works in January 2026. The works were completed in March 2026.

What we found on the two elevations

The mortar joints across both elevations had weathered back well behind the face of the brickwork. On the front elevation the joints were open and inconsistent in depth, with lichen and moss established in the wider ones — joints in that condition hold water at the wall rather than shedding it. Several areas had been patched at some point in the past with cement, including a band of hard, dark mortar across the stone lintel above the front door, which sat proud of the surrounding brickwork and bore no relation to the original joint profile.

The gable took the worst of it. An exposed gable carries the full weight of driving rain with no shelter from adjoining property, and the erosion there ran across the whole elevation rather than being confined to patches, with the same cement repairs visible through it.

On a solid wall the mortar joint is not simply the gap between the bricks — it is part of how the wall takes up moisture and releases it again. Where the joints have eroded and been made good with cement, which is harder and denser than the original mortar, water is held at the face and driven into the brick instead of evaporating from the joint. Over time that damages the brick rather than the mortar, and brick is far more expensive to put right.

We were asked to inspect and price the external masonry, and that is what this case study covers. Where damp is being reported inside a property, we would always say it should be assessed on its own terms rather than assumed to have a single external cause — that is a separate piece of work, and we carry it out as a damp survey.

The recommendation — lime, not cement

We recommended complete repointing of the front and gable elevations in traditional NHL 3.5 hydraulic lime mortar, rather than a cement-based mix.

The reasoning matters on a building of this construction. A cement-rich mortar is harder than the brick around it, so when the wall moves or weathers, the brick face gives way before the joint does. It also holds moisture, forcing evaporation out through the brick rather than through the joint. A hydraulic lime mortar is softer than the brick and stays breathable, so the joint takes the wear and the moisture, which is what a joint is there to do. NHL 3.5 was selected as a moderately hydraulic lime with enough set for an exposed gable while remaining considerably softer than the surrounding brick.

We also recommended the works be carried out from scaffolding rather than ladders, and programmed around suitable weather where reasonably practicable, because lime mortar needs controlled conditions while it cures. Only the areas marked on the survey photographs were included in the quotation, so the scope was fixed and the customer was not pricing an open-ended job.

The works carried out to the front and gable

Scaffolding and access equipment were supplied, erected, maintained and dismantled by Quirks, with reasonable precautions taken to control dust and debris during the removal of the old mortar.

The accessible brickwork within the marked areas was inspected before repointing began. Loose, failed and defective joints were raked out to approximately 25mm, or deeper where necessary to reach a sound mortar base. Raking out was carried out using hand tools and controlled low-vibration methods — on brickwork of this age the arrises are soft, and a heavy-handed approach takes the edge off the brick as well as the mortar. The prepared joints were then brushed and cleaned of loose material, and the masonry dampened where required to control suction and stop the wall drawing the water out of the fresh lime mortar before it had chance to set.

The elevations were repointed in NHL 3.5 hydraulic lime mortar mixed with suitably graded sharp sand, with the colour and texture selected to sit alongside the existing masonry as closely as reasonably practicable. The mortar was compacted firmly into the prepared joints and finished with a traditional brushed joint appropriate to the age and character of the property.

The new work was protected during the initial curing period from heavy rain, frost, strong winds, direct sunlight and excessive rapid drying, with temporary coverings provided where required and the mortar lightly dampened where necessary to support controlled curing.

On completion the repointing was inspected, the affected brickwork cleaned down, loose mortar residue and waste removed from site, and the scaffolding and temporary coverings struck.

Outcome

Both elevations were left fully repointed in a breathable lime mortar, with consistent, well-filled joints and a brushed finish in keeping with the age of the brickwork. The hard cement patches were removed and replaced with a mortar the wall can work with, so the joints now take the weather rather than the brick faces.

Project Information