Wouldn’t it be nice if we could handle everything ourselves? If we had the necessary technical knowledge to do everything from electrical work, to car repairs, to tuckpointing? There’d be no need for contractors or mechanics, and everyone would save a ton of money. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work that way. While it’s true that you can save money by tackling a home construction project by yourself, that doesn’t mean that you will. Put another way, just because you can replace, repair, or install brickwork yourself, doesn’t mean you should.

Sure, you might save some money by sacrificing your own time. But there’s an equal chance that if you aren’t an expert, you might cause structural damage or install something improperly. And in the long run, that will cost you far more than simply hiring someone to handle it for you. Let’s use your car as an example. Imagine you’ve no expertise or awareness of how its engine works. One day, while you’re on your way to work, it breaks down due to a minor fault in the water pump. “No problem,” you say to yourself. “I’ll just pull out the instruction manual and look up a few guides online. How hard can it be?” Four days and countless hours of frustration later, and it’s no longer just a water pump you need to replace. As a result of your fumbling, your whole engine is gone. Suddenly, instead of paying a few hundred at the mechanic, you’re paying a few thousand.

Common DIY Tuckpointing Mistakes

Granted, tuckpointing is a bit less complicated than engine repair. But there’s still a ton of stuff you can do wrong, including…

• Using improper mortar. This is probably the costliest mistake you can make - because it can actually end up causing more damage to your property than if you’d just left it alone.
• Not installing the flashing properly. This can cause water and moisture buildup, damaging your entire wall.
• Only repairing surface issues, rather than the source of the problem. With an inexpert eye, you might only identify a few cosmetic problems - leaving the underlying cause completely unaddressed.
• Failure to clean before performing the repairs. Without proper cleaning, the new masonry you install won’t set properly - it’ll just fall away.
• Installing bricks unevenly. On a smaller scale, this can be a cosmetic problem. On a large one, it can actually undercut the structural integrity of an entire property.

Basically, unless you’re willing to put in a ton of hours and do a ton of research to ensure you do everything right, tuckpointing on your own is probably a bad idea. Luckily, you don’t have to - you can hire someone like Bald Eagle Construction to do it for you. As Chicago’s leading residential construction contractor, we’ve extensive expertise, superior customer service, unimpeachable integrity, and excellent prices.