Brick pointing in Lakewood CA - solid mortar joints that hold up for years
Mortar crumbling out of your brick joints? We cut out the failed joints and refill them to match, so less water gets into the wall.
- Only failed joints We cut out the bad joints and leave sound ones alone.
- Color test first A hidden test patch lets you okay the color before we start.
- Joints tooled to match New mortar is shaped to match the joints around it.
- Work that isn't rushed The small crew I work alongside takes the time joints need.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How do you know your brick joints need pointing?
Water usually gets into brick through tired mortar, not the brick itself. These are the signs I look for, and catching them early keeps the fix to the joints.
Mortar sitting back from the brick
The joints look recessed, like someone scooped them out. Weather has worn the mortar down, and the deeper it goes, the more water each rain pushes into the wall.
Mortar that crumbles to the touch
Rub a joint with your thumb and it turns to sand. That mortar has given up, and loose joints let bricks shift and water sit inside.
Hairline cracks in the joints
Thin cracks running through the mortar are easy to shrug off. They still let water in, and every wet and dry cycle opens them a little wider.
Gaps between brick and mortar
When the mortar pulls away from the edge of a brick, water gets a straight path in. Left alone, that gap is where repairs start getting bigger.
Grit piling up at the base
A line of sand or mortar bits along the bottom of a wall or chimney means joints are washing out above it, a little with every rain.
Damp spots or white stains
Damp patches inside, or a white powdery bloom on the brick, usually point to water getting through the joints. Catching it early keeps it a pointing job.
What our brick pointing work involves
Brick pointing, or repointing, means cutting out worn mortar joints and packing fresh mortar into them, and it's one of the best ways to slow water getting into brickwork. I start by going over the wall joint by joint and marking the ones that have failed. Before any cutting, we set a small test patch somewhere out of sight so you can okay the color, since the sand and the cement both change how new mortar looks once it dries. Then we cut out only the failed joints and leave the good ones be, because sound original mortar beats anything we'd put back, and it keeps a slow, hands-on job from growing. Old mortar doesn't always want to leave, and a grinder is faster than a chisel but can chip brick edges, so we go by hand wherever the joints are tight. The new mortar goes in, gets tooled to match the joints around it, and we clear the dust as we go. Your price comes down to how many joints have failed, how much wall there is and how high it goes, and the schedule turns on the same things, so the on-site estimate is where you get your own figure. We're based in Lakewood and do this work across the cities around it, from Long Beach up to Fullerton and out to Costa Mesa.
Pointing fixes joints, not whatever cracked them. If the cracks climb the wall in a stair-step line or keep coming back, I'll check whether the house is settling, because foundation repair has to come before fresh mortar or the new joints just crack the same way. When the bad joints are on a chimney, chimney repair may take in loose brick at the top as well as the pointing. And if a quote says tuckpointing, ask what it covers, since some people use the word for this same job and others mean a decorative thin line of mortar in a second color.
What happens when you call us about brick pointing in Lakewood?
It runs the same way from your first call to the last joint, so you know what's happening at each step.
Call and I come out
Call or send the form, and I come out to look at the wall and ask what you want done.
Go over the estimate
I go over which joints have failed and what's driving the price, and you get the estimate right there to think over.
Permit, patch, then pointing
If the job needs a permit, we get it from the office for your address first. Then you okay the test patch and we start.
Walk the wall together
When the joints are done and the dust is cleaned up, we walk the wall with you so you can see every joint we redid.
Why Lakewood homeowners call Caliber Lakewood Concrete and Masonry
Honest about what needs doing
If the joints on your wall are holding up, I'll say so rather than sell you work it doesn't need.
Running this business since 2017
I learned the trade under older masons first, and nine years on, we still take joint work at their pace.
Licensed and fully insured
Pointing means ladders and sometimes scaffolding at your house, so ask any contractor for both before work starts, us included.
Brick we see around Lakewood
Most pointing calls here are chimneys, garden walls and brick planters on older houses, so we know where those joints wear first.
Get a free estimate for your brick pointing
Tell us where the wall is, roughly how big it is and whether it needs scaffolding, and have photos of the bad joints ready. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Examples of brick pointing
Flip through these examples of brick pointing to see how tidy, well-matched joints should look against older brick.
What people ask about brick pointing
Here are straight answers to what Lakewood homeowners ask before they hire someone to point their brick. If your wall doesn't fit neatly into one of them, call and ask.
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
The clearest sign is mortar worn back more than about a quarter inch from the face of the brick. Crumbling mortar, hairline cracks in the joints and cracks between brick and mortar count too, so check along your chimney and walls. If you spot them, send photos and I'll come take a look.
How much does brick repointing cost in Lakewood, CA?
Across the US, repointing brick usually costs about $3 to $25 per square foot of wall. That's the going rate for the work nationally, not our price, and taller walls that need scaffolding cost more per square foot than low ones. Your own figure comes from the estimate once I've seen how many joints have failed.
How long does new mortar last after repointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how much weather the wall takes and which mortar went in. Brick can last over 100 years, so most brick walls need their joints redone at some point. That's why I treat pointing as upkeep, not a sign the wall is failing.
What kind of mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
New mortar should be about as strong as the original or weaker, not stronger. A hard new mortar pushes the stress onto the brick around it, and damaged brick can't be fixed the way a joint can. Ask anyone you're getting quotes from which mortar they plan to use.
How do I choose a contractor for brick repointing?
Pick someone who can show you repointing they've done, because a good bricklayer isn't always a good repointer. A sample on a hidden part of the wall shows you their joints and color match before you commit. That's what our test patch is for.
Can someone without a contractor license do a small repointing job in California?
Only if the job comes in under $1,000, needs no permit, and that person has no one working for them on it. California's contractors board raised that limit from $500, so older advice you find online may be out of date. Anything bigger calls for a licensed contractor.
Cities where we point brick
We're based in Lakewood and point brick in the cities below, and in plenty of others around them. Pick yours, or call and tell us where the wall is.
Have us look at your worn brick joints
Pointing work from Caliber Lakewood Concrete and Masonry is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, so call (562) 249-2437 or send the form.