What are the basic parts of a tuck pointer?

Shop for Tuck Pointers

The structure of a tuck pointer is very simple. All types of

tuck pointer have a long blade which is thin enough to fit
into brick joints, attached via a tang and ferrule to a
handle that is far enough from the base of the blade for
the user to press mortar into a brick joint without their
hand coming into contact with the wall.

Blade
The blade of a tuck pointer has a long toe and pronounced
heel, to allow it to fill the whole length of a brick joint.
The blades on conventional tuck pointers also have
narrow edges to allow them to slice easily through
mortar.

Some manufacturers produce tuck pointers with tall, thin

blades that are useful for cutting and carrying larger slices
of mortar.

Taller tuck pointers sometimes have grooved blades

which leave a 'bead' of lighter-coloured mortar when they
are scored over recently-laid mortar. This is useful for
traditional tuck pointing.

Ferrule
Tuck pointers are usually held together by a ferrule: a
circular clamp that holds the blade and tang in place
through "crimping" (depressed grooves in the metal
created by a crimping tool). Rubber or fibreglass tuck
pointers sometimes lack a ferrule, and the handle is
simply sealed around the tang, or attached via a joint that
allows the handle to rotate. For more information on
alternatives to the ferrule, see What are the different types
of tuck pointer?

Grip
The grip of the tuck pointer is simply the part held by the
user while they are using the tool. It is angled away from
the blade to ensure as much comfort and leverage as
possible.

Tang
The blade and tang of the tuck pointer are usually forged
as one piece, but may be welded together, with the tang
extending up into the grip, secured by a ferrule. This
structure allows the user to apply greater pressure with the
tuck pointer, because the force is leveraged through the
handle rather than being fixed on the point of connection
between the handle and the blade

What are the different types of tuck

pointer?
Shop for Tuck Pointers
Standard tuck pointers can be found in a variety of
different widths, lengths, and depths, to suit different
situations and fit in different brick joints. The blades
commonly range in width from 6mm (") to 25mm
(1"), although some are as narrow as 1mm (364").

Some manufacturers also make specialist tuckpointing

tools, used for laying contrasting fillets of mortar into
darker-coloured mortar. These are shaped differently to
most tuck pointers and often have grooved blades that
allow them to leave thin beads of lighter-coloured
mortar.

The standard tuck pointer

Most tuck pointers consist of a long, thin blade
connected to a handle by a tang and ferrule. They are
the most versatile kind of tuck pointer, useful for
everyday repointing, as well as applying mortar, caulk
or plaster to areas that might be difficult to reach with
any other kind of pointing trowel.

Tuck pointers with rotating blades

Some tuck pointers have inverted or rotating handles,
which makes them even more useful in tight spaces.
Unfortunately the unfixed tang on this type of tuck
pointer gives them less leverage than a conventional
tuck pointer.

Specialist tuckpointing tools

A regular tuck pointer is fine for any repointing,
plastering or caulking jobs, but it can't cut a narrow bead
through mortar or leave tuck-pointed fillets behind. For
traditional tuckpointing, there are a variety of specialist
tuckpointing tools which can be produced to suit the needs
of the user. These are listed below:

"Square-beaded" tuck pointers

"Square-beaded" tuck pointers, sold by a small number of
manufacturers, have grooves in the base of the blade
which can cut into mortar joints and fill the space with a
bead of contrasting mortar, to achieve an old-fashioned
tuckpointing effect. Whilst great for traditional
tuckpointing, these tools are not very versatile, and can't
be used for everyday repointing or mortar spreading.

Round-cornered tuck pointers

Round-cornered tuck pointers are useful for tuckpointing
rounded bricks. Tuck pointers can be made to specified
concave or convex angles, to suit any curved wall that
needs to be tuckpointed.

Snubnosed tuck pointers

There are also custom-length snubnosed tuck pointers
which have uncommonly short blades. They can be used
to apply mortar to very tight corners or ornate brickwork.

Ornate, decorative architecture often has brick joints that

would be difficult to reach with a conventional tuck
pointer or a larger specialist tuckpointing tool.

Longnosed tuck pointers

As well as snubnosed tuck pointers, there are also
longnosed tuck pointers, which can be equally useful in
reaching difficult brick joints.

How to repoint a wall with a tuck pointer

Shop for Tuck Pointers
The main use of a tuck pointer is to press mortar into
brick joints during repointing. Tuck pointers are useful for
this because they are narrow enough to fit lengthways into
most brick joints.

Repointing a wall needs to be done right, or brickwork

can deteriorate into a very poor condition. It's more than
just slapping on some mortar with a tuck pointer!

Preparation
When repointing a wall, you will need:

Tuck Pointer
Pointing Trowel
Mortar Hawk
Plugging Chisel
Club Hammer

Stiff Hand Brush

Squeegee
Water Bottle or Pressure Sprayer
Several bags of cement or lime
Several bags of sand
Mortar Additive
Spade, trowel, and wheel barrow or 'boat' for
mixing mortar

It is very important to use the right mortar for the wall

you're planning to repoint. In many older buildings, the
brickwork must be repointed with traditional lime mortar
rather than modern cement-based mortar. Older walls are
more susceptible to damp and mould, and the lime mortar
acts as a sponge, absorbing water and allowing it to
evaporate.

Preparing the wall

Step 1 - Remove loose mortar
Before adding new mortar to a wall, it is important to
remove some of the old mortar. Applying a thin layer of
new mortar on top of damaged mortar will only make the
wall more likely to fail. Use the brush to get rid of loose
mortar, being careful not to sweep away chunks of mortar
that are supporting loose bricks.

Step 2 - Make room for the new joint

Once the loose material is gone, use a hammer and chisel
to carefully knock the surface mortar from each brick
joint, to a depth of roughly 6mm (1/4 of an inch). There
needs to be enough space for the new mortar to gain a
foothold, without removing too much of the mortar that's
already in place, which would destabilise the wall.

