Brick pointing in San Leandro CA - joints sealed tight and brick left whole
Crumbling or cracked mortar between your bricks? We rake out the worn joints and refill them with mortar matched to your wall, so the brick holds up.
What does brick pointing involve?
Brick pointing, also called repointing, means removing the worn mortar from the joints of a brick wall and replacing it with new mortar, and on a San Leandro house it keeps water out of the wall and the bricks tight in place.
Most people call us after they find sand at the foot of a wall, mortar they can scratch out with a key, or an old patch somebody smeared over the cracks that's now cracking around its edges. The job is cutting the bad joints back, cleaning them and filling them with fresh mortar. If the bricks are cracked through or the wall is leaning, I'll check whether it needs foundation repair before we talk about joints.
The price moves with how much wall there is, how deep the joints have worn, how high we have to work and how much old patching has to come out first. The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether a permit is involved. A chimney is its own job, covered under chimney repair. At the estimate I measure, take photos and write it up so you can see what each part of the job covers.
What goes into a brick pointing job
Most of what decides whether repointing lasts happens before the first trowel of new mortar goes in, so these are worth knowing before anyone starts on your wall.
Find the cause first
Mortar usually fails because of water, so I find where it's coming from before I touch a joint. Fresh mortar in a wall that stays wet just fails again.
Mortar no harder than the old
New mortar has to be no stronger than the original, because a harder mix can make the brick face spall and flake away. Ask any contractor how they'll match yours.
Old mortar out by hand
Where the joints are thin, which is most brick walls, we take the old mortar out by hand. A saw in the wrong hands chips every brick it gets near.
No smearing over cracks
Spreading thin grout over worn joints looks quicker, but guidance written for historic masonry says it can't stand in for real repointing. We cut the joints back and refill them.
Brick pointing questions we hear
How do I know if my brick wall needs repointing?
Your wall needs repointing if the mortar has worn back more than a quarter inch, crumbles, has holes in it, shows hairline cracks or has pulled away from the edges of the brick. Any one of those is reason enough to have it looked at before water works further in.
How much does brick repointing cost in San Leandro?
Brick repointing across the US usually costs about $3 to $15 per square foot, by a national cost guide's numbers, and that's the market's range, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on joint depth, height and how much wall there is, and most contractors lower their rate on big jobs, so a whole house can cost less per square foot than a small patch. Your own number comes from the estimate once I've measured.
Can any mason do brick repointing?
Not every mason does it well, because industry guidance says repointing belongs with craftspeople experienced in it, and an excellent mason may not qualify. Ask any contractor about repointing jobs they've done, not just walls they've built, and how they'll match your mortar and get the old stuff out.
How long does brick repointing last?
By one national cost guide's figures, a professional repointing lasts 20 to 30 years with no maintenance and up to 50 years when it's kept up carefully. Those are a guide's estimates, not a promise from us, but they show that steady upkeep mostly buys you time before the next full job.
How long does brick repointing take, and how disruptive is it?
Repointing takes longer than most people expect, because it's precise, slow work, and it's noisy while the old mortar comes out. On a tall wall, scaffolding may stand against the house for a while, and I'll tell you what to plan around when I give you the estimate.
Do I need a permit or a licensed contractor for brick pointing in San Leandro?
In California, a contractor needs a license even for a job under $1,000 when the work requires a permit of any kind, or when they hire help to do it. Whether your repointing needs a permit is a question for the city's One-Stop Permit Center, which issues building, encroachment and fire permits and sends some projects through a zoning permit or an outside agency first. If yours needs one, we take care of it with the city or the county, whichever covers your address, and we don't start until it's issued.
Why San Leandro homeowners call Liberty San Leandro Concrete & Masonry for brick pointing
I'd rather the work outlast the talk about price, so you'll get a straight read on your wall and joints done to last.
I'm there, start to finish
I come out to look at your wall myself, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done.
In business since 2021
We went full time in 2021, and most of our calls come from people who saw our work down the street.
Licensed and insured
You're welcome to check on that before you hire us, and I'd encourage it with anyone you call.
Told when a crack can wait
If a crack can wait, I'll say so instead of selling you a job you don't need.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
That's our promise, so call (510) 264-7154 or use the form to get someone out to your wall.
Get your mortar joints looked at
Snap a few photos of the cracked or crumbling joints and have a rough size of the wall handy when you call, and we'll get further on the first call.
What happens after you call about brick pointing in San Leandro?
Each job is planned around your wall and your schedule, so before anything starts you'll know who's coming, what we found and what each part of the work covers.
You call or write
Call (510) 264-7154 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing on the wall, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
I look and measure
I come out to look at the wall, measure it and take photos, so the estimate rests on what's actually there.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out each part of the job. If a permit is involved, we handle it before work starts.
Work, cleanup, walkthrough
We do the work and clean up after ourselves, then I walk the finished wall with you joint by joint.