Brick pointing in Visalia CA - tight mortar joints that protect the brick
Mortar crumbling or worn back from the brick? We clear the tired joints and fill them with new mortar so your walls stay sound.
I'm on site while we work
A small crew and I do the pointing, and I'm on site while it's done. The person who looked at your wall and answered your questions is the one watching the new mortar go in.
Licensed and insured on your property
We're licensed and insured. Pointing puts our crew on ladders along your walls, close to windows, gutters and plantings, so the risk of our work should sit with us, not with you.
Repair work on lived-in homes since 2023
I spent my first years laying brick and block on new construction, then started this business in 2023 to work on homes people already live in. If your joints are wearing, call (559) 409-1176 or send us a request.
Brick pointing for Visalia homes
Brick pointing in Visalia means clearing the worn mortar out of the joints between your bricks and filling them with fresh mortar. It's for homeowners whose brick is still sound but whose joints are crumbling, cracked or sunk back from the face.
Mortar joints wear out long before the bricks do, so on most brick homes we see, the brick is fine and the mortar is what's failing. Catch it while it's only the joints and the fix stays a pointing job. Pointing is its own skill, though, and a good bricklayer isn't always good at it. Before you hire anyone, ask to see their past repointing work, or have them point a hidden section of your wall first.
What moves the price is how much wall needs new joints, how high it goes, and how hard the old mortar is to get out. Older brick takes more care, and any cracked or loose brick adds work. The schedule turns on the size of the job, whether we need scaffolding, and whether a permit is involved. Your own number comes from the written estimate after I've seen the wall.
Brick pointing and the repairs around it
Clearing old joints by hand
On older brick we clear the old joints by hand, because a saw can chip the edges of the brick and a chipped edge stays chipped. Guidance written for historic masonry backs this up. It says hand chisels take more labor but pose the least threat of damage and give the best result, while power saws on thin joints almost always break brick edges or overcut the vertical joints. The same guidance calls repointing slow and noisy work, and on historic buildings scaffolding may stay up for some time.
Keeping the new mortar damp
Once the fresh mortar is in, we keep it damp while it cures, so it sets up slowly instead of drying out on the wall. Heat makes that harder. One mortar supplier's guide says mortar goes in best in summer at 85 degrees F and lower, and when that isn't possible, crews work in shaded areas through the day. It calls damp burlap and regular misting especially critical in hot weather, so whoever you hire, ask how they'll keep the joints damp.
When the cracks aren't just mortar
New mortar fixes worn joints, not a wall that's moving. If cracks run in a stair-step through brick and mortar, or a wall has shifted, the cause is usually underneath, and foundation repair comes before any pointing. Chimneys are their own case, since they take weather on every side, and worn joints up top often go with a cracked cap or loose brick that chimney repair handles. A hairline crack can often wait, and I'll tell you if yours can.
Send photos of your joints for a pointing estimate
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to look at the wall myself. The estimate is free, done on site, with no pressure to book.
(559) 409-1176How a pointing job goes with us
Call or send your photos
Call (559) 409-1176 or send a request, and we'll set a time for me to come out. I look along your joints in person, tell you what I see and what I'd do about it, then write up the estimate.
Permits and covering your yard
Once you say go, we handle any permit the job needs with the city or county office and meet the inspector when it's time. Before any joint gets cleared, we cover windows, walks and plantings, because mortar dust travels.
Pointing and the final walk-through
We point the wall section by section and clean the brick face as we go, so mortar doesn't set where it shouldn't. Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you so you can see every joint we touched.
Brick pointing questions in Visalia
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar is worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face, crumbling, full of holes, or cracked in or beside the joints. You can check this yourself by looking along the joints before you call a mason. Take a few photos while you're there and send them with your request.
What kind of mortar should be used for repointing brick?
The new mortar should be equal to or lower in strength than the original mortar on your wall. Stronger mortar puts stress where brick meets mortar and can damage the brick face for good. Ask any mason which mortar they plan to use, and I'll tell you ours and why when I write the estimate.
How long does new mortar last after repointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves may well last more than 100. How long yours hold depends on how exposed the wall is to weather and on the mortar used, so plan on renewing the joints again sometime over the life of your house. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Who can get a building permit for masonry work in Visalia?
Visalia issues permits only to property owners and state licensed contractors, so hire a mason with a California license. The city's permit list names new construction, additions and remodels, not pointing, so ask the city's Building Safety Division at 559-713-4444 about your job. If it needs one, that paperwork is ours to handle.