Repointing Masonry

Working with Mortar is fun and a bit like playing with playdough.

Mix mortar: about 3 parts mortar, 1 part water.  Wear a mask while mixing because you don't want to breath in the cement dust.  Bad for you.

Let "slake" or sit for a few minutes, so all those dry pockets pull the water in.

Mix to peanut butter consistency, until mortar sticks to upside down mortar.

Clean off and mist down area to be repaired. Otherwise, any debris can keep mortar from sticking to the foundation and a dry foundation can pull the moisture out of the mortar.

Press mortar into place.  Wear gloves, because over time, mortar is very hard on the skin. If it's a big hole (more than a half inch deep), press some into place then wait for it to dry until you can't make much of a thumb print in it, then add more to build it up.

Smooth it down and clean up any driblets in the area before the stuff hardens.