One of the most common concerns we hear from homeowners is about repointing dust and mess.
It’s a completely understandable worry — you’ve worked hard on your home and the last thing you want is for a contractor to leave it in a worse state than they found it. Here’s an honest answer from a family run business with over 30 years experience.
Does Repointing Create Dust?
Yes — repointing does create dust. When old mortar is raked out from between the bricks, fine dust and debris is produced. There’s no way around this — it’s part of the process. However the amount of dust and how it’s managed depends entirely on the equipment and working practices of your contractor.
At Alexander Pointing Ltd we use professional dust extraction equipment when raking out mortar joints. This significantly reduces the amount of dust generated and prevents it from spreading across your property and into neighbouring gardens. It also means our operatives are working in safer conditions — something we take seriously as a business with a 100% health and safety record.
What About the Garden and Surrounding Areas?
Mortar debris and dust will inevitably fall during the raking out process. A professional contractor will take steps to protect your garden, paths and surrounding areas before work begins. This includes:
- Laying dust sheets or protective coverings over plants, lawns and paved areas directly below the working area
- Clearing debris regularly throughout the job rather than leaving it to build up
- Taking care around windows, doors and any painted surfaces
We always treat our customers’ properties with the same care and respect we would give our own homes.
Will There Be Mess Inside My House?
Repointing is an external job so there should be no mess inside your home at all. You won’t need to move furniture or cover anything internally. The work takes place entirely on the outside of the property.
If you have windows or doors close to the working area it’s worth keeping them closed during the working day to prevent any fine dust from entering — but this is just common sense rather than anything to worry about.
How Long Will the Mess Last?
Once the job is complete, a good contractor will clean down the finished work, remove all waste materials and leave your property tidy. At Alexander Pointing Ltd we always do a full clean down at the end of every job — brushing down the finished brickwork, removing all debris and ensuring your garden and paths are left as we found them.
The fresh mortar will need time to cure — typically around 24 to 48 hours depending on weather conditions. During this time you should avoid washing down the walls or allowing the fresh mortar to get wet. After that your property is back to normal.
Consideration for Your Neighbours
We’re very aware that repointing work can affect more than just the homeowner. Scaffolding, dust and noise can be disruptive for neighbours too, and we always make sure to be considerate throughout the job.
We introduce ourselves to neighbouring properties before work begins, let them know what we’re doing and roughly how long it will take. If scaffold needs to cross a boundary or debris could affect a neighbouring garden we always ask permission and make sure everything is protected beforehand.
In our experience a quick conversation with a neighbour at the start of a job prevents any issues further down the line — and more often than not they end up asking us to quote for their own property too!
What About Scaffolding?
If scaffolding is required — which it will be for any work above ground floor level — it will need to remain in place until the job is complete. We always aim to work efficiently to minimise the time scaffolding is in place. Once the work is finished the scaffolding is removed and any minor marks left on paths or drives from the scaffold feet are cleaned up before we leave.
Our Promise to You
As a family run business we understand that having contractors working on your home can be stressful. We pride ourselves on running clean, tidy and professional sites — it’s something our customers comment on regularly in their reviews. We won’t just do a great job on your brickwork — we’ll leave your property in a condition you’re happy with.
Call us today on 0161 327 2843 for a free no-obligation quote across Manchester, Bury, Salford, Stockport, Oldham and the wider North West.