Masonry History Integrity - National Center for Preservation ...

Chapter 2: Got Mortar?
To get the vertical (also called a cross or head) joints:
Hold the trowel in front of you chest high, and point the toe almost straight up in the air. Mortar
should be near the heel, and since you already snapped it, the mortar shouldn’t fall off.
Hold the pointer as you would a trowel and twist your hand so your thumb is facing down near
the handle of the trowel.
Push the pointer into about ½” of mortar at the top or toe of the trowel.
Scrape the mortar upwards and onto the pointer blade, and keep pushing it upwards till it’s off
the trowel and onto the pointer.
Keep the mortar on the pointer and turn it so you can fill the short vertical openings between
the bricks.
Finishing
Make sure all the joints are filled evenly and scrape off all excess.
Pull the long pointer blade across the joints to flatten and smooth them.
Practice these motions until they become smooth and easy.
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