# Repointing advice, please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repointing-advice-please/450231>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 22, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repointing-advice-please/450231 "2008-05-22T12:33:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repointing-advice-please/450231/1 "2008-05-22T12:33:31Z")

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I have some cracks in the mortar on one of my outer walls - some years ago a burglar tried to prise the door open with a spade and cracked the mortar. Anyway, it’s time to fix this. I’m thinking that I can simply brush a dry cement and sand mix into the cracks and then wet the wall. Good idea? Bad idea? Should it be a 1:1 mix of cement and sand or a 1:4 mix?

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**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repointing-advice-please/450231/2 "2008-05-22T12:42:50Z")

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[QUOTE=Quartz]  
I have some cracks in the mortar on one of my outer walls - some years ago a burglar tried to prise the door open with a spade and cracked the mortar. Anyway, it’s time to fix this. I’m thinking that I can simply brush a dry cement and sand mix into the cracks and then wet the wall. Good idea? Bad idea? Should it be a 1:1 mix of cement and sand or a 1:4 mix?  
[/QUOTE]

The only real way to fix it is to chisel out the crack a bit, and force new mortar into the area. A grinder with a masonry blade will also work to enlarge the cracks if you don’t want to use a hand sledge and chisel.

I asked a couple of weeks ago about using Sackrete as mortar, and the unambiguous answer was concrete would not stick or hold up to supporting blocks. I assume this is also true for brick, and your use of the term cement is synonymous to concrete.

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**Author:** ![Vorpal\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@Vorpal\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorpal_Blade)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repointing-advice-please/450231/3 "2008-05-22T18:06:26Z")

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[QUOTE=Quartz]  
I have some cracks in the mortar on one of my outer walls - some years ago a burglar tried to prise the door open with a spade and cracked the mortar. Anyway, it’s time to fix this. I’m thinking that I can simply brush a dry cement and sand mix into the cracks and then wet the wall. Good idea? Bad idea? Should it be a 1:1 mix of cement and sand or a 1:4 mix?  
[/QUOTE]

There exist narrow chisels (just the width of the mortar line) for gouging out the 'tween bricks section. Then use a “grease gun” to squeeze pre-made mortar into the gouged-out section.