A jointer is a hand tool with a curved or angled blade used to compress fresh mortar in a joint and shape it into a specific profile, such as concave, flush, or raked, that determines how well the joint sheds water.
Running a jointer through a fresh joint does two things at once: it compacts the mortar tighter than a trowel alone can, closing tiny voids and gaps, and it leaves a consistent profile across the whole wall. Different profiles exist for different jobs. A concave joint is compacted and slightly recessed, a flush joint is wiped smooth with the brick face, and a raked joint is cut back to create shadow lines, mostly used where appearance matters more than weather resistance.
A concave joint is the standard around here for a reason: it compacts the mortar the tightest and sheds water off the joint face instead of holding it against the brick, which matters a lot in a climate that goes through hard freeze-thaw cycles all winter. A loosely struck or raked joint on an exposed wall gives water more places to sit, soak in, and eventually crack the mortar loose.
More masonry vocabulary from the glossary.
The services where this term comes up.
Chelo's Brick & Stone serves Hillsville, Galax, Wytheville, Fancy Gap, and Independence, VA. Call for a straight answer and a free on-site estimate.
