Brick pointing in Wake Forest NC - joints that keep water out of the wall
Crumbling, cracked or sunken mortar lets water into your brick. We replace the worn joints with mortar matched to the old.
Do my brick joints need repointing?
Brick pointing, which most masons call repointing, means cleaning out worn mortar joints and packing them with fresh mortar so your wall keeps water out again. For brick homes in Wake Forest, it's one of the most lasting ways to stop water from working into the brickwork.
Most people call us after they notice sandy mortar at the foot of a wall, gaps opening between bricks or a damp patch inside behind the brick. The price turns on how many joints have failed, how deep the wear goes, how high we have to work and how hard your mortar is to match. The schedule turns on how much wall there is, whether scaffolding has to go up and whether a historic district home needs approval first. If some bricks have cracked or flaked along with the mortar, we can take care of those through our brick repair work on the same visit. Your own figure comes from a written estimate after I've seen the wall.
How we do brick pointing on your house
I start by walking the wall with you and looking for why the mortar failed, since a leaking gutter or a settling corner will wear out new joints just as fast as the old ones. We mark only the joints that need work, and then our masons clear out the worn mortar down to sound material without chipping the brick edges, because a chipped edge shows for the life of the wall. We match the new mortar to the old in color and texture and keep it no harder than what's already there, because mortar that's too strong can break off the face of the brick. Then we pack the joints, shape them to match the rest of the wall so the repair doesn't stand out, and clean the brick and the yard before we leave.
Worn joints are sometimes the sign of something bigger. If cracks run in a line down the wall or a corner has dropped, the house may be moving, and foundation repair has to come first or the new joints will crack again. Up top, failed joints on a chimney let water down into the house, so when we find more than mortar trouble there, we handle it as chimney repair.
Why Wake Forest homeowners call us about their mortar
I write every estimate myself
I come out and write the estimate myself, and the work is done by our own masons, with me checking in as the job goes. You deal with the person who actually looked at your wall, not someone passing notes along.
Based in Wake Forest since 2020
I started this business in Wake Forest in 2020, and repairing brick and mortar on older homes is most of what we do. We also work in the cities around it, from Raleigh and Durham up to Oxford and Henderson, so if your city isn't on our pages, call and ask.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, so you're covered while our crew works on your house. North Carolina law requires a licensed general contractor on any project that totals $40,000 or more.
On a repointing job, the right mortar and the care taken clearing each joint matter more than speed. Send us a few photos of your wall or call (984) 237-6028, and I'll come walk it with you.
Get a free on-site estimate for your mortar joints
We reply to every call and message within one business day, and the estimate is free with no obligation. I'll come out to your Wake Forest home, walk the wall with you, point out what I see and put in writing what we'd do and why. Photos of crumbling or cracked joints help me come prepared, and let us know if your home is in the Local Historic District.
Repointed brick joints up close
Questions before you book brick pointing
How do I know my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face, crumbles when you rub it, has holes, shows hairline cracks or has pulled away from the brick. When cracking runs in a line across many joints, it's worth finding the cause before anyone repoints. Photos of the worst spots help me come prepared.
How much does brick repointing cost near Raleigh?
Brick repointing, also called tuckpointing, usually costs about $10 to $25 per square foot in the Raleigh area. That's the going rate for the work around here, not a quote for your wall, and most of it is labor because repointing is slow, careful work. Your own figure comes from the written estimate after I've seen the wall.
How long does new mortar last after repointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves can last more than 100, so most brick homes need repointing more than once. How long yours lasts depends on how much weather that wall takes and on the mortar used, so it's best treated as upkeep you plan for over the life of the house.
How do I choose a mason for brick repointing in Wake Forest?
Ask to see repointing jobs a mason has done, because an excellent bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. You can also ask a mason to show their work on a less visible part of your wall first. Ask how they'll clear the old joints too, since power saws on thin joints almost always chip the brick edges and cut too deep into the vertical joints.
Do I need a permit or town approval to repoint brick in Wake Forest?
If your home is in the Local Historic District or is a Local Historic Landmark, you need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Town of Wake Forest for any exterior work, repointing included. Wake Forest may treat a project as Minor Works when worn features are replaced in kind with matching materials. Elsewhere within Wake Forest's limits, the Inspections Department handles permits and inspections, and we work out with you which office covers your address and plan around any approval before work starts.
What should I expect while my brick is being repointed?
Expect noise and slow, steady progress, because repointing is precise work done one joint at a time. Scaffolding may stand across the front of the house for a while, so we'll talk through which doors and walkways stay open before we start.
Related work we often find alongside worn mortar
- Foundation repair
Doors that stick, a corner that has dropped or a wall that leans point to settling, and that has to be fixed before new mortar can stay put.
- Chimney repair
A chimney sits above the roof in all weather, so its joints often wear out first, and loose brick or a cracked cap up there needs its own repair.