Had to choose between a 3/8 and 1/2 inch joint on a weird old chimney in St. Louis

The homeowner wanted it repointed but the original bricks were all over the place, some joints were fat, some were skinny. My buddy Steve said to just go with the 1/2 inch and pack it, but I went with the 3/8 to try and keep it looking more uniform. It took forever matching each one and I'm still not sure it was the right call. Anyone ever run into a mess like that on an old repair?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.grace2mo ago

Consider the long-term moisture risk with a bigger joint on old, soft brick. A half-inch of modern mortar might hold more water against the brick face during freeze-thaw cycles, leading to spalling down the road. Your 3/8 choice could actually be the more protective fix, even if it was a pain to do. Did the homeowner care more about looks now or the chimney lasting another fifty years?

oscarkelly2mo ago

Man, I've been there with those crazy old brick joints, and matching them is a total nightmare.

lisa_wilson8714d ago

How old exactly were those bricks you were matching? I ran into a job last year where the mortar was basically lime putty and sand from the 1800s, and nothing modern would match no matter what I tried. Did you bust out any test panels before committing to a mix, or just wing it and hope for the best? Because I wasted a whole day mixing five different batches once before I got close, and even then the color was off by a shade. The old stuff just has that irregular look from hand-mixing that's almost impossible to copy with bagged mortar.