The mortar between bricks near my front steps is crumbling. Is tuckpointing enough?
Answer
Often it is, as long as the bricks themselves are still solid. The area near front steps sees frequent wet-dry cycles along with physical contact from boots, shovels, etc, which causes mortar to erode faster than brick. A practical way to judge this is by looking at the brick edges: if the corners are still crisp and intact and most of the loss is recessed or cracked mortar, tuckpointing is typically sufficient because it restores the mortar joints and limits moisture entry. If bricks in that same area are flaking or cracking, the issue goes beyond the mortar joints, and repointing alone usually won’t fix the problem.
