I live in a 107 year old brick townhouse. Recently after removing some old
drywall, I noticed that the mortar in the basement walls is very sandy. In
some areas it is damp and in others it deteriorates like dust.

What may have caused this problem? What should I used to repoint the bricks?

Thanks.

John

Redlocks wrote:
I live in a 107 year old brick townhouse. Recently after removing some old
drywall, I noticed that the mortar in the basement walls is very sandy. In
some areas it is damp and in others it deteriorates like dust.

What may have caused this problem? What should I used to repoint the
bricks?

Thanks.

John

It is the nature of older mortars. I suggest that you may want to be
careful about what you use to point it as some modern hard mortars do not
get along well at all with older materials.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

A lot of those bricks are fragile, and the mortar needs
to be the weak link, so that cracks will appear in the mortar
line rather than the bricks. So you need to be dealing with
a high lime content mortar, I'll bet.
I suggest learning a lot more about how and why it was done
before doing or having anything done. Here's a start.
http://vanity.qwestdex.com/nwmasonryrest/Page5.html
http://www.sacredplaces.org/PSP-Info...ointing%20Maso
nry.htm

http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/briefs/brief02.htm
http://www.historichomeworks.com/hhw/pbriefs/pb02.htm

Joseph Meehan wrote in message
...
Redlocks wrote:
I live in a 107 year old brick townhouse. Recently after removing some
old
drywall, I noticed that the mortar in the basement walls is very sandy.
In
some areas it is damp and in others it deteriorates like dust.

What may have caused this problem? What should I used to repoint the
bricks?

Thanks.

John

It is the nature of older mortars. I suggest that you may want to be
careful about what you use to point it as some modern hard mortars do not
get along well at all with older materials.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

"Redlocks" wrote in message thlink.net...
I live in a 107 year old brick townhouse. Recently after removing some old
drywall, I noticed that the mortar in the basement walls is very sandy. In
some areas it is damp and in others it deteriorates like dust.

What may have caused this problem? What should I used to repoint the bricks?

Thanks.

John

As Mehan suggests, I think it is rising damp and older mortar without
Portland cement.
Check the BIA web site Tech Notes carefully before you or a mason
begins work.
Again, as Mehan suggests, too much cement and not enough lime can
cause long term problems.
Tech Notes also has good advice for preparing mortar for easy
repointing.
This is based on recent personal experience.
TB