Weather struck pointing
Angled back at the top so rain runs off the face. The hardest-wearing profile.
Cross-section: brick above and below, mortar in the middle, face of the wall on the right.
Pointing styles
Weather struck
A weather struck joint is pressed in with the trowel angled so the mortar slopes outward from top to bottom — recessed slightly under the brick above, flush or slightly proud at the brick below. Rain running down the wall hits the slope and is thrown off the face rather than sitting on a ledge.
It's the most durable profile because the top edge of every joint is protected and water can't pool. It also compacts the mortar well as it's tooled, which matters for longevity.
We use weather struck on most exposed cement-mortar work — gables, chimneys, north-facing elevations and boundary walls. On the Pennine side of Rochdale and Oldham it's the sensible default for brick. The variant with the bottom edge cut off cleanly is called weather struck and cut.
- Suits
- Exposed elevations, gables, chimneys, garden walls, anything facing the weather.
- Avoid on
- Period lime work where a flush finish is original.
The others
More pointing styles
Flush
Filled level with the face of the brick or stone. Plain and clean.
Bucket handle
Concave, tooled with a round bar. Compacts well and hides irregular brick.
Recessed
Set back from the face for strong shadow lines. Modern look.
Tuck pointing
A brick-coloured joint with a fine white line tucked in. A period feature.
Not sure which finish your house has?
Send Scott a photo of a joint up close. He'll tell you what it is and what it should be repointed in.