13/05/2020 What Is Pointing | Types of Pointing | Keyed Pointing : CivilJungle
CEMENT • CIVIL • CONCRETE
What Is Pointing | Types of Pointing | Keyed Pointing
12th February 2020 6 Min Read
Table of Contents
What Is Pointing?
Types of Pointing In Brick Construction
Mortar for Pointing Works
Surface Preparation for Aiming
Pointing Methods
Types of Pointing
Keyed Pointing
Cut Pointing
Flush Pointing
Recessed Point
Beaded Pointing
Tuck Pointing
V- Pointing
What Is Poin ng?
Pointing is the term given to the “ nish” that sits between the bricks or stone used to build your home.
Depending on the age of the building, the mortar used to deposit the stone or brick will be made of lime or, more recently, cement.
Pointing incorrectly causes irreparable damage to older buildings. It is essential to understand what mortar joints really do for the fabric of the home.
The function of mortar on the wall is to act as a foundation between stones and varies from ne joints in the stonework to larger joints in rubble masonry
walls.
The joints are e ectively reduced in size by inserting small stones and ‘cut’ pieces of stone. While acting as a bed, the mortar must also perform other
functions:
It must prevent water from penetrating through the joints due to its physical presence almost like a masonry ‘sponge’ but it must allow the wall to breathe
and drain, porosity being a key factor when choosing a mortar to refer to.
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13/05/2020 What Is Pointing | Types of Pointing | Keyed Pointing : CivilJungle
It must be exible to allow movement/settlement of the structure due to thermal responses and settlement within the structure.
Many former large buildings are not designed with today’s modern expansion/contraction joints.
The strength of the mortar should always be less than that of the surrounding stones and should be considered as a sacri cial element of the wall and
seen as a maintenance item that needs to be replaced, possibly every century.
The condition of the stone walls cannot be seen in isolation, and replacing any walls will not cure water ingress problems caused by other construction
failures, such as gutters, roofs, and lead.
They must be in good condition to maintain the useful life of the wall elements.
The walls need to breathe – and, if the indicator does not allow it, the wall will quickly deteriorate. Mortar joints are the lungs of a wall – they allow water
inside the structure to enter and exit freely.
If the water tries to come out through stone or brick, it will slowly disintegrate. Block the mortar joints, and the wall will be destroyed.
The mortar must be softer than the material with which the wall is constructed. The indication must be subservient to the material with which the wall is
constructed and visually assume a secondary function.
Also, read: Mortar Vs Cement | Type of Cement | Type of Mortar
Types of Pointing In Brick Construction
Pointing is the nishing of mortar joints in the construction of bricks. Aiming is the implementation of joints at a depth of 10 mm to 20 mm and lls it with
better quality mortar in the desired shape.
It is made for cement mortar and lime mortar joints.
Exposed joints are considered the weakest and most vulnerable points from which rainwater or moisture can enter.
Mortar for Pointing Works
1: 2 lime mortar (1 fat lime: 2 sand)
1: 3 cement mortar (1 cement: 3 sand)
Surface Preparation for Aiming
All masonry joints are joined to a depth of 20 mm, while the mortar is still soft. The joints and surfaces are cleaned and then completely wet.
Poin ng Methods
After preparing the surface, as mentioned above, the mortar is carefully placed on the joints using a small spatula. The mortar placed must have the
desired shape.
Whenever the fresh mortar is placed on the joints, it must be pressed hard to obtain a strong connection with the old internal mortar.
Care must be taken when using rst-class ashlar or masonry. Otherwise, the mortar does not cover the edges of the face. The pointed surface is kept wet
for at least a week or plowed after application.
Also, read: Why Is Polymer Mortar/Concrete | Type of Polymer Mortar/Concrete
Types of Poin ng
Keyed Poin ng
In this type of pointing, the mortar is pressed on the joints joined and nished with the face of the wall.
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13/05/2020 What Is Pointing | Types of Pointing | Keyed Pointing : CivilJungle
While the pressed mortar is still green, a groove is formed, passing the folded end of a small steel bar (6 mm in diameter) straight along the centerline of
the joints. Vertical joints are also nished in the same way.
Cut Poin ng
In this type of pointing, the mortar is pressed rst in joints. While the mortar is still green, the top of the horizontal joints is pressed from 3 to 6 mm with
the pointing tool.
Thus, the joint is nished by tilting from the top of the joint to the bottom.
Flush Poin ng
In this type, the mortar is pressed hard on the joined joints and ends ush with the edge of the masonry units. The edges are well trimmed with a spatula
and a straight edge. It doesn’t look good.
However, aiming the ush is more durable because it resists the provision of space for dust, water, etc. for this reason, this method is widely used.
Recessed Point
In this case, the mortar is pressing 5 mm or more at the edges. During the placement of the mortar, the face of the sharpener is held vertically, using a
suitable tool. This guy looks really good.
Beaded Poin ng
It is formed by steel or ironed with a concave edge. It looks good but will damage easily when compared to other types.
Tuck Poin ng
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In this case, the mortar is pressed rst at the anchored joint and nished with the face.
While the pressed mortar is green, the channel or narrow channel is cut in the center of the channel, which is 5 mm wide and 3 mm deep.
This groove is then lled with white cement mass, projected beyond the face of the joint by 3 mm. If the projection is made in the mortar, it is called a
pointing bastard or half a bend point.
V- Poin ng
This is formed by forming a V-groove in the leveled nishing face. Weathered Pointing
This is done by making a V-shaped projection.
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What Is Structural Settlement| Causes For Structural Settlement|What Is Soil Settlement & Foundation Structural Settlement
A liateLabz
16th February 2020 at 4:21 am
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂
REPLY
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