A reader recently emailed me, seeking advice on whether to take on a do-it-yourself repair of the mortar around her brick masonry. She regularly performs hands-on maintenance around her home, she said ...

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 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 have recently noticed some deterioration in the brick work at the base of our chimney. The mortar around a number of bricks is cracked and crumbling, resulting in loose bricks. Our house is about ...

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 ...

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 ...