Brick house repaint and remortar

12 years ago

1938 Brick home San Diego California attempted sand blasting to remove paint but destroyed brick overlay. Decided to paint but was instructed to scrape off old first and check for lead. As paint was being removed for testing the mortar was crumbling. Its like sand just pours out leaving big gaps between bricks. Do I just paint over current paint job or once lead testing is done do I scrape all paint to examine the rest of the mortar and repair? Also, can anyone provide someone reputable in my area that knows and understands brick for these jobs? Thank you for any and all advice

Featured Answer

glasslass

12 years ago

If the mortar between the bricks has become sand then you will need to have the house "tuck pointed". Basically a brick layer comes in and cleans all the loose material out and puts new mortar back. Needless to say the bricks need that mortar so they stay where there put.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

msullivan55
Original Author
12 years ago
May I ask a question...I noticed this when I started removing the paint so I could repaint the brick in a different color. Should I continue to remove all the paint over the mortar lines to see if more need to be tuck pointed or stop removing the paint and began my paint job?
thank you for your response.....also do I need a special mix of mortar to fix what needs fixing now?
Related Professionals
Concord Interior Designers & Decorators · San Antonio Interior Designers & Decorators · Danbury Interior Designers & Decorators · Enid Architects & Building Designers · York Architects & Building Designers · Peoria Architects & Building Designers · Marinette Architects & Building Designers · Palm Desert Architects & Building Designers · Albany Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Belleville Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Tyler Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Coos Bay Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Portland Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Vernal Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · York Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
raineycarole
12 years ago
Call in a specialist. There is major damage here.
msullivan55 thanked raineycarole
glasslass
12 years ago
All old brick home will have this happen. We bought a 100 year old brick home that had some tuck pointing done and we have had some done since we purchased this home. Our brick is not painted so where it was needed we were able to see without any problem. Call a brick contractor and get an estimate. He can find the spots without need the paint to be gone. Why exactly are you removing the paint? Was it peeling?
msullivan55
Original Author
12 years ago
I was hoping to restore it to the natural brick, It currently has 4 layers of paint along with cracks and smoothed over surfaces- probably quick fixes...it just hasn't been maintained. In any event I tried sandblasting and it destroyed the outer layer. So, I was told to just repaint but to check for lead and that's how I unearthed the need for the tuck pointing. I am a newbee to home repair I realize now I don't need to do a lead sample if I am painting over it...However, .recently, it was suggested I just put James Hardy siding on ....any thoughts? Thanks for your help... Also, I'm in California..southern and there are not a lot of brick contractors... everything is stucco here any suggestions on what to look for? Did you repair your own brick. I have done some research and what I found was the consistency of sand in the mortar is important due to expansion and if its not proportioned correctly then you can cause the bricks outer core to brake ??? is this true?
bschr
12 years ago
In the 70's it was very popular to sand blast paint and dirt from brick. This resulted in removing the protective baked on glaze and therefor the fronts of the brick. Now a chemical peel is used. It is very labour intensive. I have a brick home that needs tuck pointing somewhere every year it seems. Eventually I hope it will all be completed but it has to be done to stop any moisture getting in behind the brick.
msullivan55 thanked bschr