Why is cement pointing bad for my old brick house?

Old bricks are soft and permeable — they need to breathe. Cement mortar is too hard and too impermeable. Water that gets into the wall cannot escape through the hard cement joints, so it escapes through the soft bricks instead, damaging them. In 30–50 years, you end up with cement joints intact and bricks destroyed.

What is tuckpointing and does my terrace have it?

Tuckpointing is a decorative technique where dark mortar fills the joints, and a fine line of white putty is run through the centre of each joint to create the illusion of very fine, precise brickwork. Common on higher-end Victorian terraces in Paddington, Newtown, Leichhardt and similar areas. If your brickwork has thin white lines running through dark joints, yes.

How long does proper lime repointing last?

40 to 60 years with proper specification and installation. Some original lime mortar on Sydney terraces has lasted 120+ years — we are just replacing what time has finally worn out. Cement repoints typically fail earlier, often 20–30 years, because the harder mortar accelerates brick decay.

Inner West, Sydney

Crumbling Mortar Joints in Inner West

Q: Do you fix crumbling mortar joints in Inner West?

Yes. We've worked across Inner West for years and crumbling mortar joints is one of the issues we see most often here. Lime mortar on 100+ year-old Inner West terraces is exhausted. Joints have been raked out by weather, attacked by salts, or — worst case — repointed with hard cement mortar that's now spalling the brick faces around it.

Soft crumbling joints, gaps between bricks, mortar falling out when you brush it — your wall is overdue for proper repointing.

Usually not urgentCall Minas — 0414 922 276

Why we see this constantly in the Inner West

Lime mortar on 100+ year-old Inner West terraces is exhausted. Joints have been raked out by weather, attacked by salts, or — worst case — repointed with hard cement mortar that's now spalling the brick faces around it. We see this constantly through Balmain, Leichhardt and Glebe. Full rake-out and repointing with a matched lime mortar is the only proper fix. Test sections first, then work in panels to keep the wall serviceable through the job.

Newtown, Balmain, Marrickville, Leichhardt, Glebe and Surry Hills are dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces, workers' cottages, and converted warehouses. The brickwork is mostly Sydney red brick on lime mortar, often with original tuckpointing under decades of paint or render. Reactive clay soils under many streets cause footing movement, and the age of the housing stock means almost every job involves heritage-appropriate materials.

What is crumbling mortar joints?

Mortar does not last forever. On Sydney buildings 80+ years old, the original lime mortar weathers out of the joints and needs repointing. Many old buildings have been incorrectly repointed with cement mortar in past decades, which is too rigid for soft heritage brick and actively damages the bricks themselves. The correct fix is lime mortar matched to the original, raked and pointed by hand — it lasts 40–60 years when done properly.

Signs to watch for on your property

Mortar crumbling or powdering when you scratch it with a key
Visible gaps in mortar joints, especially on exposed elevations
Bricks loose in the wall — moving when pushed
Water stains or damp patches inside appearing where mortar has failed outside
Plant growth in joints (moss, weeds, small plants)
Hard grey cement pointing next to softer original mortar
Brick faces spalling — surface flaking away

Suburbs we cover in Inner West

We work right across Inner West. Click a suburb for site-specific notes on housing stock and common issues.

Newtown Balmain Marrickville Leichhardt Glebe Surry Hills Erskineville

How we fix it properly

1. Inspect and mix-match
We assess the existing mortar — age, composition, colour, profile — and work out what the original mix was. We take samples, test them if needed, and mix replacement mortar to match. For heritage work this is the most important step.
2. Rake out old mortar by hand
For heritage brick, we rake out joints by hand with chisels or specialist tools — never with angle grinders, which damage soft brick faces. Depth is usually 15–25mm. Slow work but essential for old buildings.
3. Wet the joints
Old dry brick sucks water out of fresh mortar too fast, which weakens the bond. We pre-wet joints so the mortar cures properly. Sounds simple but making this step is one of the reasons old repointing jobs fail.
4. Point the joints correctly
Lime or lime-cement gauged mortar, pushed into the joints firmly, tooled to match the original profile — flush, raked, struck, weathered, or tuck pointed depending on the building. Colour-matched to the existing.
5. Cure slowly
Lime mortar needs slow, damp curing. We cover the work, mist-spray for several days, and protect from direct sun or heavy rain. Rushed curing is why some repoints fail in 5 years instead of 50.

Full crumbling mortar joints guide

Causes, fix process, costs and FAQs.

Inner West area page

All the services we offer across Inner West.

Repointing & Brick Pointing

Service detail and how we work.

Heritage Brick Repairs

Service detail and how we work.