Tuckpointing encyclopedia topics

History

The method was developed in England in the nineteenth century to imitate brickwork constructed using rubbed bricks (or rubbers): bricks of fine red finish which were made slightly oversize and then individually abraded or cut, often by hand, to a precise size after firing. When laid with white lime mortar a pleasing finish of red brick contrasting with very fine white joints was obtained. Tuckpointing was a way of achieving a similar effect using cheap, unrubbed bricks: these were laid in a mortar of a matching colour (initially red, but later blue-black bricks and mortar were occasionally used) and a fine fillet of white material, usually pipeclay or putty, pushed into the joints before the mortar set.

Other usage

In some parts of the United States and Canada, some confusion may result as the term is often used interchangeably with "pointing" (to correct defects or finish off joints in newly laid masonry) and "repointing" (to place wet mortar into cut or raked joints to repair weathered joints in old masonry).

Tuckpointing Tools

Professional "tuckpointers" use tuckpointing tools, which depending on country and local trade terminology sometimes may be termed "jointers" or "tuckpointing irons (primarily in London where the trade originated)."

The tools themselves are made from a hardened quality tool steel and are shaped with a sharp pointed front with a flat base. They have a wooden handle which is attached with a brass ferrel.

Thicknesses or widths of tuckpointing tools may between 2mm to 10mm depending on he tuckpointers' personal preferences. Standard tuckpointing tools most commonly used in industry are usually 4mm and 6mm thick.

Lengths of tools also vary depending on personal preferences, but the most common lengths are usually between 75 and 125mm. However professionals sometimes like a much shorter tool, for instance one 30mm long which is flat on the front in order to get into hard to reach spots, for instance under window brick work and in corners.

Tools are sometimes "beaded". This means that a small rounded fillet is ground into the flat of the tuckpointing tool that comes into contact with the "perps" or "lines" in the brickwork. (In bricklaying terms, "perp" is a bricklaying term for the gap between the bricks in which which mortar runs in the vertical direction, perpendicular to the ends. "Lines" run in the horizontal direction).

Tuckpointing is a fairly rare but not forgotten trade these days. Many historic homes with stunning classic Italianate architecture like the Werribee Mansion, in Victoria, Australia west of Melbourne, show good examples of recent tuckpointing which display the contrast between the tuckpointed white lines in the mortar between the bluestone architecture. Tuckpointed homes are visually appealing to any generation because they bring out the lines in the brickwork.

Dust exposure

As brick buildings age, the mortar between the bricks starts to fall apart and needs to be replaced to prevent water intrusion into the building. Before replacing the mortar, some of the old mortar must be removed, often by using a grinder. Workers who use grinders to remove deteriorated mortar between bricks may be exposed to crystalline silica in the dust they generate. That exposure can be limited through the use of exhaust shrouds, vacuum-based ventilation systems, and respirators.