"dicko" wrote in message
...

First a bit of history.

My Chimney has been pointed twice in th e10 years I've owned my house.
The first time about 9 years ago, the second about 3 years ago.

The first time, it looks like the guy just scraped out about 1/4" of
mortar and filled it back in. Now that thin layer of new mortar is
falling out. However, its still hard as a rock.

The second time, just a few spots were patched but the mortar used
looks like it has turned to sand and is disintegrating. I've been able
to remove a few bricks where this is happening.

I figure I can do just as good a job as the "professionals" who
screwed it up before so I'm going to give it a try.

The question I have is what type of mortar is used? I see the home
centers sell a type N mortar mix and a type O mortar mix. Type N being
stronger and is used for exterior walls and type O being weaker and is
sometimes called pointing mortar.

So far I have all the affected joints cleaned out to about 3/4 inch
depth, and all the old mortar has been cleaned from the few bricks
that I was able to remove. I ready to put the new mortar and bricks
back in.

-dickm
I don't know anything about types of mortar mix but I do know that any
mortar or cement repair job will not last long if the mortar or cement dries
out too quickly. You will need to dampen the repair area before the mortar
is put in, protect it from sun and otherwise keep it damp for as long as
possible. Misting the area afterward can help, once the mortar has set up
enough.

Don Young