Brick Sidewalk Mortar Repair

Restore the mortar in a brick sidewalk.

A mortared brick sidewalk can look very elegant and sophisticated when properly executed. Unfortunately, if a weak mortar is used to hold the bricks together, it can easily crumble under the constant abuse of the weather. Sometimes, even quality mortar can crumble after a while. You can repair the mortar, fortunately, with a basic mortar mix and the proper applicator. Learn how to fix your brick mortar and restore your sidewalk.

Things You'll Need

• Pressure washer
• Sand
• Portland cement
• Plastic bucket
• Tap water
• Mortar grout bag
• Triangular trowel

Instructions

1. Pressure wash the damaged mortar and surrounding bricks to clean the area of dirt and debris. Allow the sidewalk to completely dry before continuing the project.

2. Inspect the mortar joints and determine the color of sand used. Purchase sand that matches the sand in the joints as closely as possible.

3. Mix one part sand to one part Portland cement in a plastic bucket. Use the instructions on the side of the Portland cement package to determine the proper ratio of water.

4. Fill the mortar grout bag halfway with the mortar mix.

5. Dampen the joints of the sidewalk you plan to repair with water.

6. Insert the tip of the bag into the joint and squeeze the bag to force the mortar mix out of the tip. Guide the tip of the bag to the places where the new grout needs to be placed. The new grout should be above the brick layer by 1/4 inch.

7. Remove any excess mortar with a triangular trowel once the mortar has dried to a dull gray. Make sure you level the mortar so that it is even with the top of the brick. Allow the mortar to harden.

References

• Ask The Builder: Brick Patio Mortar Repair