(South West) SW London and Surrey Brick Restoration & Pointing , Brick Cleaning, Bricklaying, and Masonry Cleaning Specialist
|
|
|
I am a specialist bricklayer, brick and stone restoration professional working in the (South West) SW London & Surrey areas and I deal with all areas of brick restoration, and bricklaying. |
From cleaning away years of dirt from the facades of buildings, to re-pointing the brick work. |
I am also a specialist at brick tinting and can colour match to perfection. |
|
|
Brickwork Repointing - Brickwork Cleaning - Paintwork Removal - Stone Cleaning |
Graffiti Cleaning - Brickwork Restoration - Stone Restoration - Bricklaying |
|
|
|
|
Watch Me Working
|
Finished Pointing From The Video |
|
|
|
|
I have committed myself to the one trade throughout my 30 years and so have mastered it. |
|
Raking out the joints of brickwork to prepare for repointing. |
|
call me NOW on 07415 035162 for my immediate attention |
|
|
Introduction & About Me |
 |
My name is John O'Connell and I am a pointer, brick-mason, with over 30 years experience of brick restoration & Pointing within the building trade.
|
|
There is not a pointing style, or brick repair(moulded or otherwise) that I've not pointed or repaired often during my time in trade.
For best part of that time I've predominately worked for companies in London, and no where in the world will you find such a variety of expert pointing and brickwork.
So I've learned my trade well
I have recently started out on my own and wish to offer my expertise direct to the client, cutting out the expensive middlemen who for a very high percentage simply price the work then pick up the phone and call someone like myself to do the work for a much cheaper price.
Very seldom do I see pointing and brickwork done to highest quality, walk down any street and it won't take you long to spot very bad examples of pointing and brick restoration, inadequate depths, often the wrong colour the wrong gauge, too heavy, covering brick causing staining leaving it look an eyesore as well as damaging brickwork.
I shake my head in despair that someone has paid their hard earned money on such poor work.
I am a builder, not a businessman. I am very good at what I do. I know my trade inside and out, and guarantee you will get the best results possible from me and you can be assured your money will be well spent on high quality work.
I hope my business will grow and expand, because of the high level of service I offer to all of my customers.
I can liaise on any project with architects, designers, builders, property developers as well as domestic householders and I welcome all enquiries.
|
No job is too big or small |
Re-Pointing |
Pointing can be an expensive but very necessary venture if you want to maintain your home to highest standards. Pointing protects your home and brickwork from damp that will easily penetrate a wall that is in need of repointing.
The process of re pointing brickwork is the removal of existing damaged pointing called raking out, to a depth of not less than 10 to 12 mil. We always try and use traditional hand tools to carefully remove damaged pointing, only as a last resort will we use electric tools such as grinders and if we do we will only cut a line through middle of bed to avoid cutting brick and then chip old pointing out with sharp chisels. The brickwork is then hosed down to remove any dust to ensure a good bond with new mortar. Pointing is then replaced to match original, using traditional appropriately sized trowels no wider than joint size to prevent staining. |
|
| With weatherstruck joint as above as example. |
Pointing should be tucked slightly under bottom of brick and dead flush with top of next course, never overhanging or proud, finished with a sharp cut, the perpendicular joints or perps as they are better known should be slightly tucked in on one side flush on the other side without covering any part of brick, finished with a sharp cut. Gauge should never be stronger than 6 sand 1 cement 1 lime. |
Brick Cleaning |
| Brick cleaning involves removing carbon deposits, pollution, and dirt, from brickwork and stonework. |
| Various methods are used, depending on the type of surface and the degree of cleaning required. |
| Patio's & driveway's can also be cleaned very successfully, and I have many years experience in doing it. |
| Basically anything of brick or stone that needs cleaning can be cleaned from houses to churches, to facades. |
| The results can transform the building back to its original colour and bring the BRICKWORK BACK TO LIFE! |
|
Matching New To Old |
| There are many methods to match new brickwork or re-pointing to the original brickwork, and I have many years experience in doing it to perfection. |
| I even offer to do a section FOR FREE, so that you can judge the results for yourself before committing. |
| To the layman what may seem to be a good job, often to me as a professional is a real eyesore. I get many jobs where I have to make good the bad workmanship done by others. |
It Has To Be Done Right First Time |
| "Because I work as a sole trader I can guarantee to be lower on price than your lowest quote from an established firm that will have many overheads to cover within their prices". |
My work I believe will speak for itself. |
I pride myself on doing the best job possible |
& an added bonus is that I am always on site & always available |
|
|
|
Brick Restoration & Pointing Can Be Expensive |
|
| |
Restoration of brickwork and re-pointing can be an expensive but very necessary venture if you wish to maintain your home to a high standard. |
|
Neglecting it can decrease the value of your home and cause all sorts of expensive problems.
