Most of the bricks you’ve seen in your lifetime have been very uniform in shape. Each brick is rectangular. This is by design ...

Question: It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I had my brick building repointed with new mortar, and it has deteriorated quickly. Do you have any idea what caused it to happen? The building ...

You may not know this, but I received a bachelor of science degree in geology many moons ago. I was fascinated by the topic, and it helped me build houses and buildings that would not fail.

Dear James: We have a brick house and the mortar between the bricks has fallen out in spots. It looks terrible. What is the best method to repair this and how can I get new mortar to look like the old ...

INDIANAPOLIS – Do you know what “repointing” bricks means? By definition, it consists of “removing a portion of the deteriorated mortar and redoing the joints with new mortar.” Doing that basically ...

Q. I need to repair the mortar joints on my older brick home that was built in the late 1800s. I’ve seen some horrible workmanship where the mortar doesn’t match at all, and I want to avoid this. How ...

The mortar in between these bricks was repaired, but the mix failed. It can be removed and repaired. (Courtesy of Tim Carter) Analysis by Tim Carter It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I ...

Q: I’m about to undertake a complex project. I’ve got an older brick home that’s over 100 years old. There are places where the mortar needs attention. The bigger issue is a room addition we’ve got ...

DEAR TIM: It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I had my brick building repointed with new mortar, and it has deteriorated quickly. Do you have any idea what caused it to happen? The building ...