A mortar joint is the layer of mortar between individual bricks or stones, tooled into a finished profile that both holds the units together and determines how well the wall sheds water.
A mortar joint is the layer of mortar between individual bricks or stones, running both horizontally as bed joints and vertically as head joints, that gets tooled into a finished profile once the unit is set. Joint width and tooling profile aren't just cosmetic choices, they affect how well the joint sheds water. A concave or tooled joint compresses the mortar against the brick edges and directs water off the wall, while a flat or untooled joint leaves gaps where water can collect.
That's not a small detail in this climate. A joint that holds water instead of shedding it gives freeze-thaw cycles exactly what they need, moisture sitting in the mortar that freezes, expands, and cracks the joint or pops the brick face next to it. Every wall we build gets a properly compressed, tooled joint for that reason, and it's one of the first things worth checking if a wall or chimney around here is starting to look rough.
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.
