The repair of historic brickwork

O'Donnell, Patrick (2014) The repair of historic brickwork. Bachelors thesis, Dundalk Institute of Technology.

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Abstract

A review of historic brickwork repair techniques in use today shows they are not consistently implemented in practice. The primary techniques which will be referred to in this study are wig pointing and tuck pointing. These methods involve the use of coloured mortar to repair the damaged arises of individual bricks whilst also creating the illusion of finely jointed brickwork. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the common defects found in historic brickwork from the Georgian period in Dublin and to demonstrate that current repair guidelines are not being adhered to in practice. The correct use of wig and tuck pointing has been examined in detail through reference to a case study. The dissertation was compiled from an extensive review of present literature on existing best practices and by carrying out a case study. The case study involved obtaining and reviewing pre-restoration documents and subsequently determining the results of the works carried out on the case study building. The paper finds that, while recommended practices are advised and demanded on the design side of the project, these ideals are not carried forward to the end of the project. The results showed that the pointing techniques are not always carried out appropriately in practice, even on architecturally important buildings such as the case study. A key finding of the study was that there appears to be a degree of confusion with regard to the differences in wig pointing and tuck pointing. This confusion may also be an explanation for the lack of efficient communication across all persons involved in the repair process. However, this paper also concedes that as the inappropriate repairs on historic brickwork may also be as a result of a lack of relevant skills on behalf of the bricklayers. With this in mind, it is concluded that more on-site supervision is required by competent professionals, who will also improve communication.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelors)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Historic brickwork; Mortar; Repair and restoration; Georgian period.
Subjects:	Engineering
Research Centres:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Sean McGreal
Date Deposited:	04 Aug 2015 10:42
Last Modified:	04 Aug 2015 10:42
URI:	https://eprints.dkit.ie/id/eprint/451

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