Q–I have been told that the mortar joints on the outside of my brick chimney may need tuckpointing to cure moisture problems in that wall. Since the price I was quoted seems high, and since I am fairly handy, do you think I can do this job myself?
A–Tuckpointing is not especially difficult or expensive to do yourself, but it is labor-intensive and thus time-consuming–which is why it is expensive to have it done professionally.
If you will be working on a tall chimney structure, you must be willing and able to work on an extension ladder or scaffold of some sort.
Your first step is to chip out the old mortar with a cold chisel to a depth of about 3/4 inch. Then brush out loose dust and chips and apply fresh mortar with a tuckpointing tool. Tuckpointing tools and mortar are sold in most home centers.
Moisten the bricks with water before applying the mortar, and try to avoid smearing any mortar onto the face of the brick. As soon as the mortar starts to stiffen slightly, shape or “tool” the face of the joint by using the rounded end of a wood dowel or by using one of the jointing tools that are sold for this purpose.
Q–We recently purchased a 16-year-old mobile home that has vertical aluminum siding on the outside with plywood under the aluminum. We plan to have the outside redone with vinyl siding. The contractor we spoke to proposes to apply 1/2-inch-thick insulating board over the present aluminum, then install horizontal vinyl siding over this.
Would it be better to remove the present siding before installing the insulation board, and is it a good idea to also install a “house wrap” over the insulation before installing the new vinyl siding?
A–I think it would be safer and more attractive looking to remove the old siding first. This would also enable you to inspect the condition of the plywood sheathing under that siding, just in case some additional repairs or replacements are needed in the plywood. Adding a “house wrap” to cut down on energy losses is a good idea.
Q–Our basement walls are cracked lengthwise about half way up from the floor, and the walls seem to be bulging inward. A few years ago I put doubled 2-by-6 braces up against the walls to keep the condition from getting worse, but the walls seem to be still moving inward.
Will I have to install a new wall, or can I merely dig out on the outside to somehow brace or anchor the walls to straighten them?
A–Your basement walls are actually the foundation on which your entire house rests, so the condition could be quite serious. You should call in an architect, engineer or an experienced masonry contractor who specializes in foundations as soon as possible.
Have one or more of these professionals carefully inspect the site, so they can diagnose the problem and recommend an appropriate solution.
Q–Which is a better finish for a wood floor, a polyurethane or a penetrating sealer type finish?
A–Polyurethanes form a hard, built-up surface coating that is either glossy or semi-glossy. Penetrating sealers provide a satiny, low-luster “oiled” look that is similar to the kind seen on Danish furniture.
With a penetrating sealer there is very little surface coating; the sealer or oil is in almost all the pores of the wood. As a result, the finish cannot scratch, although you can still scratch the wood itself.
A polyurethane finish is tough and will often need redoing less often than a sealer, but the polyurethane can and will show scratch marks as it starts to wear.
Another consideration is ease of maintenance and repair: Polyurethanes are difficult to touch up when there are small areas that need redoing, while penetrating sealers are very easy to touch up and generally easier to maintain.
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Write to Bernard Gladstone in care of Your Place, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
