Guide
Repointing or brick restoration: which does your wall need?
The short answer: repointing replaces worn mortar between the bricks. Brick restoration repairs the bricks themselves, which can mean replacing spalled bricks, cleaning, tinting and crack repairs. If the mortar has failed but the bricks are sound, you need repointing. If the bricks are damaged, stained or cracked, you need restoration, which usually includes repointing too.
Side by side
Repointing vs brick restoration
| Repointing | Brick restoration | |
|---|---|---|
| What it fixes | Worn, crumbling or cement mortar joints | Damaged, stained, cracked or mismatched bricks, and the wall as a whole |
| Typical work | Repoint in lime mortar matched to the original | Replace spalled bricks, clean, tint, stitch cracks, then repoint |
| When you need it | Bricks are sound but the joints have failed | Bricks are damaged, or the wall has cracks, staining or old paint or render |
| Guide price | From £4,000 for the front of a standard Victorian terrace (labour) | Priced on survey |
| Related pages | Lime mortar repointing | Full facade restoration |
Signs to look for
Signs you need repointing
- Mortar that crumbles when you scratch it, or has worn back behind the brick face
- Gaps, plants or moss growing in the joints
- Hard grey cement pointing that is cracking or coming away
- Damp patches on inside walls after heavy rain
Signs to look for
Signs you need brick restoration
- Brick faces flaking, crumbling or spalling, often next to cement joints
- Cracks running through the bricks, or stepped cracks along the joints
- Heavy staining, soot or old paint on the brickwork
- Patched repairs in bricks that don’t match the rest of the wall
- Pebbledash or render hiding brickwork underneath
Ageing walls
What a full restoration usually involves
On older masonry walls the work is done in an order that protects each stage. Not every wall needs every step.
- Structural repairs. Cracks are stitched and failed wall ties replaced, for example with Helifix systems.
- Remove coatings. Pebbledash and render or paint is removed to reveal the brick.
- Replace damaged bricks. Spalled bricks are cut out and replaced with bricks matched to the originals.
- Clean. Staining and soot are removed with gentle cleaning or DOFF steam.
- Repoint. Joints are raked out and repointed in lime mortar matched to the brick.
- Tint. Any new or mismatched bricks are tinted so the whole wall reads as one.
Not sure which you need? We’ll look at the wall in person and tell you honestly, free and with no obligation. See typical prices in the repointing cost guide.
Common questions
Repointing and restoration questions
Repointing replaces the worn mortar in the joints between the bricks. Brick restoration repairs the bricks and the wall as a whole: replacing damaged bricks, cleaning, tinting, crack stitching and usually repointing as well.
If the bricks are sound and the problem is crumbling or missing mortar, repointing is enough. If bricks are spalling, cracked, badly stained or mismatched, or the wall has structural cracks, it needs restoration work as well.
Usually, because it covers more work. Repointing the front of a standard Victorian terrace starts from £4,000 for labour. Restoration is priced on survey, because it depends on how many bricks need replacing and what cleaning, tinting or crack repair is needed.
Usually before. Cleaning first means the new mortar isn’t stained, and it shows the true colour of the brick so the mortar can be matched to it.
Most often, moisture trapped in the brick freezes and pushes the face off. Hard cement pointing on soft old bricks is a common cause, because it stops the wall drying out through the joints.
Ready to restore your property?
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