The repointing-brickwork rate on the platform covers a wide range because mortar type is one of the biggest cost and quality drivers -- a lime-based mortar for older solid-wall construction behaves very differently to a modern polymer-modified repair mortar used on concrete or newer brickwork.
Why this matters
Repointing with the wrong mortar is a common and expensive mistake on older care home buildings. A hard cement-rich mortar on a solid pre-1919 wall traps moisture behind it and can accelerate frost damage to the brick faces themselves, turning a repointing job into a much larger brick replacement job within a few years.
What to do
- 1On solid-wall, pre-1919 or listed-adjacent buildings, specify a lime-based mortar rather than a hard cement mix -- it lets the wall breathe and is designed to be the sacrificial, easier-to-repair element rather than the brick.
- 2On modern cavity-wall construction or where a proprietary structural repair mortar is needed (rather than standard repointing), a polymer-modified repair mortar meeting EN 1504-3 Class R3 -- such as Sika MonoTop-615, tested to over 25 N/mm2 compressive strength at 28 days -- is the appropriate specification, not a general jointing mortar.
- 3Match new mortar colour and joint profile to the surrounding original work where the building is in a sensitive or conservation setting; a mismatched repoint is a common resident and family complaint even when the workmanship is sound.
- 4Where repeated repointing callouts occur on the same elevation, treat it as a signal to check for a deeper cause -- rising damp, a failed rainwater goods detail overhead, or ground movement -- rather than simply repeating the same repair (see the crack stitching guide and the guttering repair rate for related causes).
Primary source
Sika -- MonoTop-615 Technical Data Sheet
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