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Countless new and historical homes, office buildings, churches and other historic landmarks in the Chicagoland area are constructed of masonry, brick, stone or concrete blocks, and these can last for 100 years or more. The mortar holding the masonry in place, however, has a shorter life span. Building settlement, rain, dirt and temperature fluctuations all take their toll, meaning that if properly installed initially, the mortar has a life span of approximately 35 years, perhaps a little longer. After that, when the mortar begins to fail, tuckpointing becomes essential to maintain the integrity of the building. And if you’re looking for tuckpointing contractors in Wilmette or other areas of Chicagoland, we hope Fortune Restoration will be your first choice.

 

Perhaps you’re not even familiar with the term tuckpointing, so let us explain. Simply stated, tuckpointing is the removal of old, failing mortar between brick, stone or blocks, replacing it with new mortar to match the texture and color of the original mortar as closely as possible.

 

If the mortar in your brick home or building is starting to fail with cracks developing and chunks of mortar falling out, you may be tempted to fix it yourself by running to the nearest home supply store to buy a supply of ready-mix mortar.

 

Unfortunately, you’ve already made your first tuckpointing mistake. The mortar found at the big box stores is designed for use with modern brick, and that brick is much harder than the brick found in historical homes and buildings. If the mortar you’re using is harder than your original brick, the bricks will probably begin to crack and fall apart, allowing moisture to penetrate and settle in the walls.

 

Beyond using the wrong mortar, another common tuckpointing mistake is repairing the mortar and masonry before checking for other problems, such as foundation settling. If you have a foundation problem, and tuckpointing is done before that issue is addressed, when the foundation is finally repaired and the structure lifted, new cracks can develop, and walls can lean away from the house or come off the foundation entirely.

 

For tuckpointing problems, you need specialists who can properly assess your problem and then undertake the necessary repairs, and at Fortune Restoration we have those skilled experts. For the highest quality tuckpointing services in Wilmette, call us today at 847-647-2500 and let our specialists add years to the life of your home or building.