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.

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 ...

Dear James: The mortar between the wall bricks is crumbling in spots and looks bad. How can I repair it so that it does not look much different from the existing mortar joints? — Nick R. Dear Nick: It ...

My guess is that most of the bricks you’ve seen in your lifetime have been very uniform in shape. Each brick is rectangular.

Pre-mixed mortar products were virtually nonexistent before the 1980s, when nearly every mason blended raw materials on-site by hand. Modern polymer-modified mortars bond more tightly than traditional ...

When the mortar between bricks starts to fail, more significant problems will begin to emerge. Water will have an easier passage into the structure of your home, leading to unwanted damp issues.