Brick repair in San Leandro CA - mortar joints that keep water out of your walls
Cracked or crumbling mortar between your bricks? We find where the water's coming from, then repoint the joints so the wall keeps it out.
How do you fix cracked mortar between bricks?
Brick repair in San Leandro usually comes down to repointing, where we rake the worn mortar out of the joints and pack in fresh mortar so your wall takes on less water.
Most calls start with crumbling mortar, sand on the ground under a wall, or a crack running through the joints. Before I touch them, I look for the water, because a gutter, a sprinkler or driveway pavers that slope toward the house will keep soaking the wall after it's repointed. We're based in San Leandro and do this work across the cities around it, from Berkeley and Oakland down to Union City and out to Dublin and San Ramon.
Price moves with how much of the wall needs new joints, how high and hard to reach it is, and whether a drainage fix comes first. The schedule turns on that drainage work, the weather and a permit if your job needs one. If the cracks are in a brick retaining wall holding back soil, I'll look at the whole wall first. Your written estimate breaks out each part.
What a brick repair job involves
Most of a good repair happens before the trowel comes out. It's in deciding how much wall to open up, what mortar goes back in and how the old mortar comes out.
The whole section, not one joint
Since it's hard to tell which joints let water in, we usually repoint the whole section around a crack, because water doesn't come in where it's polite enough to show.
Taking out the old mortar
Guidance written for historic buildings warns that power tools in unskilled hands can ruin soft brick, and that saws almost always chip the edges of thin joints. On old brick, we go slow.
Matching the look
New joints should blend in with the old ones, so we match the sand, the color and the shape of the joint to what's already in your wall.
Letting the mortar cure
Fresh mortar needs to set up slowly, so we keep it out of hard sun and rain while it cures and plan the work around wet weather.
Questions about brick repair in San Leandro
How do I know if cracked mortar needs repair right away?
Usually it doesn't, because cracks or worn joints alone aren't a sign the wall needs fixing now. Any crack lets in a little more water, but many walls can handle the extra moisture from minor cracks, including brick veneer, a single layer of brick over the house frame, and cavity walls with an air gap behind the brick. That gives you time to find the cause and plan the job properly.
What causes mortar to wash out of a brick wall?
A leaking downspout is a common cause, because the water running down the wall can leach the mortar right out of the joints. Preservation guidance for older buildings says to replace the downspout and fix any other drainage problems before the mortar work, and that's the order we go in. Fresh mortar under a bad downspout is just a very expensive way to watch it happen twice.
What kind of mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
The new mortar should be equal to or weaker than the mortar already in the wall. Stronger mortar puts stress on older brick, and the face of the brick starts to spall, flaking and popping off in chips. If you have older brick, ask any mason how they'll match the new mortar to the old, and that includes us.
Who can get a building permit for brick work in San Leandro?
In San Leandro, a building permit can only be issued to a California-licensed contractor or the property owner. The state's masonry contractor license covers building brick walls and fences, load-bearing or not, so that's the license to ask a mason about. San Leandro's Building & Safety Services answers permit questions at permitsbyemail@sanleandro.org or 510-577-3405, and it's the place to ask whether your job needs one.
How much does brick repair cost in San Leandro?
There's no single price, because it comes down to how much of your wall needs new joints and what it takes to do them right. Repointing the whole section around a crack costs more up front than patching one joint, and slow hand work on soft old brick or matching an older mortar adds time, while a small garden wall you can reach from the ground costs less. Patching one joint is cheaper right up until you pay for it again.
Will repointing make my brick wall as strong as new?
No, repointing won't bring the wall back to the way it was built. New joints can improve the bond between mortar and brick, but they can't reach the bond the wall had when the original mason laid it. It's still the right repair for worn joints, as long as it's done with the right mortar and the water problem gets fixed first.
Why San Leandro homeowners call Liberty San Leandro Concrete & Masonry for brick repair
Most of our calls come from people who saw our work on a house down the street. They get a straight read on their wall and mortar work that outlasts the conversation about price.
I look at your wall myself
I come out to see the job in person, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done.
In business since 2021
We've been in business since 2021, and I learned the trade working next to masons who'd been at it longer than me.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured, so you're not taking a chance on someone working on your house without either one.
Told when a crack can wait
I'd rather tell you a crack can wait than sell you a repointing job your wall doesn't need yet.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Every brick repair comes with the same promise we make on all our work, satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Send us photos of your cracked mortar
Call (510) 264-7154 or email hello@sanleandroconcreteandmasonry.com with photos of the cracked joints and any leaking downspouts, so I know where to start looking before I get there.
What happens after you call about brick repair
We plan the job around your wall and your schedule, starting with where the water's coming from and ending with you looking at the finished joints up close.
You get in touch
Call (510) 264-7154 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out and see the wall.
I look and measure
I come out to look at the wall, measure the area that needs work and take photos, and I check the drainage before the joints.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out each part of the job, and if a permit's involved, we handle it before we start.
Work, cleanup, walkthrough
Our crew does the repointing, we clean up after ourselves, and I walk the finished wall with you before we call it done.