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Bricklayer terms explained — Barnstaple glossary

Lime Mortar(Lime)

The traditional soft mortar used on solid-wall buildings, designed to let moisture evaporate through the joint rather than the brick. It is sacrificial by design — the joint erodes instead of the masonry, which is the whole point.

Repointing(Pointing)

Raking out and replacing the surface mortar in existing joints. Done in the wrong mix on an old wall it accelerates decay rather than halting it, which makes it one of the few repairs capable of leaving a building worse than before.

Wall Ties(Ties)

The metal ties bridging the two leaves of a cavity wall. Older galvanised ties corrode and expand, cracking the mortar in a distinctive horizontal pattern every few courses — a defect a surveyor will price and a seller will feel.

Spalling

The face of a brick blowing off after trapped moisture freezes. It is the visible end result of cement pointing on a soft brick, and there is no cure short of cutting out and replacing the affected bricks.