Repointing in Dukinfield

Nearly all brick, nearly all cement work. Dukinfield's terraces around King Street, Astley Street and Birch Lane are Victorian red brick with stone heads and cills, and the semis on the Yew Tree and Dewsnap side are inter-war and post-war. What we see most is spalled bricks on the north side of the house and pointing that has been "topped up" so many times it's standing proud of the brick.

That proud pointing is the worst of it — water sits on the ledge it makes and drives into the joint above. We rake it back to a clean 15–20 mm, replace the damaged bricks with reclaimed matches and repoint flush or bucket handle. About thirty minutes from Rochdale.