DEAR TIM: I’ve just placed an offer to purchase a two-bedroom house. It’s an older building, probably close to 70 or more years old. After placing the offer, I then took a closer look around the ...

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical U.S. family spends close to $1,300 a year on their home’s utility bills. Small leaks around the house often waste a lot of that energy. There ...

Brick walkway or patio mortar joints need to be almost level with the brick tops to avoid water damage, as well as deter unwanted plant growth. Repairing the mortar joints between walkway or patio ...

Q. I need to repair the mortar joints on my older brick home that was built in the late 1800s. I’ve seen some horrible workmanship where the mortar doesn’t match at all, and I want to avoid this. How ...

Dear Tim: I have a lovely brick patio that has mortar between the brick. After pressure-washing it this past weekend, I noticed several locations where the mortar has disintegrated. Most of the mortar ...

Brick and mortar is a solid building material, but it won't last forever. Here are the basics for "tuckpointing", the process of repairing and rebuilding a brick wall. The mortar and cement holding ...

Q: My 10-year-old house developed some cosmetic cracks in the mortar. I got some bids to have tuck-pointing work done and nearly gagged. I'm wondering about using a special caulk I found that's made ...

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As the weather starts to change, cracks in stone and paver walkways can begin to be more of a problem. Moisture can work its way into any cracks in ...

If properly designed and constructed, brick masonry can be highly durable and tends to demand little in the way of routine repairs. However, it is still important to conduct regular inspection of the ...