|
|
|
Pointing not only protects outside brickwork from the elements, it also protects the insides by preventing damp,.as well as structural benefits, done correctly it will return any property back to it's former glory cosmetically. |
It is essential that you employ the right people to take on any |
brick restoration work or it can cost far more later on. |
|
If you re-point the late Victorian/Edwardian red brick houses with a strong cementious mix (sand/cement mix) you will cause damage to the brickwork in a relatively short time. |
This is because the mortar, like paint (never paint brickwork) can actually prevent the wall from breathing. (the release of vapour through the joints), instead the moisture is released through the bricks, and can result in server frost damage during the colder weather, and cause spalling to the bricks. |
You will also have to make sure that the mortar used is not stronger than a 6.1.1 mix. Lime is used to help breathing and flexibility properties of the mortar as recommended by English Heritage. |
Plus if the mortar is stronger than the bricks, (as is common in the Edwardian soft brick methods of construction,then, any movement in the structure can cause the bricks to crack rather than the mortar joint. |
Pointing is an art, and when done correctly will enhance your property and it's value. Myself and my team use traditional tools and materials to restore buildings to the way they looked when first built. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Some Examples Of Brick Restoration |
The Whole House Was Re-pointed and The Bricks Tinted To It's Original Glory |
This house in (South West) SW London had deteriorated through years of neglect and |
every outside wall was in need of pointing. |
The outside boundry wall also needed re-pointing and much of the brickwork had lost |
its colour to the elements, and needed a fair bit of brick restoration. |
Once all the pointing and brick restoration was completed, the brickwork was tinted with brick dye |
to bring the house back to its former glory. |
|
|
|
Gate Pillars- Pointed & Tinted |
Here is the original piller of the gate way in a before and after picture. |
As you can see the pointing and tinting of the finished briwork had a dramatic effect. |
|
|
A Door Arch Repointed & Tinted To It's Original Quality |
These arches didnt neen any actual brick restoration, however the damaged |
non-existance of pointing in such a place would only cause major problems if left |
un-pointed. The re-pointing and tinting made for a massive improvement both |
in look and in actual protection from the elements, ensuring that the brickwork |
would be sound for many more years. |
| |
|
|
Two Views Of The Same Side Wall Showing Before & After |
|
Far Section Of Wall |
|
|
A Wall Made From Old Bricks - Repointed By Myself |
|
Another Old Wall - Repointed |
|
|
Brickwall Before & After |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Information About Brick Tinting |
|
|
Inconsistencies in the brick appearance can be caused for various reasons including the matching of old bricks with new production, particularly in extensions. |
Also slight differences in colour from various batches of new bricks may lead to a patchy appearance, particularly in new-build projects. |
I am able to colour match to most type of brick I encounter and therefore resolve an otherwise unacceptable appearance. |
The tinting system I use is a low viscosity, water-based solution of a modified Potassium Silicate and is designed to preserve the appearance of the bricks,whilst correcting colour defects and enhancing the brick. |
For this reason, the product I use is specifically formulated to maintain maximum translucency, not to hide the texture or appearance of the substrate and should not be confused with proprietary masonry paints.
|
|
The Tints create natural weather resistance by producing a semi-permeable membrane, which allows the bricks to 'breathe' very important to prevent spalling of brick, and why you should never paint bricks as this prevent breathing.
|
| With tinting you dye the brick not paint it. |
| |
The original surface texture of the brickwork or masonry is not altered by this process the only evident effect is the designed colour change. |
|
The tinting system I use has been used industrially for over forty years with great success, and potassium silicate paints have been applied to brickwork and masonry in various forms for over one hundred years.
