LESLIE: Edna in New Jersey wants to talk about porches. What can we do to help you with?
EDNA: Well, I need to have it repaired. I think it’s called pointing or something like that. And then I also saw someone that had a metal one that they just bring in and put it in. But I just don’t know like underneath if once they take the old one I’d have to have that all cemented. And …
TOM: Alright. So first of all, Edna, you have a porch that’s made of brick?
EDNA: Yes.
TOM: And it needs to be restored because some of the mortar is falling out of the brick joints?
EDNA: Correct.
TOM: Well, I would do that. And brick is about as durable a product as you can get. I certainly wouldn’t tear it out just because it needs to be repointed. Repointing is normal maintenance for bricks.
EDNA: Oh.
TOM: And repointing refers to the process of taking the loose mortar out that’s between the bricks – just the, you know, the outside edge of it – and then pushing some new mortar in there. And masons do this all the time and it only has to be done once and it lasts a good 10 or 20 years.
EDNA: Oh, because it’s actually lasted over 40 years. So, you know, now it …
TOM: Well, you see? So that porch doesn’t owe you any money, does it, Edna?
EDNA: No, it doesn’t.
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