Masonry, also referred to as masonry restoration, is often part of a home renovation project for an attractive new exterior. It can be the finishing touch to the overall project, including brickwork, stone, tile work, and more. The following information will help you work with your contractor to choose the right materials and more:
Clean Your Brick
Before beginning with restorations to masonry, you want to make sure that the surfaces are clean. This will make it easier to repair or replace brick. It will also allow you to locate issues that need to be repaired easier. A masonry contractor will help with the brick cleaning before doing other restoration work to your home.
You might want to do the cleaning of the masonry surfaces yourself if the contractor doesn't do this work. When cleaning brick, always wear protective clothing. Gloves will keep the chemicals from your skin. A mask will keep chemicals from your lungs. When you wear protective equipment, always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Also, never clean bricks on a hot day. Heat can make the bricks dry faster, and that could cause the brick to crack or cause other damage. After cleaning the bricks, use a large sponge to thoroughly rinse the brick, and then allow it to dry.
Understanding Mortar
The most important thing to know about mortar is that mortar is not the same as concrete. Mortar is a chemical binding agent. It is made of sand, cement, and lime. The sand is coarse and gritty. The cement is powdery. The lime is alkaline, making the mixture sticky and keeping the mixture from hardening too quickly. The lime also reacts with the cement, turning it from a powdery powder into a paste.
When renovating your brickwork, there are various options for the mortar. First, you have a choice of different colors of mortar that can be used. There are also different techniques for masonry mortar, such as squashed mortar joints. There are also options like tuckpointing, which is a technique that uses mortar to restore the face of the brick.
Choosing Masonry Materials
There are various choices for the masonry materials that you choose to use for your renovations. Masonry materials come in thousands of different varieties, and the right choice depends on the look you want to achieve, how much work you want to do yourself, and how easy you want your job to be.
Brick is the traditional material for home exteriors and interior walls. Bricks are available in different colors, textures, blends, and shapes. They can be laid in rows of different combinations of stretchers and headers. Bricks come in different sizes, too.
Using brick gives you the flexibility to finish your exterior or interior walls any way you want. You can combine colors and use different brick styles, shapes, textures, or even patterns. In addition to brick, you also have options like natural stone that can give you just as many options for the finish for your home.
When working with a contractor, ensure you communicate about the best materials to provide the best solution for your project.
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