Brick pointing in Waco TX - tight joints that keep water out of your brick
Is your mortar crumbling, cracked or worn back from the brick face? We clear it out and fill the joints so rain stays out of the wall.
Brick pointing keeps water outof Waco brick homes
Brick pointing, or repointing, means cutting worn mortar out of the joints to an even depth and packing fresh mortar back in. When joints crumble, crack or sink back from the brick, water works into the wall, and new joints are one of the best ways to stop it.
On old brick or thin joints, we clear the mortar out by hand, because a power saw in a thin joint almost always breaks the brick edges. It's slower, but your wall still looks like your wall when we're done.
The price comes down to how much wall needs it, how deep the old joints are worn, how high we're working and how much has to come out by hand. Weather and any permit or historic review set the schedule. I put the work for your wall in writing at the estimate.
Call (254) 327-1950 and I'll tell you straight whether your joints need work now or can wait a few more years.
Brick pointing on old and new brick
The right mortar and the way the old joints come out depend on the wall, so older brick, newer homes and chimneys each get handled a little differently.
Older and historic brick
Industry guidance saves the weakest mortar mix for historic masonry. If your brick is old, ask which mix suits your walls before anyone starts cutting joints.
Newer brick homes
The same guidance recommends a different standard mix for modern brick. We still check what's in your joints so the new mortar works with the old.
Chimneys
A chimney's joints sit up in the weather and often wear first. When a chimney leaks, the fix can go past the joints into chimney repair.
Why Waco homeowners choose Craftsman Waco Concrete and Masonryfor worn mortar and old brick
I started this business in 2021 after learning the trade under a local mason. You deal with me from the first look at your wall to the final walkthrough.
I look at every wall myself
I come out to every job, check the joints up close and write the estimate. Then I'm on site running the work alongside our masons and helpers.
Repointing is its own skill
Industry guidance says a good mason isn't always a qualified repointer, and you can have a crew's repointing tested and evaluated before you choose one.
Covered while we're on your wall
We're licensed and fully insured, which matters when our crew is up on ladders and scaffolding along the side of your house.
We'll say if it can wait
If your joints have years left in them, I'll tell you so and leave it there. I'd rather lose a job than sell you work your wall doesn't need.
Right the first time, then clean
In a kitchen, a plate that goes out wrong comes right back, and I run a wall the same way. We clean up before we leave. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Get your brick joints looked atat your Waco home
Send photos of the worn joints, your home's age and whether it sits in a historic overlay district. We'll reply within 1 business day to set up a free estimate at your property, and it's obligation-free.
How a pointing job runsfrom your call to the walkthrough
You deal with one person from the first look to the last joint, and you have the work in writing before we touch a brick.
You call or send a message
Call (254) 327-1950 or use the form and tell us what your joints look like. We get back to you and set a time to come out.
I look at your wall
I come out, check the joints up close and ask what you want done. Then I give you a written estimate that lays out the work.
We line up the job
Once you say go, we order materials and check with the city for your address. If the job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections.
We cut out and repoint
Our crew takes the worn mortar out to an even depth and packs new mortar into each joint, with me on site running the work.
We walk it with you
We clean up and walk the wall with you. If white bloom shows in the first few months, it usually weathers off, and brushing is the safest fix if it stays.
Brick pointing questions
How do I know my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar is worn back more than ¼ inch from the face, crumbles, has holes in it, or shows hairline cracks or gaps where it meets the brick. Those are the spots where water works into the wall. If you're not sure, send us a few close-up photos.
What mortar should go in my brick joints?
The new mortar should be equal to or weaker than the mortar already in your wall. A stronger mix puts extra stress where brick meets mortar and can make the brick face flake off, so ask any mason how their new mix compares with your old one. I'll go over that with you at the estimate.
How long does brick pointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. How exposed the wall is and the mortar used both change that, so most brick homes need some joint repair now and then over their life.
How much does brick pointing cost in Waco?
We can't give a fair number until we've seen the wall, because the price turns on how much of it needs new joints and how hard it is to reach. One national cost guide says to plan for spring or fall, when daytime temperatures stay between 40 and 90 degrees for at least 24 to 72 hours, and that emergency work in winter or a heat wave will likely cost more. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your wall.
Who issues permits for brick work on a house in Waco?
The city's Inspection Services issues permits for residential construction and remodeling, and the city requires one before a property is altered or renovated. We check with the city for your address before we start, and when a job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections. If your home is a designated historic property or sits in a historic overlay district, the city's Historic Landmark Preservation Commission has a Certificate of Appropriateness application, and Planning Services answers questions about it.
What causes stair-step cracks in brick walls in Waco?
Much of the soil in McLennan County is clay that swells when it gets wet and shrinks as it dries, and that movement can lift and drop a foundation unevenly and open stair-step cracks. New joints won't do much on a wall that's still moving, so point those cracks out when I come by and we'll look at whether it needs foundation repair first.
Brick pointing around Waco
We're based in Waco and point brick in the cities around it, including the ones below and others nearby. Pick your city, or call if you don't see it listed.
Get brick pointing in Waco on the calendarwhile it's still a small job
A handful of bad joints caught now usually stays a smaller brick pointing job than a whole wall later. Call (254) 327-1950 or use the form to set up an estimate at your property.