Finishing of mortar points of either stone masonry or brick masonry is called pointing. In exposed masonry, joints are considered to be the weakest and most vulnerable spots from which rain water or dampness can enter. Pointing consists of raking the points to a depth of 10 to 20 mm and filling of with better quality mortar in desired shape.
Pointing is generally adopted for the finishing of exposed external walls of a structure. It is cheap in the first coat, but it requires frequent replacement. Pointing may be carried out either in lime mortar or in cementmortar. Lime mortar consists of equal volumes of cement and sand. The cement should comply with standard requirements and sand should be clean, fine and free from any organic impurities. The materials are thoroughly mixed in dry condition before water is added to them. The mixing of the materials is done on a watertight platform and mortar of one cement bag only is prepared at a time and this quantity of mortar is consumed within 30 minutes after adding water.
