My grandpa had an "old friend who owed him a favor" come by and repoint the mortar a few years ago on his house. The man did a shitty job, and now it looks like shit. Is it fucked? Can the mortar be removed or scraped away?
>>953874
>can the mortar be removed or scraped away?
Try it. If he did a shitty job it is possible his mix was shit too.
It could be anywhere between:
>light tap with hammer and it all comes off
Or
>need grinder to remove 1/4" of the brick surface
The only way to know is to go ahead and try.
>>953897
Also. The mortar looked good in the first place. What is the point of wasting a favor on that bullshit?
>>953897
>>953898
Back in the 70s there was a makeshif shed attached to the back of the house that was removed in the 90s. The mortar was FINE but it was just discolored slightly compared to the one around it.. Apparently my grandpa though it was crumbling so he had a favor done that was unecessary in the first place. Now it looks like an outline of the shed, and just shit in general.
Ill see what I can do
>>953874
Simple OP, just build an house extension.
>>953874
bricklayer here, the bloke obviously used gear that was way too wet. I suppose you could go at it with a wire brush or grinder or something, and see where that takes you, though you run the risk of making the patch you buffed up look different from the rest of the wall. If its just stained and theres no lumps you could paint the house. Or you could render over it.
>>953874
Holy shit that's bad ,try grinding it all out then scrubbing with brick acid
So much effort. Just grow ivy
If it makes you feel better someone did the exact same thing to my chimney. Which is located right next to my front door. When I questioned it they said "oh you not gonna paint over it" they were serious. also my entire house is brick not just my chimney. why would I paint only my chimney. Seems that how free labor often works out. i just try not to think about it.
>>953904
grind and clean just that one side of the house so it won't look out of place.
You could try a power washer. Or just build a new shed.
i've done the same thing trying to repair mortar. if you spray some acid on it, it reduces the color a little bit but it'll still be noticeable. grinding will just make burn marks and a wire brush won't do shit. best bet is to paint that side or the whole house. or rebuild that shed.
>>954091
Pretty much this. A pressure washer will take off the thin bits of mortar from the surface of the brick while leaving the thick sections in between the brick intact. Just go one brick at a time, no grinding or crazy stuff necessary.
>>953874
Just wipe it down with muriatic acid using gloves and shit then wash it off.
>>953874
Yeah it can, its just a lousy and shitty job to do tho, you need patience.
>>953874
Hold up so
1, Thats not your house?
2, If that's granpas house and he doesn't care, why worry about it?
>>954209
>maybe grandpa does care suddenly and telling OP to fix or GTFO
>maybe OP killed his grandpa to sell off the inherited property, but realized he can't sell a house that looks like shit
>>954134
>grinding will just make burn marks
I don't see how seeing as I did it myself recently. Unless maybe you used one of those composite "stone" blades which are not even worth the $2 they cost.
The segmented flat diamond blades are worlds better. Just be careful as it really removes material.
>>954279
Flap disc perhaps.
>>954343
Wrong tool for that job. Bricks and mortar will eat up flap disks quickly.
>>954165
>Just wipe it down with muriatic acid using gloves and shit then wash it off.
This guy is the ONLY one here who knows what he's talking about.
1. Pressure washers are a LAST resort. Do not use them.
Muriatic acid and a wire brush is the proven method masons use to clean off excess dried mortar from brickwork
You'll need:
Muriatic acid from a masonry supply store
Acid resistant long elbow gloves.
A full face shield
A manual wire brush
A cup wire brush for a drill
A masons nylon brush
Several buckets
A garden hose with running water.
Google/youtube for more instructions.
You can use acid, just don't use too much and don't kill yourself.
You should probably just go down to your local hardware store and ask for advice on how to use Muriatic acid to clean up excess mortar. (4chan safety instructions aside).
Use all the safety gear they try to sell you, this isn't the kinda stuff you mess around with.
>>955671
Just let the old tradies use their imperial, they've been using it for 30-40 years and they're not going to change since all the other old tradies feel the same.
just plant tomatoes in grow bags there.
>>953904
Shit, nigga... all he had to do was give that whole side a good pressure-wash.
Ah, well, it's in the past. Too bad that what's there now is dogshit. No matter what you do, it'll involve some serious work if you want dat real brick look. If you really insist on it, use acid like the bros here are telling you.
If this is for resale, I'd paint the exterior of the house.
>>956049
Ill just paint it probably
