Tuckpointing

For the process of renewing the external part of mortar joints, see Repointing.

Brickwork of 10 Downing Street, showing fine white fillets in carefully matched dark mortar

Tuckpointing (also called tuck pointing or tuck-pointing) is a way of using two contrasting colours of mortar in the mortar joints of brickwork, with one colour matching the bricks themselves to give an artificial impression that very fine joints have been made. In some parts of the United States and Canada, some confusion may result as the term is often used interchangeably with pointing (to correct defects or finish off joints in newly laid masonry) and repointing (to place wet mortar into cut or raked joints to repair weathered joints in old masonry).

A professional who performs tuckpointing is referred to as a tuckpointer. In London, tuckpointers are primarily referred to as "tuckpointing irons". Depending on the local trade terminology or the country, they may also be called "jointers" or "tuck irons".

History

The tuckpointing method was developed in England in the late 18th century to imitate brickwork constructed using rubbed bricks (also rubbers and gauged bricks), which were bricks of fine, red finish that were made slightly oversized, and, after firing, then were individually abraded or cut, often by hand, to a precise size. When laid with white lime mortar, a neat finish of red brick contrasting with very fine white joints was obtained. Tuckpointing was a way of achieving a similar effect using cheap, unrubbed bricks: these were laid in a mortar of a matching colour (initially red, but later, blue-black bricks and mortar were occasionally used) and a fine fillet of white material, usually pipe clay or putty, pushed into the joints before the mortar set. The term tuckpointing derives from an earlier, less sophisticated technique that was used with very uneven bricks: a thin line, called a tuck, was drawn in the flush-faced mortar, but left unfilled, to give the impression of well-formed brickwork.

Tuckpointing tools

Here red mortar is used. The white fillets are laid out at regular spacing, which does not always coincide with the rough spacing of the joints.

Tuckpointing tools were originally made from wrought iron by blacksmiths in England during the 18th century. These tools have evolved over time, and are constructed from hardened tool steel today. Tuckpointing tools typically have a wooden or synthetic handle that is attached to the tool surface by a metal ferrule. The tool surface has a sharp-pointed front and a flat, beaded or grooved base. This sharp point aids the user in smoothing the tuckpointed line, which is similar in principle to how pointed floats are used by concrete finishers to smooth out a surface.

The thickness and width of a tuckpointing tool is variable, with common measurements ranging from 1 mm to 14 mm. The thickness and width of these tools is heavily dependent upon the mason's personal preference and the type of brick or stonework that they are tuckpointing. Wider tools are often used when tuckpointing stonework.

There are many different types of tuckpointing tools:

• Standard (flat bottomed)
• Square Beaded
• Round Beaded
• Stubnose and Longnose
• Rounded Corner (rarely used)

The standard or flat bottomed variation was once the most commonly used type, primarily because it could be easily manufactured by early blacksmiths. The standard tuckpointing tool is also very versatile and can be used for a variety of different jobs ranging from very fine detail work up to wide stone tuckpointing work.

At first, beaded tuckpointing tools were crudely made by blacksmiths by hitting a rounded edged hammer against a red hot tuckpointing iron. This process has since been refined, and now a small rounded or square fillet is "ground" into the flat of the tuckpointing tool that comes into contact with the "perps" or "lines" in the brickwork. In bricklaying terms, the "perps" are the gaps between the bricks in which mortar runs in the vertical direction, perpendicular to the ends. "Lines" run in the horizontal direction.

The lengths of tools can be varied based on personal preferences, but the most common lengths are usually between 7.5 and 12.5 cm. However, masons and bricklayers sometimes need tuckpointing tools which are much shorter or much longer. Shorter tools help the worker access hard to reach spots, such as under a window or in a corner. These shorter tuckpointing tools are referred to as "stubnose" tools, while their longer counterparts are known as "longnose" tools. They are available in many different beaded or grooved profiles.

Square beaded tuckpointing tools are available in 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, and 13 mm wide ground square profiles. Round beaded tuckpointing tools are available in 5 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm ground round profiles.

A rounded corner tuckpointing tools is curved. Instead of a flat bottom, it has a curved bottom surface which helps in applying lime putty to rounded bricks.

The process of tuckpointing requires the excess lime putty to be "cut" away from the fine tuckpointed line. This is performed using a Frenchmen knife or a double Frenchmen knife. A Frenchmen knife is a type of knife with a small sharp bent tip, which is used to cut the lime putty as it is guided along the tuckpointed line with a tuckpointer's straight edge. A double Frenchmen knife works by cutting both the top and bottom of the fine tuckpointed lines in one pass, making the process quicker. Double Frenchmen knives can be adjusted to match the width of the fine tuckpointed lines.

Tuckpointing is now a fairly rare trade. Many historic homes with classic Italianate architecture such as the Werribee Mansion at Werribee Park, in Victoria, Australia, are great examples of recent tuckpointing. They help display the contrast between the tuckpointed white lines in the mortar between the bluestone architecture.