What type of mortar should I use

brickmortar

I'm going to replace these cracked bricks on the front of my home(see pic). What type of mortar should I use? Type S, N, or M? Is there a way to determine the type of mortar that was used when the home was built?

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Best Answer

The mortar should be matched to the brick hardness (or stone hardness).

A soft, reclaimd brick might be matched to a Type N (750 PSI)

The type S, at 1800PSI would be my guess for these bricks.

The M, at 2500 PSI would probably be too hard.

A great tutorial from the Nation Park service:

Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings