Brick pointing in Encinitas CA - fresh joints that keep your old walls sound
Joints crumbling, cracked or worn back from the brick face? We cut out the bad mortar and refill it so the wall stays sound.
Brick pointing that saves your brick
Brick pointing, also called repointing or tuck pointing, means cutting worn mortar out of the joints and packing in new. Bad joints are often why a chimney leaks, so pointing is a regular part of our chimney repair, and I look for what wore the joints out before we fix them.
The price moves with how much of the wall needs new joints, how soft the brick is and how hard the wall is to reach. The schedule mostly turns on whether the city wants a permit, and your written estimate gives you the number for your wall.
What our brick pointing covers
Pointing is slow, careful work, and these are the parts of it we handle on every wall, from the first look to cleanup.
Finding bad joints
I go over the wall joint by joint and mark only what's failing, because sound old mortar still does its job and cutting it out just risks the brick.
Cutting by hand
On soft older brick we cut the bad joints out by hand instead of with a grinder. It's slower, but one slip of a grinder blade chips a brick edge.
Softer mortar
We mix the new mortar softer than the brick, so if something has to give over the years, it's the mortar, which we can replace, and not the brick.
Packing and finishing
We pack the joints in layers, tool the face to match the joints around them and clean the wall down before we leave, so the repair blends in.
Tell us about your brick
Send photos of the bad joints, and say if the house is on the local register. We reply within one business day to book a free, no-obligation estimate on site.
(760) 230-9799How we plan brick pointing
I've run this business since 2017, and I plan every pointing job around keeping your original brick, since that's the part you can't easily replace.
- Same person, look to finish. The person who looks at your wall is the one running the site, and our own crew does the work.
- Fully licensed and insured. We're fully licensed and insured, and in California, brick, block and stone work falls under the state license board's masonry license.
- Satisfaction guaranteed. Our promise is satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and I'd rather take the slow, right way than a fast one that comes back.
- Cause first, then joints. If the joints keep cracking because the house is settling, I'll tell you at the visit, since that calls for foundation repair before pointing.
Based in Encinitas, working nearby
Advanced Encinitas Concrete and Masonry is based in Encinitas and works in many of the cities around it, including Carlsbad and Oceanside. If yours isn't listed, call (760) 230-9799.
From first call to finish
You deal with me from the first look at your wall to the final walk-through, so you always know where the job stands and what comes next.
Visit
I come out and look at the wall myself, check how deep the bad joints go and what's wearing them out. Then I tell you straight what I see, even if it's not what you hoped.
Estimate
You get a written estimate, so the plan is on paper before you decide anything. I'll go over which joints we'd cut out and what mix we'd use, because I want you to know why before we start.
Work
Once you say go, we check with the city and handle the permit paperwork if the job needs one. Our crew does the work, then I walk the finished wall with you.
Brick pointing questions in Encinitas
How do I know my brick needs repointing?
Check the joints for mortar worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbling, gaps, hairline cracks, or cracks opening between the brick and the mortar. Any of those means it's time to repoint. Take a few photos before you call, and I'll check the rest on site.
How long does new mortar last on a brick wall?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last over 100. That means you can plan on renewing the joints over the life of the wall and keeping the original brick, which is the reason to repoint instead of rebuild.
Can new mortar damage old brick?
It can, if the new mix is harder than the old. Brick industry guidance says new mortar should be equal to or weaker than what's there, because stronger mortar stresses older brick until its face starts flaking off. That's the reason our mix runs softer than the brick.
Do I need a permit for brick wall repair in Encinitas?
It can need one. The City of Encinitas requires a building permit to repair, remove or replace walls, and its Building Division can tell you if your job does. If your house is on the city's local historic Register, any exterior change first needs review by the Development Services Department and the City Council. We check with the city before we start.
How much does brick pointing cost in Encinitas?
There's no set price, because it comes down to how much of your wall needs work and how it has to be done. Hand chisels take more labor than a grinder on soft older brick, and guidance written for historic masonry says a thin grout spread over the joints can't stand in for repointing. Your written estimate gives you the number.
Plan the work on your Encinitas home
Call (760) 230-9799 or use the form, say which walls worry you, and we'll set a time to look before more joints let go.