Repointing
Pointing at pointing….
My name is Tom Kenrick. I am a stone carver and building conservator living in Somerset. I am passionate about the conservation and restoration of old houses. I have worked on many old stone buildings, from tiny local cottages to Westminster Abbey, and I aim to promote the use of natural lime mortar in buildings instead of cement.
See more of my work at repointing Somerset on Facebook
What is pointing?
Pointing is the term used to describe the mortar between stones or bricks in a building. Its purpose is to act as the sacrificial component of the building, protecting the masonry from the effects of frost damage and other types of weathering by absorbing water from the surrounding stone and allowing it to escape by evaporation.
What’s wrong with cement?
· Modern cement and sand pointing mixtures produce a very hard mortar which is harmful to masonry and one of the main causes of stone decay.
· Cement mortar is impermeable to water; therefore moisture in the stonework is unable to escape. This causes damp to be retained in the wall, and the face of the stone to disintegrate.
· Cement mortar is very ugly-ruining the look of a building because of its distinctive grey colour. Pointing is traditionally a lighter colour than the surrounding stone-highlighting the beautiful tones within the stone.
Lime mortar is far superior to cement in terms of aesthetic qualities as well as function. It has been used as a construction material in the UK for over two thousand years, and is the preferred mortar of building conservators. Despite this, most builders will wrongly recommend the use of a cement mortar for re pointing.
How do I know if my building needs re pointing?
Signs include: crumbling pointing which has fallen out; or cement pointing still going strong whilst the stone rots around it. Re pointing a building will improve the look of it, as well as protecting the stone If you are thinking of re-pointing your building in lime, call me, I am more than happy to give free advice regarding building conservation.
For a free advice and Quotation:
Call Tom Kenrick 07746218062
E-mail kenricktom@hotmail.com
Visit my workshop at Station Yard, Castle Cary, Train Station, Somerset.
Blocked or leaking down pipes and guttering if left unrepaired results in pointing failure.
This quickly leads to massive water penetration and expensive internal repairs.
