Guide
How to get lime mortar repointing for a Victorian or Georgian house
The short answer: have the brickwork looked at in person, use a specialist who repoints in lime (never cement), check whether the house is listed or in a conservation area, and get a written quote that names the mortar and the joint finish.
Know your house
Victorian and Georgian brickwork is not the same
Both were built with lime mortar, but the bricks and the joint finishes differ. A good repointing job copies what the house was built with, so it helps to know which you have.
| Georgian (about 1714 to 1837) | Victorian (1837 to 1901) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical brick | Soft handmade brick, often London stock | Stock brick, and later harder machine-made brick |
| Typical joints | Fine joints, often flush or tuck pointed | Weather-struck or flush; tuck pointing on some early Victorian fronts |
| Mortar | Lime, often a soft lime putty mix | Lime |
| Listed or conservation area? | Often | Sometimes, especially in conservation areas |
| What to avoid | Cement, and wide or smeared joints | Cement, and changing the joint profile |
Step by step
How to get it done properly
- Check the signs. Crumbling or recessed mortar, damp patches inside after rain, hard grey cement that is cracking, or brick faces flaking next to cement joints. See lime mortar repointing for more.
- Find a lime specialist. Ask the contractor what mortar they will use, how they match the colour and joint profile, whether they are insured, and if you can see photos of past work on similar houses.
- Check listing and conservation rules. If the house is listed or in a conservation area, ask your council’s conservation officer what is needed before work starts.
- Get a written quote after a site visit. Repointing can’t be priced properly from a photo. The quote should name the mortar, the joint finish and what’s included: labour, materials, scaffolding and clean-up.
- Know what happens on site. The lime mix is matched to the original, the joints are packed in layers and finished to the right profile, and the fresh work is protected while it cures.
Questions to ask
What to ask any contractor
- Will you use lime mortar throughout, with no cement added?
- How will you match the mortar colour and the joint finish?
- Is the house listed or in a conservation area, and does that change the specification?
- Is scaffolding included in the quote?
- Are you insured, and can I see work you’ve done on a house like mine?
Ready to talk it through? Every job starts with a free site visit and a written quote. See typical prices in our repointing cost guide, or the tuck pointing and weather-struck repointing pages for the finishes.
Common questions
Victorian and Georgian repointing questions
Yes. Victorian houses were built with soft bricks and lime mortar. Lime lets damp dry out through the joints and is softer than the brick, so the mortar wears instead of the brick. Hard cement traps moisture and can make the brick faces spall.
Yes, and Georgian brick is often softer still. Many Georgian fronts also have fine joints or tuck pointing, so the mortar colour and joint profile need matching carefully. Many Georgian houses are listed, which usually means lime is required.
Like-for-like repairs often need no consent, but changing the mortar or the look of the pointing on a listed building can need listed building consent. Check with your local council’s conservation officer before work starts. We can advise when we visit.
Yes. Cement pointing can be taken out carefully and replaced with lime. It takes more care than removing soft lime, so we check how hard it is when we look at the job and allow for it in the quote.
Repointing the front of a standard Victorian terrace starts from £4,000 for labour. Your written quote sets out materials, scaffolding and access as well. See the repointing cost guide for what affects the price.
Done properly with the right lime mortar, repointing should last decades. A well-made weather-struck joint is typically good for 30 to 50 years, depending on how exposed the wall is.
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