

Roof repointing is when you repair or renew the existing mortar on your roof. Mortar is an essential roof bedding component that holds roof tiles in place. If the mortar isn’t working, roof repointing is a crucial task you must complete.
Doing this is about more than just making your roof look nicer. Ineffective mortar can lead to significant roof damage. For example, if the tiles fall off, rainwater can seep through and cause rot that can impair the roof structure.
However, how do you repoint the roof? Continue our guide to learn why it’s essential and how to repoint your roof correctly.
Why is Roof Repointing Important?
Roof repointing is important because mortar is a critical component of a roof. With it, your roof would have more structural integrity. Along with making the roof more stable, it helps to safely distribute the weight of all the heavy materials across the roof’s surface.
Also, mortar prevents water from rotting your roof materials and causing significant structural damage.
For all these reasons, it is essential to maintain mortar.
Additionally, mortar can degrade over time because of frequent exposure to adverse weather like heavy rain and high winds. Because of these events, mortar can crack or erode, leaving the roof vulnerable.
Along with water damage, damaged mortar can make the insulation in your home worse, which will increase the amounts on your energy bills.
If you wait for these damages to take hold, repairing them will cost you much more than repointing. Therefore, it is a great idea to repoint the roof before this happens.
How Can You Tell if Your Roof Needs Repointing?
To see if your roof needs repointing, you must regularly inspect the mortar and look for the following problems:
- Mortar cracks that will allow water to seep through and damage the roof and house.
- Mortar that is brittle or has a powdery texture when you touch it.
- Significant weathering on the mortar from high winds and rain.
- Visible gaps between the tiles because of insufficient mortar.
- Loose tiles because of the mortar not working correctly.
- Tiles that are entirely missing because the mortar isn’t holding them in place.
You must conduct these inspections at least once a year to find any of these mortar issues. Additionally, you should inspect your roof immediately after an adverse weather event to look for immediate damage.
How Do You Prepare Your Roof Before Repointing It?
Before you can repoint the roof, you need to prepare it properly. However, before you can do this, you must acquire the essential tools for the job, including:
- The new cement mortar mix that is ready for repointing after you prepare the roof.
- Tools you need for repointing, like a trowel and smoothing tools.
- A bucket of water for washing the tools.
- Safety glasses, a hard hat and safety gloves to protect yourself during the process.
- A roof ladder to climb the roof safely.
- A harness to protect you from falls.
- A barricade around the house to prevent anyone from entering the work area.
After this, prepare the roof by removing all the existing mortar and brushing off the debris to give yourself the cleanest surface possible.
What is the Roof Repointing Process?
Once you have all the equipment you need and you fully prepare your roof, you can begin the roof repointing process.
Here are the crucial steps of roof repointing you must remember.
Ensure the New Mortar is Ready for You to Apply
Before you can apply mortar to your roof, you must ensure that it is entirely ready. Do this by reading the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and mixing the mortar so it’s the same colour and thickness as the mortar on your roof.
Our top tip is to not tip in all of the water at the same time. By adding it gradually to the mortar mix, you can ensure that you have the best consistency possible.
Apply the Mortar to Every Tile and Joint on the Roof
Once you have a perfectly mixed mortar, you can apply it to the roof.
You should use a trowel or specific repointing tool to apply the mortar to all the gaps. Additionally, ensure that you are thorough with the mortar; you should do multiple passes of the roof to check if you missed any gaps.
When you apply the mortar, ensure you give it a hard press so rainwater cannot get past it.
Finally, smooth over the mortar to give it an aesthetically appealing finish.
Clean Up the Roof After Applying the Mortar
When you apply mortar to your roof, you will likely encounter a lot of excess around the tiles. Once you apply it, clean off any of the excess mortar by using a sponge. You must do this before the mortar dries, or it will be too hard to remove.
How Do You Maintain the Roof After Repointing?
Once you repoint your roof successfully, you can’t just leave it and assume it will always work. It is crucial to maintain the mortar to ensure that it always does its job. Additionally, maintaining the roof mortar can ensure that it lasts for as long as possible.
To check if you need to maintain the mortar, inspect the roof at regular intervals. You can do this yourself or hire a professional to inspect the roof. Although arranging inspections can be expensive, a professional can see something you might miss.
If you check your roof yourself, you should look for cracks or aging in the mortar.
How Much Does Roof Repointing Cost?
Although roof repointing is crucial to maintaining roof health, it can also be expensive.
Here is what can impact the cost of roof repointing if you choose to do it yourself:
- The overall size of your roof.
- The type of mortar you choose to apply on the roof. For the best finish, you should match the existing mortar.
- All the equipment needed for the job if you don’t have them already.
Roof repointing can also be expensive if you hire a professional installer, but they can do a more consistent job in a quicker time.
To get the best price for roof repointing, you should not rely on the first quote you get. Arrange to get quotes from multiple installers to get a clear understanding of what you need to pay.
Should You Hire a Professional to Repoint Your Roof or Do It Yourself?
The question you may have concerning roof repointing is, is hiring a professional installer worth it? There isn’t a simple answer because DIY and professionals have pros and cons.
If you want to repoint your roof yourself, you can save money on the up-front cost of an installer, learn a new skill so you can do it again and repoint your roof whenever you want. However, doing it yourself is a risk because you may get it wrong, which can lead to heavy expenses down the line. It can also be unsafe if you don’t invest in the proper equipment.
If you want to hire a professional installer, they can complete the job safely and to a high standard. However, the up-front cost of hiring an installer is more than DIY.
Final Thoughts on How to Correctly Repoint Your Roof
In summary, roof repointing is something you must do if your mortar has cracks or is aging. If you don’t do this, it could result in extensive damage to the house.
You also need to decide how to go about the roof repointing process. You can do it yourself for less money or hire a professional installer to ensure your roof looks perfect and is effective at protecting your attic.
You must take action to keep your roof safe to prevent damage; check out Evo Building Products for more tips on how to do this.