Mechanical grind-out to a true 25 mm depth and colour-matched repointing in the correct mortar specification — the only tuckpointing method that delivers a 50-year service life.
Free On-Site Quote
Call or email directly for the fastest, most accurate quote — usually scheduled within 1 business day.
Problem & Risk Analysis
Tuckpointing failure is almost always a specification failure, not a workmanship failure. The two most common defects we are called to redo on competitors' work are (1) a shallow surface skim less than 10 mm deep that pops out within two winters, and (2) a hard Portland-rich Type S mortar packed into soft heritage clay brick — which then shears the brick face every freeze-thaw cycle until the wall is unsalvageable.
Fadom Construction grinds every joint to a minimum 25 mm depth (or 2× joint width, whichever is greater) using a thin-kerf diamond blade, cleans and dampens the substrate, and re-packs the joint in lifts of no more than 10 mm — tooled to the original joint profile (concave, V-joint, raked, flush, struck or grapevine).
Mortar is specified per CSA A179 against the brick's hardness — Type N for soft heritage clay, Type S for modern hard-fired units, and Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL 3.5 or 5) for pre-1940 heritage walls. The mortar is tinted on site against a sample of the original joint so the repair is invisible from the curb.
Technical Service Breakdown
A thin-kerf 4 mm diamond blade removes failed mortar to a minimum 25 mm depth without nicking the brick edges. Shallow surface skims under 10 mm are a guaranteed re-failure inside two GTA winters and are explicitly not within Fadom's scope.
Mortar is specified per CSA A179 — Type N (750 psi) for heritage brick, Type S (1800 psi) for modern brick, NHL 3.5 or 5 for pre-1940 walls. Iron-oxide pigments are blended on site against a cleaned original-joint sample for a tint match invisible at 2 m.
Joints are tooled to the original profile — concave, V-joint, raked, flush, struck or grapevine. True heritage tuckpointing (flush-bedded mortar with a contrasting raised lime fillet) is offered on properties where original 1880–1920 architectural detail is required.
Materials & Specifications
| Category | Material / Specification | Engineering Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grind Depth | Minimum 25 mm or 2× joint width | Measured at completion before re-pack |
| Mortar Types | Type N (750 psi), Type S (1800 psi), Type O (350 psi), NHL 3.5 / 5 | Matched to brick compressive strength |
| Tinting | Iron-oxide pigments — red, brown, buff, grey, black | Blended on site to original sample |
| Joint Profile | Concave, V-joint, raked, flush, struck, grapevine, tuckpointed fillet | Matched to original tooling |
| Re-Pack Lifts | Maximum 10 mm lifts, thumb-print firm before next lift | Prevents shrinkage cracking |
Code Compliance
All Fadom tuckpointing conforms to CSA A179 (Mortar and Grout for Unit Masonry) and CSA A371 (Masonry Construction for Buildings), referenced under Ontario Building Code Part 9.20. With 40–55 annual freeze-thaw cycles across the GTA, repointed joints must achieve a 28-day compressive strength matched to (never exceeding) the brick's own strength — over-specified Portland mortar is the single most common cause of accelerated brick-face spalling on heritage Toronto walls.
Service Area
Tuckpointing installed across 10 cities across the Greater Toronto Area. Select your city for local pricing, lead times and recent installs.
Free on-site assessment, fixed-price quote, written workmanship warranty.
