Hard pointing is proposed for soft historic masonry

A fictional restoration project has soft existing masonry units and an old mortar whose properties have not yet been established. A contractor proposes choosing the highest-strength replacement mortar because its bag carries the largest strength number. The supplied survey also shows damp-related deterioration, but no one has evaluated moisture routes, movement or material compatibility. Another reviewer distinguishes a repair objective from a complete specification and asks for appropriate investigation before a substitution. This written exercise repoints no wall and gives no mix ratio. It asks why a single strength number is insufficient, which material and assembly evidence matters and how an accountable approved repair can avoid transferring distress into the original substrate.