Tuckpointing in Davis CA - Sound mortar joints matched to the brick on your house
Mortar crumbling, cracked or sunk back from the brick face? We cut out the failing joints and refill them so your wall stays sound.
Tuckpointing renews the mortar. The brick stays put.
Tuckpointing, which preservation guides more accurately call repointing, means we cut the worn mortar out of the joints in your brick wall and put new mortar in. The brick stays right where it is. Only the joints get renewed, so you keep the wall you have and fix the part that wore out.
Most people call because of what worn joints let through. Stains on the brick, flaking brick faces, damp spots or mold on an inside wall all point to water getting past the mortar. If bricks have cracked or broken too, that's brick repair, and we often handle both on one wall.
Mortar is supposed to wear out before the brick does. Catch it while it's only the joints and the fix stays small. Wait until water gets into the brick or the wall behind it, and the job grows.
We fix what failed. Tuckpointing sized to your wall.
We cut out only the joints that are failing and leave sound mortar alone, so the job stays sized to what your wall actually needs. Before that, I look for why those joints went bad, like a gutter dumping water on the wall, so we fix the cause and not just the mortar.
What moves the price is how many joints need cutting out, how high and easy to reach the wall is, and how closely the new mortar has to match the old. The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether the job needs a permit. After I've looked at it, you get a written estimate for your wall.
Our tuckpointing covers the whole joint. Here's what that means.
Marking the failing joints
We go over the wall joint by joint and mark the ones that are soft, cracked or hollow, so the sound mortar stays where it is.
Cutting out old mortar
We grind the bad mortar out to a clean, even depth, working carefully so the edges of your brick don't chip.
Cleaning out the joints
We brush or blow out the dust and loose bits, then wet the joints so the brick doesn't pull water out of the new mortar.
Matching the mortar
We pick a mortar that suits the age of your brick and match its color and sand, so the new joints look like they belong.
Filling and tooling
We pack the joints full and tool them to the same shape as the rest of the wall, so the repair doesn't stand out.
Clean-up
We clean mortar off the brick faces and haul away the debris, so the yard looks the way it did before we started.
Mortar should give before brick does. Good tuckpointing saves the wall.
The worst tuckpointing I see uses mortar that's too hard. New mortar should be equal to or weaker than the old, because harder mortar pushes the stress into the brick and the faces start to flake and pop off. Then a mortar job turns into a brick job.
That matters most on older houses. Davis has a Conservation District covering the original 1917 city limits, with neighborhoods like Old North Davis and Old East Davis, and the city keeps a list of designated historical resources. If your house might be on it, check before we plan the wall, and we'll pick mortar that suits brick that age.
Here's how it runs. I'm on it from start to finish.
Call or send a note
Call (530) 298-0279 or use the form on this page, and we'll get back to you to set up a time to look at the wall.
I come look
I come out myself, look at the joints with you and tell you what I think on the spot. If your driveway pavers have settled, show me those too.
Your written estimate
I follow up with a written estimate for the work I recommend, so you can look it over and decide in your own time.
The work and the walk-through
Once you say go, we handle any permit, a lead mason and I run the crew, and we walk the wall with you at the end.
Tell us about your wall. We'll come take a look.
Send photos of the joints and note if your house is listed as historic. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
(530) 298-0279Here's where we work. Davis and the cities nearby.
- Davis, CA
- Vacaville, CA
- Woodland, CA
- West Sacramento, CA
- Dixon, CA
- Winters, CA
- Elk Grove, CA
- Fairfield, CA
- Roseville, CA
- Rancho Cordova, CA
- Florin, CA
- Arden-Arcade, CA
We're based in Davis and do tuckpointing across the cities around it, from Winters to Elk Grove. If your city isn't listed here, call and ask.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
You've got questions about tuckpointing. Here are plain answers.
Read through these before you call. If your question isn't covered here, call and ask me directly.
How do I know if my brick mortar needs tuckpointing?
Mortar usually needs repointing once it has worn back more than ¼ inch from the brick face, is crumbling, or shows hairline cracks or gaps. Bricks cracking along with the joints is another sign. A mason's look is what settles whether the work is needed, and I'll tell you straight if it can wait.
How long does mortar last compared with brick?
Masonry industry guidance puts mortar at roughly 25 to 50 years and brick at about 100 years or more. That gap is why brick walls need repointing at some point. If your house still has its original mortar, plan on it as the joints age.
What kind of mortar should be used on an older brick house?
Use a mortar that suits the age of your brick, because the mortar often used on older brickwork differs from what may suit newer brick. Ask any contractor how their mortar compares with what's in your wall now. We'll tell you what we plan to use and why.
Should I repoint the whole wall or just the bad joints?
Usually just the bad joints. Industry guidance says only defective joints need repair and that original joints in good shape are better than repointed ones. Repointing is slow hand work, so cutting out sound mortar costs you money for nothing.
Does tuckpointing in Davis need a city permit?
The city's Building Division reviews and issues all permit types in Davis, so it's the office that can say for your wall. When a job needs a permit, we pull it, set up the inspections and keep you posted, or give you what you need to file it yourself. We're licensed and fully insured.
There's more we do. Brick, stone and concrete work around Davis.
Need tuckpointing or brick repair? Call for a free estimate.
Tell us where the joints are failing. We'll set a time to come look, and if the repair can wait, I'll say so.
(530) 298-0279