For sealant, rake-out means slicing both bond lines with a knife or oscillating tool, pulling the old bead and rod, then grinding or scraping residue off the faces. For masonry, it means grinding or chiseling deteriorated mortar out to a set depth without chipping the brick edges. Rake-out is the dirtiest and slowest part of a reseal, and the part most often skimped.
Rake-out's done on drop 3, but there's still old silicone film on the faces, grind it again before we prime.
Also heard as
- raking out
- cut-out
- rake
Related terms
R&R
Remove and replace: cutting out old sealant completely and installing new sealant in the cleaned joint.
Repointing
Raking out deteriorated mortar joints in masonry and refilling them with new mortar.
Silicone
A sealant with a silicon-oxygen backbone, prized for UV resistance and high movement capability.
Tuckpointing
Common trade name for repointing brick, though strictly it is a decorative technique with a contrasting thin joint line.