Tuckpointing is a masonry technique using two colors of mortar, one matching the bricks, to create a uniform look. Originating in 18th century Great Britain, it mimicked smooth brick structures. A bending tool is used to fill joints. It is now rarely used in new construction but popular for renovating older buildings.
Tuckpointing is a masonry technique that is sometimes used with brick wall and walkway construction. The strategy itself involves using two different colors of mortar, with one of those colors identical to the hue of the bricks themselves. The overall effect of this approach helps provide a very uniform look to the finished construction.
The origin of tuckpointing is generally traced to Great Britain during the latter part of the 18th century. Employed as a technique that mimicked the look of structures composed of smooth bricks, the process used unsmoothed bricks that were laid in mortar that matched the color of the bricks. Rubbed bricks are traditionally made from a mixture of sand and clay, fired, then rubbed to shape the brick and give it a smooth finish. The joints along the rough surface of the unpolished bricks would be filled with white grout, leaving the impression of a smooth surface much like that of the more expensive rubbed variety. By using tuckpointing, the rough surfaces of unpolished bricks, which were often made of lower grades of clay and other materials, could be effectively filled in, making it possible to create the same look and texture to the structure, but without the added expense associated with polished brick.
To perform this type of masonry construction, the brick masons would use a basic bending tool which was made in different sizes. Sometimes referred to as a bending or carpenter’s iron, the tools are normally made of hard steel and sport a flat base coupled with a very sharp pointed front end. A wooden handle is usually attached to the body of the device, making it much easier to position and control the tool.
The choice of iron or carpenter often has to do with the precision required to fill the joint and achieve the desired look. For the most part, tasks involving hard-to-reach spots require a shorter joiner, allowing the mason to more precisely control the angle of the flat of the tool. For larger jobs, longer tools allow the mason to move faster, thus finishing the job more quickly and allowing the mortar to set.
While a very popular masonry technique in years gone by, tuckpointing is rarely used in new construction today. However, this strategy remains a popular approach when renovating various types of brick buildings that were built from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. As interest in building new homes that capture the style of Victorian and earlier era homes has increased, the demand for tuckpointing has enjoyed a limited resurgence in some areas of the world. Even so, some homebuilders prefer to use more contemporary methods to capture that same Old World look.
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