Step 3 - Wet the wall

Before applying mortar, the wall must be wetted. Dry
bricks and mortar will absorb the moisture out of the new
mortar and stop it from setting properly. Use a water
bottle or paint sprayer to dampen the bricks, and then
dampen them again after the first coat of water has been
absorbed by the bricks.

Mixing the mortar

Step 1- Wet your tools
Before mixing your mortar, wet any tools and receptacles
you'll be using.

Step 2 - Mix your mortar

A batch of mortar should generally have a ratio of one
part of dry cement or lime for every three parts of sand.
You can measure out this mixture by simply adding one
heaped trowel or spadeful of cement for every three
heaped trowels or spadefuls of sand.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixing receptacle and mix
them thoroughly with your trowel before adding water.
Be careful not to dump the ingredients from a height,
which will lead to a lot of cement being lost as dust,
which is dangerous if breathed in.
Add small amounts of water and keep mixing until the
mix has the consistency of mashed potatoes. It's important
for the mortar not to be too wet or too dry. You can test
the consistency as you mix by scooping up a small
amount of mortar on your trowel and letting it slide off.
The consistency will be perfect when the mortar sticks to
the trowel but slides off slowly when you turn the trowel
on its side. If you use a mortar addative (recommended),
make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions.
Try not to make more mortar than you need. Once you
have mixed a batch of mortar, you only have 30-40
minutes before it hardens, after which it cannot be used.
Some builders add more water to their mortar later on to
keep it workable, but this doesn't stop it from hardening at
a chemical level. Any mortar that is more than 40 minutes
old should not be used. It will crack very quickly after it

has been applied, and more repointing will be necessary.

Leave the mortar to 'slake' for seven minutes - this is the

period that it takes for the chemical reactions to take place
which will bond the mortar together.

Applying the mortar

Once the old mortar has been removed, and your new
mortar has slaked, you are ready to start applying the
mortar. Use the pointing trowel to scoop mortar onto your
mortar hawk.

Holding the mortar hawk in one hand and the tuck pointer
in the other, use the tuck pointer to slice off a "lift" of
mortar which is thick enough to fill a bed joint.

Step 1 - Bed Joints

Line up your mortar hawk directly with the bed joint and
use the tuck pointer to push the lift into the joint, packing
it in as much as possible to prevent any pockets of air
being trapped behind it. Repeat this at a fast pace until
you've finished a whole row of bed joints.

Step 2 - Head Joints

After each row of bed joints, fill in the vertical joints in
the same way. When repointing verticals it can be easier
to scrape the mortar off a large pointing trowel rather than
a mortar hawk.

Step 3 - Keep Going!

Continue this process until you've used up your mortar
and a section of the wall is done. For large walls it's better
to stagger your repointing over several sessions, to avoid
weakening the wall or tiring yourself out.

Tidying Up
Step 1 - Cleaning the brick face
Turn the tuck pointer on its side and use it to scrape off
any large flakes or "feathers" of excess mortar.

Go over the wall with your squeegee to remove any

mortar that has built up on the surface of your wall. It is
important to use a squeegee for this step, as a tuck pointer
could leave permanent and unsightly scratch-marks on the
brick face.

Use a stiff brush to clean any remaining mortar off the

brick faces.

Step 2 - Pointing
Now you have finally got to the 'pointing' stage of
repointing. Pointing is the process of shaping a brick joint
to make it more resistant to weather. A popular kind of
pointing is a concave joint, but there are alternative styles.
If you have a round-edged tuck pointer, you can run its
base along the joints to depress the mortar into the right
shape. For drier mortar it can be more effective to use
other pointing tools such as a brick jointer. See Brick
jointers and brick rakes for more information on brick
joints and tools for brick jointing.

Step 3 - Final Wetting

Leave the new joints for several hours and then apply a
mist of water over the bricks to keep the mortar wet and
ensure the proper chemical hardening process.

Step 4 - Clean your tools

Once you have finished repointing, it is important to clean
your tools properly. See Tuck pointer maintenance and
care for details of how to look after your tuck pointer.

How to tuckpoint a wall

Shop for Tuck Pointers
Traditional tuckpointing (which is not the same thing as
regular repointing!) is a fine art, with many secrets known
only to a small number of master craftsmen - but that's no
reason why you shouldn't give it a go. You will need
many of the same tools as you would when repointing a
wall. See How to repoint a wall with a tuck pointer for a
full list. In addition, you will need the following tools and
materials.

Tuckpointing Tools and Materials

You will need:

A professional tuckpointing tool, with a grooved

edge that can leave a square bead of contrasting
mortar

A tuckpointer's straight edge (or a thin, straightedged plank of wood)

Two contrasting colours of mortar. One colour

needs to resemble the colour of the brickwork.
The other, used for the fillet, is usually white.
Many tuckpointers use lime mortar (non-hydraulic
lime mixed with water to create a slurry) as a
fillet.

A Frenchman

How to tuckpoint
Step 1 - Mix brick-coloured mortar
The most important element of tuckpointing is creating a
mortar which disguises the original brick joint. To do this,
the mortar needs to be roughly the same colour as the
brick work. This can be achieved by buying pre-coloured
dry cement, adding a dye to the mortar mix, or trying to
colour the mortar yourself using sand that is a similar
colour to the brick. The basics of mixing mortar are
explained in How to repoint a wall with a tuckpointer.

Step 2 - Apply brick-coloured mortar

Once you've mixed the mortar, apply it to the wall which
you want to tuckpoint. Ensure that the mortar fills the
entire joint and is flush (in line with) with the surface of
the brick.

Step 3- Mix contrasting mortar

Quickly mix a batch of lime mortar, combining nonhydraulic lime with sand and water, using the same
methods lined out in How to repoint a wall with a tuck
pointer.

