Brick repair in Oakland CA - repointed joints that keep water out of your walls
Crumbling joints, loose brick or a damp spot inside? We find what's letting water in and repair the cause, not just the crack.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Does your brick wall need repair or just new mortar?
Most brick repair in Oakland is repointing, which a lot of people search for as tuck pointing. We cut the worn mortar out of the joints, pack in new mortar and replace any brick that's cracked or come loose, so the wall stops letting water in.
You've probably noticed sand on the ground under a wall, joints you can scratch out with a key, a brick that rocks, or a damp patch inside after a storm. Price moves with how much of the wall needs work and how hard it is to reach, so chimney repair up on a roof usually takes more setup than a garden wall. The schedule turns on the size of the job, whether the city needs a permit and dry weather for the new mortar to cure. We're licensed and fully insured, and the state's contractor licensing board counts brick walls, thin brick facing and the cleaning that goes with them as masonry work. The written estimate gives you the figure for your wall and my honest take on what can wait.
How we do brick repair, from the first look to the last joint
Before I pick a repair, I look at where the cracks run and where water shows up inside, because that tells me whether the trouble is the mortar, the brick or something pushing on the wall. A small crack in brick veneer, which has an air space behind it, can usually handle a little water, while the same crack in a solid brick wall lets more of it through to the inside, so some cracks only need watching and I'll tell you when yours is one of them. When a wall does need work, we cut the worn mortar out down to sound material, replace bricks that are cracked or loose, pack the joints with new mortar in layers and tool them, shaping the face of each joint to match the rest of the wall. Then we clean the brick face and the ground around it.
Brick repair often sits next to other work around the house. A brick garden wall that's bowing out under the weight of a slope needs more than new joints, and that calls for retaining wall construction built to hold the soil. When a cracked concrete drive runs right up to your brick steps or edging, driveway pavers can give you a drive that suits the brick.
Cutting joints out by hand
Chisels and a mash hammer take longer and more labor, but they're the gentlest way to get old mortar out. This suits older houses with soft brick, where one slip with a grinder can chip the brick edges for good.
Cutting joints with a grinder
Power saws and grinders are faster, which is why most masons use them. On harder brick they work well in steady hands, but on soft old brick a careless cut can ruin the edges.
Don't wait on loose bricks, a wall that's started to lean or water coming inside. Call (510) 216-0213 and I'll come look before more brick lets go.
What happens when you call about brick repair in Oakland?
Here's how a brick repair job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end, so you know where things stand at each step.
Call or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing and where, by phone at (510) 216-0213 or through the form. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the wall
I come out myself and look at the wall with you, inside and out. You get a written estimate with the price for your repair and my honest take on what can wait.
We repair it and walk it
Once you say go, we take care of the city side if the job needs it, and I work on site with the crew. When it's done, we walk the finished wall together so you can see every joint we touched.
Get a written estimate for your brick repair
Send the form with a few photos and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the wall with you and give you a free written estimate with no obligation.
(510) 216-0213Brick repair in Oakland and what the city requires
The City of Oakland issues building permits to build, repair or replace a retaining wall or a foundation. The city counts any wall that holds soil at a slope it wouldn't keep on its own as a retaining wall, so a brick wall along a cut bank in your yard is one. Brick fences, gates and freestanding walls in a front yard go through zoning review and may need planning and building permits too. The city's list doesn't name repointing the brick on your house, so that isn't settled either way, and the city is the place to ask. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city or county that covers your address.
Most of our calls come from older homes in Oakland with crumbling joints, loose brick or water getting in. We're based in Oakland and work across the East Bay, and we see the same worn walls on older houses in Berkeley and Alameda.
Brick repair questions from Oakland homeowners
How do I know if my brick wall needs repointing?
A masonry trade group says a wall needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than about a quarter inch, crumbles, or shows hairline cracks or gaps. A few minor cracks on their own aren't always a reason to repair right away, so it's worth having a mason look before you decide.
What mortar should be used to repair an old brick wall?
New mortar should be no stronger than the mortar already in the wall, according to the brick industry's trade group, because stronger mortar can make the brick face break away, which masons call spalling. Masonry cement has no lime and sets up strong, so it's generally not recommended for historic buildings. It's a fair question to ask any mason, me included, before work starts.
How long does new mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar usually lasts about 25 to 50 years, while the brick itself lasts 100 years or more. That gap is the whole reason repointing exists, so on an older house it makes sense to plan for the joints being redone from time to time as the brick ages.
How much does brick repair cost in Oakland?
The cost mostly comes down to labor, meaning how deep the old mortar has to come out and how many joints and bricks your wall needs. Cutting joints by hand on soft brick takes longer than a grinder, and finding brick that matches an older house can add to it. I'll give you a written figure once I've seen the wall.
What is the best time of year to repoint brick?
Spring and fall usually work best, and one national cost guide suggests planning repointing for days that run between 40 and 90 degrees because that's good curing weather for mortar. If water is already getting inside, don't hold off for the season. Call and I'll tell you whether yours can wait.
How do I get ready for a brick repair estimate?
Note where the cracks are and where water shows up inside, because comparing the two tells a mason which cracks matter. Photos of the wall, the cracks and any indoor leak spots help me plan the visit.
Related masonry work around brick walls
If the soil behind a wall is the real problem, rebuilding it as a proper retaining wall deals with the load that keeps cracking the joints.
Pavers set in a pattern that suits your brick house give you a drive that can be lifted and reset in sections when one area settles.
Get your worn brick joints looked at
Call (510) 216-0213 or use the form, because a few worn joints caught now are usually a smaller repair than a wall that's let water in for years.