Please Help Me ObiWan STWy,

On the understanding that I am a completely dizzy queen *and* while I can strip any UNIX OS down and make it sing and dance (/usr/bin/singdance -techno) I’m not brilliant at other stuff (even biking!):

I need to repoint a small area under my front window. The mortar is cracked (has been for donkeys years so not subsidence) and one line of mortar has gone completely. My knowledgeable friend told me the following (caveat of full mask/eyewear):

1. Buy a small angle grinder and a thick disc.
2. Grind out a small depth into the mortar. Brush away dust then wet.
3. Use a 6″ pointing trowell to push new mortar in.
4. Use a brick jointer to finish it off.

My questions:

1. Any recommendations for discs? I am looking at a £29.99 4.5″ grinder from Screwfix so would need to fit that.
2. The pre-mix mortar packs you can get from places like this – anyone know the colour? I have a wall nearby that has sandy-coloured mortar. I don’t want dark grey going in and causing a colour clash.

Linkages to tools recommended unto me:

grinder
jointer
mortar

Masonary disc or if alot to do a mortar rake disc.

Go to your local builders merchant and they’ll fix you up with everything you need and probably give you some pointers too 🙂

Get the grinder from screwfix though, you probably won’t get a cheap one at the merchants.

Try not to get any on the face of the bricks, pack it in tight and leave until it starts to dry up a bit, then finish with the jointer. You don’t want a very wet mix

You could go and buy a grinder and disc, but if its a small area you could buy a plugging chisel HERE

Hack it out with chisel and hammer to a minimum of 25mm deep(otherwise it will come out easily probably over the winter)

Take a piece of existing mortar to a builders merchants or two- buy a similar colour bag of sand.mix with cement 4:1. Try to keep brick faces clean. 😕

Edit bit of overlap with last poster

If the mortar is that bad it will probably come out with a wire brush or just rake it out (a screwdriver might serve as a rake). Grinding sounds like overkill and if you’re not used to using a grinder you’re likely to damage the edges of the bricks.