Wall ties and cavity insulation
What should you ask if a Victorian brick wall has been repointed in hard mortar?
Ask whether the pointing is trapping water and damaging the brick, or simply looking different. Hard cement pointing on a soft lime joint can stand proud while the brick edges spall. A home survey sees the spalling and the style of pointing. It does not analyse the mortar in a lab, and it does not mean the foundations have moved.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Spalling at the face is a masonry defect. It lets rain into the brick. It is not rising damp, though a low patch can look similar if the ground is high as well. The repair is to cut out failed pointing and replace bricks that have lost their face, in a mortar that suits the wall. A damp-proof injection does not replace a brick face.
Listed buildings and some conservation areas control the mortar. The survey does not specify a mix for consent. There is no RICS price per square metre on this page. A bricklayer should see the elevation before anyone deducts a sum.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is the brick face spalling, or is the pointing only a different colour?
- Is the damage low, weather-facing, or under a gutter?
- Are you recommending raking out, or a damp treatment?
What are the typical next steps?
- Get a mason’s view of the area that has actually failed.
- Do not grind out sound lime joints for the sake of a neat grey line.
- If consent may apply, ask before the specification is written.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Is strap pointing a defect?
It can be, where it sits on the face and traps water. It can also be performing. The survey should say what the bricks are doing, not only the style.
Does new pointing prove the wall is dry inside?
No. Pointing is the outside joint. Indoor damp still needs a cause.