|
Potassium Silicates are also outstanding for their resistance to biodegradation. |
They are alkaline in nature and are resistant to mould and algae. |
|
Various Types of Brick Pointing |
|
'Concave' Brick Pointing |
Concave pointing or more commonly known as "bucket handle" is probably the most commonly used in the UK today. |
The mortar should be pushed up to the arris (edge of the brick) with the jointer to create a curved affect, which will allow the water to run off the joint and achieve good resistance to rain. |
'Weather Struck' Brick Pointing |
Weather Struck jointing is a less common technique used today, mainly due to the fact that it is time consuming to achieve and requires a lot of experience the get the required results. |
When done correctly it will give a lovely ascetic look to the wall and has great resistance to adverse weather. |
'Recessed or Raked' Brick Pointing |
Raked pointing is more about looks than actual benefits to the wall in a structural sense.
|
Great emphasis should be given when laying the bricks to full joints, this is needed when raking out the joint with a wheeled raker, so that you do not spend a lot of time filling back in the joints with bits of mortar. |
With the edge of the brick exposed, consideration should be given when using this method as it will allow water to sit on your brickwork, which will in some areas expose your brickwork to potential frost damage.
|
|
|
call me NOW on 07415 035162
for my immediate attention |
|
|
|
|
|
My Promise To Every Client |
|
|
|
To leave your property clean and free of rubble with your thanks for a job well done. |
|
| Most homeowners that call me wish to know a ball park price over the phone on first contact. |
| That is understandable but not always possible without seeing the project. |
To give possible Clients an idea of cost. |
| Typically a front elevation such as above, to clean off dirt and pollution and every aspect of it regarding brick and stone and render restored, including complete repoint, down to painting stonework would cost as much as £5000. |
My charge from start to finish was less than half that amount. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No Job Is Too Big or Too Small |
For the bigger jobs, I do have other other skilled workers to assist me |
and they are all vetted by myself personally |
to ensure that they are up to my exacting standards |
|
| |
|
|
Area's in (South West) SW London & Surrey Where I Work |
|
|
|
|
| |
I Will Also Do Work In These Postcode Areas
|
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 , E8 , E9 , E10 , E11 , E12 , E13 , E14 , E15 , E16 , E17 , E18, |
SE1 , SE2 , SE3 , SE4 , SE5 , SE6 , SE7 , SE8 , SE9 , SE10 , SE11 , SE12 , SE13 ,SE14 , SE15 , SE16, SE17 , SE18 , SE19 , SE20 , SE21 , SE22 , SE23 , SE24 , SE25 , SE26 , SE27, SE28,6 |
SW1 , SW2 , SW3 , SW4 , SW5 , SW6 , SW7 , SW8 , SW9 , SW10 , SW11 , SW12 , SW13, SW14 , SW15 , SW16 , SW17 , SW18 , SW19 , SW20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
call me NOW on 07415 035162 |
|
contact me |
You can call me at any time to discuss any aspect of |
Brick-Work - Brick Restoration - Brick Pointing - Brick Tinting |
or to arrange for a FREE estimate of your work |
or to arrange for a FREE test sample so you can judge the |
results for yourself. |
|
|
| |
|
call me NOW on 07415 035162 |
for my immediate attention |
|
Excellent References can be supplied On Request |
|
Do You Need Brickwork Re-Pointed ? |
Brick Restoration and pointing SW London and Surrey offers, Weatherstruck Pointing, Flush Pointing Westminster Smudge & other less well known specialist pointing, such as Tuck pointing and Penny Pointing. |
Pointing is the process by which existing pointing is removed to a depth of not less than 12mil and a pointing trowel of an appropriate size is used to fill raked out joints of your brickwork, keeping it weather proof to maintain and enhance the look of your brickwork.
|
You can check if your brickwork needs repointing by running your fingers along the mortar between your bricks, if it crumbles or is cracked and easy to remove then you should be repointing. |
Quite often it requires repointing purely for cosmetic reasons if exiting or previous repointing is of a poor standard. |
| Pointing styles may vary but that can depend on your taste and what we are able to do with the job, we will usually recommend that original style of pointing be replaced with same and smallest joints possible to emphasise your brickwork (if existing pointing has smudged or covers part of brickwork, it has not been done properly and can cause damage to brickwork) |
We will ensure pointing is done to highest standard |
|
|
|
|
|
More testimonials available on request |
|
|
All Brickwork By John O'Connell and all images are copyright (South West) 'SW London and Surrey Brick Restoration and Pointing' 2013 |
|
|
|
|
