Wall finishes - Pointing, its necessity and method.

Pointing :-

   Pointing is a process of finishing the mortar joints in the exposed masonry with suitable cement or lime mortar. It can be done just after the completion of the wall or later.

Necessity of pointing :-

• To protect the joints from weather condition.
• To improve the appearance of the building structure.
• It is comparatively a cheaper method of protecting the joints.

For pointing generally two types of mortar is used.

1. lime mortar  (1 : 2)
2. cement mortar (1: 3)

Method of pointing :-

1. All the mortar joints in the masonry are racked out to depth of 10 - 15 mm with the help of pointing tools.
2. Dust and loose mortar are thoroughly cleaned.
3. The joints and the surface are washed with clean water and kept wet for sometime.
4. The joints are filled up with mortar by using small trowel, by pressing it into the joints to form a close contact with the old mortar joints.
5. Excess mortar is scrapped away.
6. The finished work is cured for 3-4 days in case of lime mortar and for 10 days when cement mortar is used.

Thank You.