Brick pointing in Mesquite TX - tight joints that match the brick you already have
Mortar crumbling out of the joints or cracks stepping across the wall? We repoint with a mix matched to your brick so it holds.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Is it just the mortar, or does the wall need more than pointing?
Brick pointing, also called repointing or tuckpointing, is where we rake worn, cracked or crumbling mortar out of the joints and pack fresh mortar back in. On a brick house in Mesquite, it's one of the best ways to keep water out of the wall, and it often comes with brick repair, chimney work or a look at the foundation when the cracks point to movement.
Most pointing calls start with sand on a window sill or a joint you can dig into with a key, and a worry that the whole wall is going. Usually it isn't, because mortar is meant to be the part that wears, a little like the grout between kitchen tiles. If a few bricks are cracked too, we can fold brick repair into the same job. The price moves with how much wall needs work, how deep the old mortar has worn, how high we have to reach and whether your brick is soft enough to need a closer mortar match. The schedule turns on those same things, plus any permit or city review your house needs. When I come out, I'll give you your own figure with your options laid out plainly.
How can you tell your brick joints are wearing out?
Joints sitting back from brick
If the mortar has worn back so the brick edges stick out, the joints are holding water on little ledges instead of shedding it. Left alone, that water works deeper into the wall, so the longer it goes the more there is to rake out and the more brick is at risk.
Crumbling or hollow joints
Mortar you can scrape out with a key, sand piling up below the wall or small holes in the joints mean the mortar has lost its strength. Those gaps let water straight into the wall, and once enough loose mortar falls out, bricks can start to shift.
Cracks stepping along joints
A crack that climbs the wall like stairs, following the mortar lines, usually means the house has moved. Pointing over it before anyone checks the cause tends to give you the same crack back, so this is the one sign I'd never just patch.
Work that often goes with pointing
Foundation repair
If the cracks in your brick climb in a stair-step line, the house may be moving, and fixing that first keeps fresh joints from cracking again.
Chimney repair
A chimney sits up in the wind and rain with nothing over it, so its joints often wear faster and need repair at the same visit.
How we handle brick pointing
Pointing takes a different skill than laying new brick, and it's the part of the trade I've spent the most time teaching. We cover your beds and walks first, then rake the worn mortar out until we reach sound mortar, because fresh mortar won't hold on top of crumbs. We brush and dampen the joints, mix the mortar to suit your brick the way you'd season to the dish in front of you, and pack it in thin layers so each joint fills from the back. Then we shape every joint to match the rest of your wall and clean the brick face and the ground before we leave, a habit I brought with me from restaurant kitchens. I'm glad to show you joints we've pointed before, or do a small test patch somewhere it won't show before you decide.
Pointing fixes the joints, not whatever made them crack. If your cracks run in a stair-step line, we'll talk about foundation repair before we point over them, because new mortar on a moving wall cracks the same way the old mortar did. On a lot of houses the chimney's joints are in worse shape than the walls, and we can take care of chimney repair while we're already set up.
Spot pointing for a few bad areas
This suits a wall that's mostly sound, with worn joints in a few places like under a downspout or along the bottom rows. We match the new joints to the old ones so the repair blends in instead of standing out.
Full repointing across the wall
This suits a house where the joints have worn back everywhere, so patching would just chase the next weak spot around the wall. It costs more up front, but I'd pick it over repeated patching because the whole wall comes back to the same condition at once.
Get a brick pointing estimate for your walls
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for my visit. The estimate is free with no obligation, and you can call (972) 402-6919 instead.
Call (972) 402-6919Why Mesquite homeowners call Stonework Mesquite Concrete and Masonry for pointing
I look at every job myself
I come out to see the wall, answer your questions and put the estimate together, and I check in on site while our crew of trained masons does the work. You hear the plan from the same person who's watching it get done.
Mortar work since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and careful mortar and brick repair is what we're best known for. That's 13 years of seeing which joints hold up, which ones fail and why.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured. That matters on pointing because the work happens on ladders and scaffolding along your walls, and you shouldn't be the one carrying that risk.
Checking for movement before pointing
One Dallas-Fort Worth masonry contractor says the clay soil around here swells when wet and shrinks when dry, moving foundations unevenly, and that's why stair-step cracks show up along mortar joints. When I see that pattern on a house here, I check whether it's still moving before we put new mortar in.
On a pointing job, the right mortar and the hands putting it in matter more than anything else, so tell us about your wall and I'll come take a look.
What happens when you call about brick pointing in Mesquite?
Call or send a message
Call (972) 402-6919 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly where the worn joints are so I know which walls to look at first.
Look at the wall together
I walk the wall with you, scrape a few joints and show you what's sound and what isn't. Your estimate lays out your options plainly, with what each one covers and costs, so you can pick what fits your budget.
We handle permits and work
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the city or county steps and line up inspections before anything starts. Then our crew does the pointing, one wall at a time.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, I walk the finished wall with you and explain what we did and why. I'll also show you what to keep an eye on over the years, like a downspout dumping water on the brick.
Common questions
How do I tell if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than a quarter inch from the brick face, crumbles when you scrape it, has empty pockets or shows cracks in or right beside the joints. You can check this yourself with a key and a flashlight before you call. If you find it, a few photos help me know what to look for when I come out.
How long do mortar joints last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves can last well over 100. So the joints wear out long before the brick does, and repointing is normal upkeep for a brick house, not a sign the wall is failing. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How much does brick pointing cost in Mesquite?
A standard 500 square foot, single-story tuckpointing job usually costs about $2,800 to $5,800 across the US, and that's a national figure, not our price. Your own job can land above or below it depending on how much wall needs work and how deep the wear goes. The estimate gives you your number once I've seen your wall.
What is the best way to match new mortar to old brick?
New mortar should be equal to or weaker in strength than the old, because on historic brick a stronger mortar makes the face of the brick break away, which masons call spalling. When it's needed, a sample of the old mortar can go to a lab so the new mix comes as close as possible to the original. It's like matching a sauce, where the goal is to taste like what's already there, not to be the strongest thing on the plate.
How do I choose a contractor for brick repointing?
Choose someone with proven repointing skill, not just general masonry experience, because brick trade guidance says even an excellent mason may not be qualified to repoint, and skills should be tested before you hire. Ask to see joints they've pointed, and on soft or historic brick ask how they clear out the old mortar, since power saws on thin joints almost always chip brick edges or cut too deep into the vertical joints.
Who can get a building permit in Mesquite, TX?
The City of Mesquite issues building permits through its online Citizen Self Service system to licensed contractors and to homeowners who live in and homestead the home, and anyone needs a professional license through that system before getting a permit. If your home is a Mesquite Landmark or sits in a Historic Preservation Overlay District, look into the city's rules for historic properties first. When a pointing job needs a permit, we handle the application and inspections, and if we're not sure whether yours does, we check with the city's Building Inspection Division at 972-216-6212 before any work starts.
Send us photos of your worn joints
A couple of close-up photos and a rough size of the wall help me come out ready, so add them to the form or mention them when you call (972) 402-6919.