Step 4 - Line up the straight edge

Compact a large lump of lime mortar against one side of
your straight edge (this will come in handy in the next
step), then place the straight edge against the wall, with
the mortar facing out towards you. If you've compacted
the mortar, it should stay on the straight edge without
falling off. Once you've prepared the mortar, line up the
straight edge with the bed joint so that the top is slightly
less than halfway up the joint.

Step 5 - Collect lime mortar with your tuck

pointer
Holding your straight edge with one hand, use the other
hand to scrape some lime mortar onto your tuck pointer,
filling the groove on the base of the blade.

Step 6 - Score your tuck pointer along the

straight edge
Run the tuck pointer along the top of the straight edge,
scoring the brick-coloured mortar and leaving a bead of
contrasting mortar.

Step 7 - Continue
Keep scoring beads until you've laid all of the bed joints
you need. Do this roughly one brick at a time.

Step 8 - Cut the fillet

Once you have left a fillet in the joint, go over it with the
Frenchman and shave off the excess mortar, so that the
fillet is flush with the mortar.

Step 9 - Lay vertical fillets

After laying beads of lime mortar in your horizontal bed
joints, repeat the process with your vertical head joints.

Step 10 - Cut vertical fillets

Use the Frenchman to shave off the excess mortar from
vertical fillets.

Step 11 - Done!
If you've followed our steps correctly, then
congratulations! You've tuckpointed your wall like the
master tuckpointers of old.

Repointing:
How to Properly
Restore Old Buildings
By Mario Cantin
Invisible Tuckpointing Ltd.
So much has happened in the last 100 years: the automobile, electricity, the airplane, two
world wars, television, space exploration, computers and a lot more. Consequently, we live
faster and we build faster as well.
Unfortunately, unless you are over 90 years old, masons have never been exposed to how our
predecessors used to build, due to the advent of the modern cavity wall and cement-based
mortars, which have replaced traditional bonding methods and lime-based mortars. This only
becomes problematic when we attempt to repair older structures. It is especially made evident
when repointing is attempted on older buildings using the wrong mortar mix and the
wrong joint finishing style to boot.
Just as we do a professional job when building new masonry projects, we can achieve the
same degree of quality through acquired knowledge when tackling older structures.
Definition of the Terms
So what do you need to know? Let's start with this basic question: What is repointing? Have
you ever wondered what the difference is between the words "pointing," "jointing,"
"repointing" and "tuckpointing"? Although there is no longer a distinction, even among
engineers, between the terms, over a century ago the difference was clear.

Figure 1: A wellpreserved example of

tuckpointing performed
circa 1850.

Figure 2: Along with

removal of the old
mortar, sanding of the
brick was done to create
an even surface in
preparation for the
tuckpointing to be
performed.

"Jointing" referred to the process of finishing the joint as the

brickwork was erected. Jointing is what all bricklayers do today.

Figure 3: The joint was

filled with a mortar
exactly matching the
brick color using a typical
tuckpointer tool.

"Pointing" denoted the placement and careful tooling of a mortar

joint between bricks or stones. In contrast to jointing, pointing was
the process of raking back the mortar joint a few days after the
completion of the brickwork and was usually done by a different
crew that was skilled in delivering a high-quality, consistent
decorative finish to the joint. Also, jointing was performed at the rear
and sides of a building, with only the front faade being pointed.
"Repointing" referred to replacing a mortar joint when it had failed,
on average about once a century. This was typically the type of
restoration work completed on older mortar.

Figure 4: The joint was

cut flush to create the
illusion of looking at a
solid sheet of clay when
viewed from a distance.

"Tuckpointing" (Figure 1) is an interesting one, which will need

further explanation.

The word "tuckpointing" once referred to a specialized application of

pointing that consisted of first sanding the bricks to a smooth, even
surface (Figure 2), then masking the original mortar joint with a thin
one that matched the brick in color, usually red (Figure 3). One
would have created up to this point the illusion of looking at a
solid wall of clay, as opposed to a wall consisting of individual
bricks (Figure 4). Then, after having rubbed the red mortar with a
piece of jute and dying the work to a uniform color, fine lines were
Figure 5: A fine lime putty
cut with a knife into the "masking" mortar while it was still soft, in a
mortar joint was tucked
over the lines and
rigidly symmetrical fashion to produce a perfect geometrical outline
meticulously trimmed
of each brick. At that point, a fine, usually white, lime putty mortar
using a knife and a
featheredge as a guide.
joint was tucked over the lines and meticulously manicured, you
might want to say, so as to create the illusion that the wall had been
laid with perfectly rectangular bricks in a mortar bed as thin as
1/16th of an inch! (Figure 5)
Tuckpointing originated in England in the 17th century as a cheaper alternative to gauged
brickwork which was the ultimate method of laying bricks, consisting of rubbing the
stones to exact dimensions and perfect edges, then dipping them lightly into lime putty,
providing a true 1/16" joint. Tuckpointing subsequently became the pointing style of choice
during the Georgian and Victorian periods, minimally for the front faade of brick buildings.
If you live by or have visited older towns where Georgian and Victorian brick buildings are
prevalent, you undoubtedly have come into contact with true tuckpointing, whether you've
realized or not.
It is interesting to note that "hiding" immediately behind what seems to have been a
misunderstood nomenclature was a lost art, which, I am pleased to announce, has now been
fully brought back to life in North America.

