I am getting some tuckpointing done to a house I own.

At the bottom of the estimate they have an option to seal all the brick. I asked them about it and he said it’s Thompson’s water seal that seals all the mortar and prevents cracks in the future.

Is this just a money grab or does it help. I can’t imagine it lasts that long but it is a vertical surface so it might last longer than I am guessing.

Customer: We sat here right in this room and went over this and over this!

Jerry: Yeah, but that TruCoat--

Customer: I sat right here and said I didn't want no TruCoat!

Jerry: Yeah, but I'm sayin', that TruCoat, you don't get it and you get oxidization problems. It'll cost you a heck of lot more'n five hundred...

Customer: These guys here--these guys! It's always the same! It's always more!



All kidding aside, while I'm not an expert, I've always been told that sealing a properly constructed exterior brick veneer is unnecessary. Brick is intended to "breathe", and since there's a gap between the brick wall and the inner house wall (which is itself covered in a waterproof barrier), any moisture that manages to penetrate all the way through to the interior side of the brick wall will run down the interior side of the brick to drain out the weep holes at the bottom of the brick wall, and never come into contact with the inside wall of the house itself.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
I am getting some tuckpointing done to a house I own.

At the bottom of the estimate they have an option to seal all the brick. I asked them about it and he said it’s Thompson’s water seal that seals all the mortar and prevents cracks in the future.

Is this just a money grab or does it help. I can’t imagine it lasts that long but it is a vertical surface so it might last longer than I am guessing.

It's a money grab.

No true professional uses Thompson's.

Our brick home is almost 80yrs old and in great shape. Maybe the guy isn't confident in the job he'll do? IMHO, it's like waterproofing your deck- you'll need to keep doing it. (Never been impressed with Thompson's, either.)

quote:

tuckpointing

This is not something I was familiar with.

If I understand correctly, it appears to be a labor-intensive, appearance-enhancing redo of the front surface of the mortar, coloring most of the mortar to match the brick and then putting a thin line of contrast. Found this picture online which helped me figure out what it was.



Could it be this protective sealing is more about protecting that new bit of mortar, than the brick?

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

quote:

tuckpointing

This is not something I was familiar with.

If I understand correctly, it appears to be a labor-intensive, appearance-enhancing redo of the front surface of the mortar, coloring most of the mortar to match the brick and then putting a thin line of contrast. Found this picture online which helped me figure out what it was.



Could it be this protective sealing is more about protecting that new bit of mortar, than the brick?

Whew! glad you explained it, thought it might be some new thing all the kids are doing...

The brick guys I've used have all said that Thompson's is not their product of choice. They all said Thompson's seals on top of the brick and leaves a sheen, which can look unsightly. I've seen different products used, and we used one that soaked in to the brick and sealed when it dried, down in the pores. Leaves the natural color and patina of the brick intact. The one we used was named Defy, but there are several others out there and someone else may have reasons they like others better.

Money grab. I used to brick houses, put new steps in, etc., as an apprentice.
Never have we ever used a sealant.

Ok guys thanks for the insight.

Former bricklayer here, albeit late to the party.

I would not use Thompsons because if you need to do more work at a later date, then you have to remove it. Kind of like painting brick. Once you paint it you will always have to paint it.

Also to address joel9507 question. Tuckpointing is done when the mortar joint between the brick has deteriorated.

The bad joints are removed with hand tool or an angle grinder to the depth of at least 1". New mortar is then pressed in, the finish angle/round/etc joint is done, and let it dry.

A good idea is to use a fine spray of water on the joints a few times a day so as to keep it wet. Why? The longer it takes to cure, the stronger the joint.

Generally, the Brick Institute of America does NOT recommend sealing brick veneers.

"Penetrating water repellents can increase the moisture resistance of single-wythe walls; however, they will require periodic reapplication and are not equal to essential code-required drainage wall details. A water repellent may reduce some bulk water penetration through the brickwork, but it will not improve the ability of the wall to manage any water that does penetrate. Film-forming or acrylic-based water repellent coatings or sealers should be avoided."

Further reading here in Tech Note 6A. Basically, there could be some pros, there could be some cons. Sealants won't help a flawed wall system. https://www.gobrick.com/docs/d...masonry.pdf?sfvrsn=0