my suggestion:

If the wall is holding its own and was built with mortar - repoint, if no
mortar - don't repoint.

Dry laid walls permit water to pass through, mortared walls need drainage.
Remember along with the water, soil, vegetation and roots also pass through.


If the wall is not in good shape, you need to investigate - trying to
discover why it is not in good shape. I believe that, more often than not,
the original construction was well built and usually something else causes
failures such as lack of repairs or poor repairs. Unless you have reason to
believe there were faults in the original construction, rebuild to match the
original.

Eric Hammarberg
Associate Director of Preservation
Associate
LZA Technology
641 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011-2014
Telephone: 917.661.8176 (Direct)
Mobile: 917.439.3537
Fax: 917.661.8177 (Direct)
email:  [log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: Met History [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 6:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Why point the exterior of a retaining wall?


Have you ever seen the transverse roads in Central Park (they're better than
Star Wars, although no love scenes).  They are the sunken crosstown
roadways, out of sight of the park itself,and lined with cake-quality rock
retaining walls.

Some of the walls have been pointed recently, others not.  Is it better to
point the joints of a retaining wall, or leave them open to allow water to
see out?

Christopher Gray

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