The Recipe for a Proper Repointing Job

All recipes require ingredients. For the repointing of older structures, the ingredients consist
of:
1) The Mix. Over a century ago, mortar had a different composition than the mortar used in
modern masonry. In the past, mortar was produced from limestones that were fired at a high
temperature, turned to powder, and then water and sand were added. It was called a lime
putty mortar or a traditional lime-based mortar. Logistical problems, such as slow setting and
lengthy preparation, led to the search for an easier product. One thing led to another, and
Portland cement, which was invented and patented in England in the 19th century, eventually
became the main mortar ingredient, making the traditional lime-based mortar obsolete for
new construction.
As a general rule, if the building was constructed prior to 1872, it should be repaired with a
traditional lime-based mortar consisting only of lime and sand, as well as some color
pigment. If the building was built between 1873 and 1932, it should be repaired with a mortar
that consists of lime, some Portland cement and sand, as well as some color pigment. This is
still considered a traditional lime-based mortar. If the structure was built after 1930, it can be
repaired with a modern cement-based mortar, although I personally find that some buildings
built up to about 1945 are best repaired with a mix consisting of Portland, lime and sand.
2) The Sand. Don't assume that the sand you always use will do! Have a look at the sand
used on the building you will be restoring and see if you can get a type of sand in your area
that will, at least approximately, match it.
3) The Pigments. The typical mineral oxide pigments available at your local masonry
supplier will do.
4) The Joint Finish. There used to be many styles for tooling a mortar joint, which not only
require the right tool but also the skill.
On the one hand, producing the proper texture in the mortar
joint consists of using a mix that matches the existing. On the
other hand, getting the texture right consists of acquiring the
skill of matching the way the mortar was tooled. This is a
skill you usually acquire by looking at the existing mortar on
the wall and then working at reproducing the texture. Stay
away from simply and arbitrarily using a rounded tube to
finish the joint the same tool that bricklayers use when
they are jointing the work (Figure 6). This will work with a
modern wall that needs repointing, but it will never work for
an older building.

Figure 6

Repointing structures built before 1930 usually

requires a recessed joint of some sort, due to the
eroded nature of the existing surrounding mortar
that will not have to be replaced, but must be
matched both in color and texture. Slickers are a
better way to go for this type of joint (Figure 7).
A lot more can be said on the subject of brick
and stone mortar restoration. Luckily, most of
our past has been well documented in one way
Figure 7
or another, and it's usually possible to find out
through research what we need to know to do the best job possible.
Historic Masonry Restoration Conference
The International Masonry Institute, the City of Annapolis,
Md., and the Maryland Historical Trust are teaming up in
presenting the first in an annual series of Historic Masonry
Restoration Conferences. The events will be headquartered at
the Historic Inns of Annapolis, conveniently located in the
heart of historic downtown Annapolis, August 26-28, 2004.
A designated National Historic Landmark, Annapolis has more
original 18th century architecture still standing than any other
city in the United States.
Also, recent statistics show that over half of all new
construction contracts are for restoration or adaptive re-use,
comprising roughly 17% of the masonry dollar.
Restoring America's architectural treasures requires
specialized knowledge and skills. This conference will focus
on historic mortars, with a three-track education session
including mortar analysis, mortar basics and a walking tour of
historic Annapolis. Seminars will provide invaluable
information on materials' properties, historic mortar analysis,
lime putty and mortars, sand and aggregates, diagnostics,
specifications and much more. Other sessions will include the
national sand library, a case study in restoration, hands-on
laboratory sessions in pointing and cleaning, panel discussions,
and a final program on condition assessment.
Registration for the event is $300 per person, and
accommodations at the Historic Inn of Annapolis are available
on a first come, first served basis for $149 per night.
Classroom and hotel space is limited to 200 participants, so
reserve your space now!

Tuckpointing - Facts and Techniques

Tuckpointing - History and Facts, Tuckpointing Tools, Techniques & FAQ's.
Tuckpointing was developed in early 18th century England where at the time bricks were handmade in
individual wooden molds and baked in kilns. The art of brick making was not as refined as it is today, and
the wooden molds varied due to age and crude method of manufacture which resulted in generally
irregular shaped bricks.
In order to make more precise sized bricks, the bricks were made slightly oversize and then after being
baked, were scraped or rubbed down by hand and these finished precise bricks were known as "gauged"
bricks or "rubbers" for slang. These rubbed bricks were relatively more expensive to manufacture than unrubbed or un-finished bricks or stones.
When these precisely made by hand bricks (rubbers) were laid with lime mortar (lime and fine sand), the
end result was a neat finish of red brick contrasting with very fine white brick joint.
However to build a house with precisely made rubbed bricks was significantly more expensive. A more
inexpensive method was required where a builder/ mason/ stone mason could use cheaper non-uniform
shaped bricks and stones. And thus someone devised the tuckpointed method, whereby neat straight lines
were raked out in the freshly laid mortar to create an "illusion" from a distance that the bricks were
somewhat symetrical and to appear to be made more precisely that the brick or stone that they comprised
of.
Thus, the term tuckpointing derives from this earlier yet simpler technique that was used with very uneven
bricks with a thin line called a "tuck", which was drawn in the flush-faced mortar, but left unfilled, to give
the impression of well-formed brickwork. So basically early stone masons and bricklayers just made
straight horizontal and vertical grooves between the brickwork.
Tuckpointing was then refined to further create the illusion of more precise brick geometries by placing up
to 1cm of lime putty of matching colour to the brick or stone itself, in order to firstly hide their irregularity,
faults and any distinctions between the brick or stonework. Then to finish a fine fillet of lime putty
(coloured white, red or black) was then pushed onto this base mortar joint to create a contrasting colour to
the brick or stonework and to the underlying mortar between the joints. So tuckpointing results in a very
strong distinction between the brickwork.
It is interesting to note that bricks of this era were largely red clay, kiln fired bricks with origins dating
back to the Roman Empire when kiln fired bricks were developed for building colonies around the world.
Brick buildings and houses also began to increase in popularity in the 18th century when brick facades
came back into fashion due to popular ornate designs of the time.
Lime Mortars
Lime mortars are composed of lime and aggregate (sand, small stones rocks etc ) however in different
ratios than in lime putty. Lime mortar has more sand with less lime. The aggregate or sand can be of a
courser grade and does not have to be as fine as with tuckpointing purposes.
Lime has an adhesive property with bricks and stones so it is used as a binding material in masonry works.
Note: Originally only hydrated or wet lime was available to early builders, dry lime became available
afterwards.
Experts in places such as Scotland belonging to Societies for the Protection of Ancient Buildings say that
lime mortars ideally should have no cement added!!, as cement causes the mortar to become impermeable

and does not breathe or move with humidity. Lime being a naturally occuring mineral is flexible and when
sets is weaker than the surrounding stones or bricks and therefore will move or under worse situations
crack inside the joints. When cement is added to mortars the cement sets by a chemical reaction which
results in a hard impervious material which can damage soft stone or brickwork.
What is Tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing is the operation of finishing joints in brickwork after the bricklaying has been completed,
and is a way of using two contrasting colours in the mortar joints of the brickwork with one colour to
match the bricks themselves with a secondary pointed line pressed ontop as a means of contrast in both
colour and in lined layout. It is a way to make individual bricks in the brickwork to stand out and to give a
striking distinguished effect.
After the bricklaying has been completed, the joints are rough raked with a wall tie or raking tool to a
depth of 10mm (1cm) during construction. A self coloured mortar (lime mortar) is then placed in the raked
joints and flushed up. Following this, lime putty is pressed onto the mortar filling with a jointer /
tuckpointing tool and then finally cut to a uniform size.
What is lime Putty?
Lime Putty is a mixture of hydrated lime plus fine sand (Botany sand/fine beach or river sand). The
mixture is about 50:50 hydrated lime to fine sand. You can add more or less sand or water depending on
final mix consistency or personal preference.
Cement should not be added to lime putty as it is unneccesary and leads to impervious material which
cannot breathe or move and more prone to cracking. If cement or plastizers are added to lime putty then is
no longer regarded as authentic lime putty. Plastisizers should be avoided as they are not breatheable and
also form an impervious layer which damages the underlying mortar and does not lend iteself well to
repointing years down the track. So please stick to the original authentic hydrated lime and sand and you
cant go wrong.
How to Tuckpoint?

(content coming soon)

Tools required for Tuckpointing

(coming soon)
Preparation of Walls
Dampen down the walls you are tuckpointing sufficiently prior to tuckpointing with lime putty (also read
below)

(more content coming soon)

FAQ's, Tuckpointing Trade Tips
Can I use Lime based products in very cold weather?
Note: When using any lime based product such as when tuckpointing or when using lime mortars to lay
bricks or stonework, or in repair or restoration do not proceed in very cold tempertures such as during frost
season or when snowing or icy conditions as lime will not cure or set when in very cold climate, this is

more of a problem in the northern hemisphere during very cool winter months. In the southern hemisphere
this is not as much of a problem but something to be aware of.
How to use Ready-Mix Lime Putty?
Just open the lid and drain out the top sealant layer of water and then stir putty. Then use as required. No
mess! Our Ready Mix Tuckpointing Lime Putty will save you alot time and effort. And you dont have to
use all of it in one go. As long as you add a small amount of water afterwards to cover over the top of the
lime putty to prevent it from drying out in the atmosphere and then reseal the lid tightly, it is possible to
store the product for a long time and reuse when required. Our Ready-Mix Lime Putty can be used straight
away. Some professionals prefer lime putty to sit for a number of weeks prior to use to allow better
bonding and general infusion of the lime putty into the sand, so please note that aging of our Ready-Mix
Lime Putty will not be a problem as long as the lime putty is kept covered in a sealant of water.
Ready-Mix Tuckpointing Lime Putty is available only in standard white natural lime colour. If you desire a
particular colour to your lime putty in order to match an existing home, then you can add coloured oxides
to the putty according to your requirement. We also supply colour oxides in red and black. It is best to
remove a small portion of lime putty into a second container and then add and mix to this small portion a
small amount of coloured oxide to first see how the colour comes out first, before doing the whole mix.
Tuckpointed lines are commonly white but they can be various shades red, grey, browns, yellows and
almond colour.
Ready-Mix Lime Putty ingredients are suitable for authentic heritage tuckpointing! Our Ready-Mix Lime
Putty is a mixture of rocklime and fine sand dating back to how it was originally made in the rocklime
furnaces of 18th century England. It is specifically made to a traditional heritage lime putty mixture dating
back well over 100 plus years. No plastisizers are added that would ruin the longevity of the lime putty on
the finished exposed brick and using a traditional mix will enable an existing heritage home or heritage
building to be repointed properly many, many years down the track and most importantly keep its value
well into the future.
Can Ready-Mix Lime Putty be used as a Mortar?
Yes, our Ready-Mix Lime Putty can be used for tuckpointing lines, and also to repair holes in brick mortar
in existing heritage brickwork. You do not have to add any ingredients apart from say coloured oxide when
used as a mortar between the joints, as the Lime Putty by itself is sufficiently suitable to do this purpose,
but you can add more sand or other aggregate if used as just mortar (not for tuckpointing, as fine sand and
more lime ratio is required in tuckpointing).
However you can add a little bit of sand and cement if you choose when used as mortar if structural
integrity is more critical for very worn or very deep joints or cracks below 10mm deep but not usually for
surface application as Tuckpointed Joints using Lime Putty are usually 10mm deep. However as mentioned
elsewhere cement being impermiable prevents buildings breathing and may end up in cracks through brick
and stone instead of just through the joints as cement is harder or as hard as the material it bonds together.
Tips on applying Tuckpointing with Lime Putty
Please remember to dampen down the walls you are tuckpointing sufficiently prior to tuckpointing with
lime putty to prevent flaking off when curing, as if lime putty is placed onto dry brick mortar /brick walls
the moisture will be sucked out causing flaking. So it is important that you dampen the walls prior to
tuckpointing preferably with a damp/wet towel or with a very light hose spray and then dampened down
with a damp towel, depending on how dry the weather is and what surface area you are doing. The brick
mortar should not be too wet as to cause the lime putty to run or dissolve but just damp enough to prevent
the moisture from being sucked out of the lime putty prematurely.
When applying Lime Putty to a brick wall you can first apply a small amount ontop of a hawk tool or
straight edge and then transfer using an appropriate Tuckpointing Tool.

