Brick pointing in San Jose, CA - tight joints that spare your old brick
Crumbling or cracked mortar lets water into your wall. We clear out the worn joints and refill them with mortar your brick can live with.
When does a brick wall need new mortar joints?
Brick pointing in San Jose, CA, which masons also call repointing or tuckpointing, renews the worn mortar joints between your bricks, and it's one of the most effective ways to cut down on water getting into a brick wall.
Most calls start with something you noticed up close. The mortar comes away as sand when you rub it, a few joints have gaps or hairline cracks, or a water stain shows up inside behind a brick wall. If some brick faces have already flaked or cracked, that part is brick repair, and we usually do it alongside the joints. The price moves with how many square feet need new joints, how deep the wear goes, how high we have to work and how many bricks need replacing. The schedule turns on dry weather, any permit check and a lab result if we send a mortar sample out. Your estimate gives you the figure for your own wall, based on measurements I take on site.
How we do brick pointing on your wall
I start by walking the wall, checking how deep the joints have worn and scraping a little of the old mortar to see how soft it is, because that tells me what the new mortar has to be. On older brick we choose a mortar that's matched to or softer than what's there, so the joints give before the brick does. Our masons then clear the worn mortar out to sound material, taking care not to chip the brick edges, and brush and dampen the joints so the new mortar bonds. They pack the new mortar in, shape the joints to match the profile you already have and clean the brick faces as they go. We keep the fresh joints damp and out of the hot sun so they cure slowly instead of drying out and cracking.
Worn joints are sometimes a symptom. If the cracks zigzag through a wall or a corner has dropped, we look at foundation repair first, because new mortar in a wall that's still settling just cracks again. Chimney brick takes more weather than any other brick on the house, so tired joints up there often come with chimney repair on the crown and flashing.
Spot repointing where joints failed
This suits a wall that's sound overall with wear in patches, like under a leaky gutter or along a sprinkler line. It costs less, though the new joints can look lighter than the old ones until they weather.
Full repointing of a wall
This suits a wall where most joints are soft or cracked, since patching around them just leaves the next weak joint to fail. You end up with one even color and joint shape across the whole face.
Lab-matched mortar for older homes
When the match really matters, as on an older or historic house, we can send a sample of the old mortar to a lab. The new mix then comes as close to the original as we can get it.
Brick pointing rules and older brick in San Jose
The City of San José requires a building permit for altering walls or making any structural change, and it exempts minor repairs, but its lists don't name repointing, so I don't assume either way. Before we start, we check with the city's permit center, and if your job needs a permit, we apply for it as the licensed contractor and meet the inspector on site. If your house is a City Landmark or sits in a City Landmark District, work on it needs a Historic Preservation Permit and has to meet the national standards for rehabilitating historic buildings. Ordinary maintenance that replaces worn material in kind, without changing how the outside looks, doesn't need that historic permit, which is one more reason we match the old joints in shape, color and strength.
We're based in San Jose and work across the city and the cities around it. Most of the brick we repoint is on older houses and chimneys, where years of dry summers and wet winters have worn the joints thin, and we see the same wear on jobs in Campbell and Los Gatos.
Repointed brick joints up close
Why call us for brick pointing
I measure every wall myself
I come out to look at your wall and take the measurements myself, and our own masons do the work while I check it as it goes up. If something can't be known until the old mortar is out, I'll tell you that plainly rather than guess.
Thirteen years on older brick
I learned the trade under an experienced mason here in San Jose, starting with mixing mortar and cleaning out joints, and we've been in business since 2013. That's 13 years of seeing which repairs hold on older brick and which ones end up hurting it.
Licensed in California, fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. California only lets someone work without a license on jobs under its $1,000 limit that need no permit, and only when they employ no one, so a crew repointing a whole wall should hold a license.
On older brick, the joints should give before the brick does, so ask any mason what mortar they plan to use before you hire. Tell us about your wall or call (669) 234-3391 to set up a visit.
(669) 234-3391Get a written repointing estimate for your wall
We reply within one business day to set a time, and the on-site estimate is free with no obligation. I'll walk the wall, take measurements and photos, and send you a write-up of what I found and what we'd do about it. Photos of the worn joints, the wall's rough size and your home's age help me plan the visit.
Brick pointing questions from San Jose homeowners
How do I know if my brick wall needs repointing?
Your wall needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles when you rub it, has holes, or shows hairline cracks or gaps where brick meets mortar. Check several spots along the wall with the edge of a coin. Take photos of what you find, because they help when you call us.
How much does brick pointing cost in San Jose?
Repointing brick across the US usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall, and that's a national figure, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on the joint depth, the height and the brick replacement I measure on site. Your estimate is the place to get a number for your own house.
Why does mortar strength matter when repointing an older brick house?
New mortar should be no stronger than the old, because harder mortar puts stress on older brick and makes the faces flake and break away, which masons call spalling. Mortar used before the early 1900s was mostly lime, so an older San Jose house likely needs a softer mix than new construction would. Ask any mason what mortar they plan to use and why.
How long does repointing last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks may well last more than 100. Over a wall's life you plan on renewing the mortar now and then, not replacing the brick. That's why the mortar should be the part that wears, since it's the easier part to redo.
What is the best way to remove old mortar from brick joints?
The best way is one that leaves the brick edges whole, and preservation guidance warns that power saws on thin joints, like most brick walls have, almost always chip brick edges and overcut the vertical joints. Before you hire, ask how the crew takes old mortar out. The brick industry also suggests seeing a crew's repointing first, since an excellent mason isn't always qualified for this work.
Can surface grouting replace repointing on an old brick wall?
No. Surface grouting, where a thin mortar is spread over the joints, can't take the place of the fuller work of repointing, and it isn't a recommended treatment for historic masonry. It leaves the worn mortar underneath, so the problem stays in the wall. If someone offers it as a cheaper fix, ask what happens to the old joints.
Have your brick walls and chimney checked in San Jose
We pick up seven days a week, so call (669) 234-3391 or send photos of your joints through the form.
