The method which architects strongly advocate is that the joints shall
be struck as the work proceeds--that is, that very shortly after a brick
is laid, and while the mortar is yet soft, the bricklayer shall draw his
trowel, or a tool made for the purpose, across it, to give it a smooth
and a sloping surface. This is best when the joint is what is called a
weather joint--i.e., one in which the joint slopes outward. Sloping it
inward is not good, as it lets in wet; finishing it with a hollow on the
face is often practiced, and is not bad. Bricklayers, however, most of
them prefer that the mortar joints should be raked out and pointed--that
is to say, an inch or an inch and a half of the mortar next the outer
face be scratched out and replaced with fresh mortar, and finished to a
line.

In cases where the brickwork is exposed to frost, this proceeding cannot
be avoided, because the frost damages the external mortar of the joints.
But the bricklayers prefer it at all seasons of the year, partly because
brickwork is more quickly done if joints are not struck at the time;
partly because they can, if they like, wash the whole surface of the
work with ocher, or other color, to improve the tint; and partly
because, whether the washing is done or not, it smartens up the
appearance of the work. The misfortune is that this pointing, instead of
being the edge of the same mortar that goes right through, is only the
edge of a narrow strip, and does not hold on to the old undisturbed
mortar, and so is far less sound, and far more liable to decay. There is
a system of improving the appearance of old, decayed work by raking out
and filling up the joint, and then making a narrow mortar joint in the
middle of this filling in, and projecting from the face. This is called
tuck pointing. It is very specious, but it is not sound work.

Brick arches are constantly being turned, and of many sorts. An arch