A Tuckpointer's Straight Edge is then lined up with the tuckpointed line and using a Frenchmen knife,
which is a knife with a small upturned sharp bent tip the excess Lime Putty is "cut" away from either side
of the line, so a clean fine line is produced, without rough edges.
How much Ready-Mix Lime Putty do I require?
As a general estimate only, each 4L bucket of Ready-Mix Lime Putty should do a minimum of 20 square
metres of wall. So therefore a 10L bucket of Ready-Mix Lime Putty should do 50 square metres of brick
wall. This depends on how much you watse and other factors such as brick type, size and shape. But you
can use ths as a rough estimate.
If you accidently spill or get lime putty on areas you do not want then you should clean up as soon as
possible, if left to dry you can use a dilute acid to wash off if any other means is not an option.
How to removing Lime Putty from Bricks- What happens if I find some insoluble lime scum on my
bricks? How do I remove this without bleaching the tuckpointed joints?
Sometimes no matter how good you are you may unknowingly or accidentally spill or drip lime putty onto
un intentional areas.
The solution is to use hydrochloric acid and brush it onto the affected brickwork. But you must use a 10%
concentration only - NOT MORE CONCENTRATED! If you use too strong an acid and it soaks too much
into the brick it can "burn" the lime mortar and professional tuckpointers have told me that it actually can
go green. And you may not see affects till as much as 3 weeks later. So please be careful with the amount
of acid you use. Also it is harmful to hands and eyes so wear gloves and eye protection.
When applying an acid, scrub on the acid and leave for 5 minutes only.
Then wash off/scrub off twice with plain water. And wash down wall to remove an acid residue.
If this does not work, then use hydrated lime over the affected areas overnight and wait till the morning to
remove with water
In both cases you will have to re-tuckpoint the affected areas.
If you are still having trouble getting rid of lime mortar from unwanted areas then another remedy may be
to use Selley's sugar soap.
You may want to use masking tape to cover any surrounding tuckpointing from exposure to acid prior to
acid application, but remember to peel off after washing the walls so it doesn't retain any acid and wash
without tape.
Heritage Restorations

coming soon
Tuckpointing Trade Schools and Teachers
There are places where you can go to learn the unique art of tuckpointing.
In Australia you can do a 2 day or beginners and advanced courses at the Holmesglen Institute of TAFE,
courses are limited so please phone to book.
Holmesglen's contact website is www.holmesglen.edu.au

The Holmesglen Institute of Technical And Further Education is a tertiary level training institute situated
in the South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. The course that you will need to find more
information about is "Tuckpointing & Restoration"

In the United Kingdom

A knowledgeable teacher in the UK is Dr Gerard Lynch.
Dr Gerard Lynch offers bespoke courses in his own workshop for selected and established craftspeople,
dedicated to the acquisition of historical knowledge and traditional skills.
His subjects include: Historic forms of Jointing and Pointing, Limes, Lime Mortars, Gauged Brickwork,
Tuck Pointing, Gauged Arch and Niche Construction, Carved and Cut and Rubbed Brickwork, Geometry.
Please visit Dr Gerard contact website: www.brickmaster.co.uk/courses.html for more information.
How Tuckpointing Helps in Restoration

Content Coming soon

Tuckpointing Tools
Speedex manufactures Tuckpointing Tools of the highest quality and largest range available worldwide.
All of our Speedex Tuckpointing Tools are manufactured from special wear resistant tool steel, and are
fully hardened and ground sharp to ensure a perfect edge and long tool life. We have been supplying
professional tradesmen worldwide for over two decades with tuckpointing tools, aswell as hobbyists and
those interested in learning this unique trade.
We call our tools "tuckpointing tools", but these tools are also known by various other names around the
world such as tuckpointing irons, irons, brick irons, repointers, jointers and brick trowels. They are all used
for brick restoration purposes in order to make white or coloured tuckpointed lime putty lines between the
brickwork of heritage homes around the world. These tuckpointed lines enable contrast or symetry or both
between the brickwork or stone therfore enhancing the beauty, value and old charm to heritage homes
around the world and thus is a very sort after trade.

Tuckpointing Tools and Tuckpointing Supplies

Please click on each of our following speedex tuckpointing tool products listed below for more info
and how to buy:

STANDARD TUCKPOINTING TOOLS (FLAT BOTTOMED)

SQUARE BEADED TUCKPOINTING TOOLS (SQUARE GROOVED-S)
ROUND BEADED TUCKPOINTING TOOLS (ROUND GROOVED-R)
STUBNOSE AND LONGNOSE TUCKPOINTING TOOLS
FRENCHMEN KNIFE'S and DOUBLE FRENCHMEN KNIFE'S
READY MIX TUCKPOINTING LIME PUTTY in 4L & 10L BUCKETS
TUCKPOINTER'S STRAIGHT EDGES
HAWK TOOL
CAULKING TROWEL
TUCKPOINTER'S SMALL TOOL
COLORED OXIDES
FINE SAND SIEVES
STONE TUCKPOINTING TOOLS
ROUNDED CORNER TUCKPOINTING TOOLS
SPEEDEX TUCKPOINTING TOOLS PRODUCT RANGE
RAKING TOOLS
TUCKPOINTING - FACTS & TECHNIQUES
Other Custom Tuckpointing Tools Available on Request

(WE NOW ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS OVER PHONE! OUR ONLINE SHOPPING CART IS
NOW AVAILABLE!)

Our Standard Tuckpointing Tools are shown below. Our Standard Tuckpointing Tools have a
flat base which is ground to a sharp finish and made from hardened quality tools steel so that
they will last. As you can see below our Standard Tuckpointing Tools come in a wide variety
of widths to suit any particular requirement that you have. Available in 2 standard lengths
75mm long and 125mm long and from as little as 1mm wide for very fine tuckpointing and to
up to 14mm wide for wider stonework or for wider brick joints.

