Can tuckpointing be done in winter?

Tuckpointing is an important part of routine maintenance for brick buildings. It helps keep the exterior of the building looking its best, plus it helps maintain a watertight exterior for your commercial building.

What is tuckpointing?

Over time, the mortar between the bricks will begin to deteriorate. This is largely due to both the age of the bricks and the weather, especially if the exterior is exposed to a lot of water. If this goes unaddressed for too long, the building exterior will begin to crumble, which creates a much bigger issue.

Tuckpointing can be done to fix areas where mortar is deteriorating. This cost-effective option focuses on removing damaged mortar and reinforcing problem areas.

First, masons will carefully remove old mortar so there is an even depth between each brick. Then they will apply new mortar to these areas to help seal them. Experienced masons will color match your mortar so that the repaired areas blend as much as possible with the rest of the building.

What’s the benefit of tuckpointing?

The primary benefit of tuckpointing is long-term protection of your building, as well as maintaining the aesthetics of the exterior.

Once masons have strengthened mortar between the brinks, you can count on improved waterproofing and corrosion protection.

Can you do tuckpointing in cold weather?

Ideally, tuckpointing projects are done when the temperature is between 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours before and 72 hours after. Tuckpointing should also be done when there’s no heavy precipitation the day before or several hours after installation.

However, when necessary, you can tuckpoint in the cold if you approach it correctly. That includes watching the temperature when mixing mortar, using the right product for the temperature, and ensuring the materials don’t come into contact with rain or snow. And, as with any tuckpointing job, it’s important to protect the building exterior during the entire project to keep moisture out.

If your commercial building needs tuckpointing, contact us today for more information about our services.