Joint Profiles

The tooling and profile of a mortar joint has a significant effect on the ability of the masonry to resist moisture penetration. Different joint profiles are shown in Fig. C.

Raked joints are popular, because they accentuate the aesthetics of the brick. However they are not recommended for exterior masonry work in the Canadian climate. Raked joints provide a ledge for moisture ingress and retention.

Concave tooled joints are recommended for all exterior masonry. Joints should be tooled when the mortar is thumbprint hard. The jointing tool should be larger than the joint width, i.e. use a 12mm diameter tool for a 10mm joint width. The tooling process smoothens and compresses the joint to promote superior water repellency.