Our Round Beaded Tuckpointing Tools are shown below. They are used to leave behind a
raised "rounded" bead on the tuckpointed lines. Our Round Beaded Tuckpointing Tools are
available in 2 standard lengths, 75mm and 125mm long and also in a wide variety of widths.
We also can make deeper rounded beaded tools (not shown here).

Our Square Beaded Tuckpointing Tools shown below. They are used to leave behind a raised
"square" bead on the tuckpointed lime putty lines. They are available in 2 standard lengths
75mm and 125mm long and also a wide variety of square widths. Please note that when you
select a "beaded" size we are refering to the width of the round or square "bead or groove"
not the overall width of the tuckpointing tools which is made slightly wider.

Our Stubnose and Longnose Tuckpointing Tools are shown below. They are used in areas
which are difficult to reach or get to such around door jams and around window sills,
paraphets and any hard to reach ornate brickwork. We have recently brought out the
"Longnose" for those wishing to have additional reach, but you can decide which tool is most
suitable for your requirement.

Our Stone Tuckpointing Tools are shown below. They have deeper square beads or grooves.
These Stone Tuckpointing tools have beads that are approximately 12mm wide by 5mm deep,
which are slightly tapered to allow lime putty to slide out easier. We manufacture them in
two standard lengths 75mm long and 125mm long. We can manufacture them in various
depths depending on our customer requests. We have placed the tuckpointing tools in a
different category under Stone Tuckpointing Tools rather than under square beaded or round
beaded tuckpoining tools because the groove depth is deeper (3mm, 4mm or 5mm generally).
We also manuafature deeper round beaded stone tools which we will put on website as soon
as we have a picture.

We supply Ready-Mix Lime Putty in both 4L and 10L buckets shown below. If you want
convenience and no mess, then you can start tuckpointing straight away as soon as you open
the Ready-Mix bucket. Our Ready-Mix Lime Putty is made to the authentic heritage
traditional lime putty mix dating back well over 100 years, so it is perfect for all heritage
restorations. This is the mix that is used by professionals worldwide since the eighteenth
century to ensure that the tuckpointing is done right. It does not contain any plastisizers or
any harmful additives which may damage the breathability of the underlying brick or stone
wall. Experts recommend using authentic lime putty as moisture is free to permeate through a
wall as with any primary lime based building material, and therefore the tuckpointed lines

will not have a tendency to crack of unintentionally early and will enable a home to be
repointed successfully well into the future. Please click on our Ready-Mix Lime Putty page
for more information and tips on using lime putty.

We manufacture and supply Frenchmen knives and Double Frenchmen Knives, used to "cut"
the tuckpointed lines with the aid of a tuckpointer's straight edge:

We manufacture and supply Hawk Tools, which are used to place mortar or lime putty on top
prior to application to a mortar joint / tuckpointed joint:

We manufacture and supply Tuckpointer's Straight Edges available in 2 standard lengths:

650mm and 850mm long as shown below. We also can manufacture different non-stock sizes
upon request.

We manufacture and supply Caulking Trowels shown below, for applying / pressing in
mortar into holes or cracks in the brick face prior to tuckpointing:

We also manufacture Raking Tools, available in 10mm and 12mm diameter. Others available
on request. These tools can be used by bricklayers / tradepeople to rake rounded grooves into
conventional brick joints.

We also manufacture Fine Sand Sieves specially suited for sieving fine river or beach sand
used to make tuckpointing lime putty. Available in wood or metal construction.

We also manufacture Rounded Corner Tuckpointing Tools, which can be used to tuckpoint
around rounded shaped bricks. A variety of styles and sizes are available upon your particular
request.

For more information on each of these products please go to top of this page and click the individual
product links. We now have an online shopping cart so you can select products you want and order them
more conveniently.

We manufacture and supply the following Tuckpointing Tools and Supplies: (an updated version is shown
on the following link)

SPEEDEX TUCKPOINTING TOOLS PRODUCT RANGE

Speedex Tuckpointing Tools Product Range

***All prices in Australian Dollars***

***A printer friendly version of our products list will be also available soon***
**The above products chart is currently being updated, please click on the separate
SPEEDEX TUCKPOINTING TOOLS PRODUCT RANGE page for the updated version.

Note: When ordering directly to our contact email address speedex@speedex.com.au please write down
the item code on the left hand side with quantities and we can then process your order manually via email.
Otherwise please use our new automatic online shopping cart to place an order and follow the simple
online instructions to enter in your full delivery address with post codes (very important) and then enter
your payment details.
Please note to make online ordering easier and quicker for you via our shoppping cart you can simply
order as a "Guest" (by clicking on Guest when prompted using our shopping cart instructions) to save you
from having to register an account and password etc with us.

Online Shopping Cart

We now have an Online Shopping Cart to provide greater convenience for all our customers
who which to purchase online via Paypal. We hope to also offer other non-Paypal payments

soon so you can still pay online using your credit card but directly to our Bank rather than via
Paypal (service coming soon).
How to use our Online Shopping Cart?
To help you with using our online shopping cart, please click here for instructions: How to
use our Online Shopping Cart?
We accept all credit cards (visa, mastercard and Amex-american express), over the phone and
in person. Only our online shopping cart via Paypal will accept debit cards and all credit
cards aswell.
Our shopping cart automatically calculates shipping prices depending on your shipping
destination and the type of service you select. But if in doubt please feel welcome to write to
us, as we are still configuring our online store to run correctly.
**PLEASE NOTE: the maximum weight per parcel for Australia Post is 22kg and for DHL
Express is 30kg per parcel weight. If our shopping cart does not give you an automatic
shipping price (or gives you only option as "pick up from store" without any other shipping
option) then dont worry your order may be over these weights, in which case please write to
us directly and we will manually calculate shipping price for you. We are currently working
on fixing this problem for larger orders so that orders can be automatically split into separate
parcels and automatic shipping prices calculated using our online shopping cart. But we can
ship any weight order anywher in the world using a variety of methods.

Delivery

You can choose to have your order sent by Australia Post or by DHL Express Worldwide
door-door couriers by default.

Local customers delivery : for local customers (within Australia) if your order is up to 3kg
and fits inside an Express Satchel safely then we will usually send your order in an Express
Satchel (either 500g or 3kg satchel) which is usually delivered the next business day if you
are within the right local australian postal zones, basically if you around a capital city then
delivery is next day (or say 1-2days from payment). If you fall outside the main capital city
zones then delivery by express satchel may take longer (say approx 3 days from payment).
For larger orders or orders better suited to be packed in a box, then we generally post them
using parcel post (via Australia post). Tracking is provided using Parcel Post and we can use
your Ausralia Post receipt ID number to track your parcel online, but thye dont send
automatic tracking notifications to your contact email address, we can do this manually via
their online website. We do not include insurance as default (to keep shipping costs lowest)
however you can either select this via the shopping cart or let us know and we can include

this. Australia post is usually pretty good with orders.We can also deliver parcels via Couriers
Please (metropolitan areas and limited country areas) and Hunter Express for heavier/larger
orders (say pallets) etc) but you must write to us for these services.
International customers delivery: for international customers (outside Australia) you can
now choose your delivery from

DHL Express Worldwide

Registered Post International
AIRMAIL.

Airmail: delivery time 3-10 business days, least expensive method than courier. No Tracking
provided. No Signature on delivery. Service via Australia Post
Registered Post International: delivery time 3-10 business days. Ideal for sending items less
than 2kg. Signed delivery at most destinations. Send to post office boxes, metro, rural and
remote areas. Tracking provided by entering in receipt ID code into Australia post website
tracking area.
DHL Express Worldwide: Fastest delivery times for anything urgent! DHL offers delivery
times of usually within 3 business days to most worldwide destinations and full tracking is
provided unlike the other services. So throughout UK ,USA, NZ, Ireland, France, Europe etc
DHL will delivery 2-3 business days in general unless some very remote area. Full tracking is
provided and provided we have your contact email address we can then get DHL to send
automatic tracking notifications to your email address, so you can see where your parcel is at
any time. Usually immediately after an order is booked in with DHL we will send you a
confirmation email to say your order has been booked in and we give you your DHL tracking
number. With our online shopping cart this will be done automatically but we may still send
manual emails to you until we are confident our shopping cart and delivery system works
properly.
For larger orders or orders with different packing dimensions it may be worthwhile to write
to us directly so we can work out how best /cheapest shipping option for you.

We pack our tools and send them via DHL or Australia Post in either plastic satchels
(tuckpointing tools and other supplies), Post tubes (generally straight edges and combinations
of straight edges and tuckpointing tools will fit together in postal tubes, or tubes taped
strongly together for multiple straight edges or tools), and ofcourse an assortment of boxes
etc for all types of tuckpointing products.
If our shopping cart does not automatically work out most efficient delivery method (for
example know if to use a post tube or satchel or box or combination of items etc or if to better
go with australia post or DHL etc) you are welcome to write to us for shipping price
confirmation if there is any doubt. We will write to you if a discrepancy has arisen, so we will
ensure that the delivery cost is kept to a minimum. If an order is too heavy or over size then
pallets can be provided or heavier grade boxes used etc.

Please note that our online shipping cart and ordering is a very new service offered by our
business, and as such we will try to ensure that all orders are processed correctly. If for any
reason we notice an error in shipping prices or an error in delivery information then we will
let you know as soon as possible via your contact address. We maintain that all shipping
prices are true and accurate as possible to the best of our abilities and will notify you incase
of any discrepancy.

FOR ALL Non Shopping Cart ORDERS: (local and international)

Besides buying from us directly at our business location or using our online shopping cart, we
also accept Phone and Internet orders for all our products.
Please email us at speedex@speedex.com.au
or
phone us on: 03 9459 3460 (local customers) or 0061 3 9459 3460 (international customers,
UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, NZ, France, Europe, etc)
and please send us, tell us:
1. Your full name
2. Your full Delivery Address with post codes (so we can provide an accurate total price for
postage/shipment of goods).
3. Description of what tools you require and quantity. You can list individual item product
codes from our Product Range Chart above, or simply explain what you want in an email to
us.
4. Contact phone number now required for delivery & tracking purposes so goods arrive to
you correctly.
We will then reply with a Price Quotation/Invoice for total price including delivery. We
prefer to recieve order emails sent from our customers as it prevents us from mispelling or
making a mistake writing down email addresses & delivery addresses over the phone which
prevents us from contacting you. But we also accept phone orders so please alternatively
phone us (0061) 3 9459 3460 for orders or to make a credit card payment.

Phone orders welcome

Payment: We NOW ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS (VISA and Mastercard and AMEXAmerican express) over the phone and through the net. Unfortunately we do not accept debit
cards over the phone or inperson, but our online shopping cart via Paypal accepts debit cards.

We also accept Paypal payments, cash, cheque (for customers we know well), electronic bank
transfer, international money transfers via bank branches.
International customers can also use "Paypal" to make payments, as it is safe and easy to use
and automatically converts currency. How paypal payments work by the manual method is
that we will firstly send you a price quote/invoice to your email address and then also email
you a separately a "Request for Payment" via the Paypal website. You just have to follow the
Paypal links and sign up (which is totally free!) by simply giving an email address and
making up a password of your choice. Then you follow easy instructions and can fill in your
credit card/bank details and then make a payment for our tuckpointing tools online. Paypal is
safe and secure and third parties do not get access to your bank details.
Please click on How to use our Online Shopping Cart? if you cant work out how to use our
online shopping cart.
So if you would like to purchase any of our products please call us, email us or use our online
shopping cart and we would be happy to help!