Tuckpointing in Oakland CA - firm mortar joints that keep water out of the brick
Mortar crumbling or worn back from the brick? We cut out the tired joints and fill them with fresh mortar matched to your wall.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Do the mortar joints on your brick need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing in Oakland means we take the worn mortar out of the joints between your bricks and pack fresh mortar in its place. Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself can last well over 100, so renewing the joints is the normal upkeep that keeps a sound brick wall going.
Most calls start with someone running a finger along a joint and coming away with sand. Walk along your walls and look for mortar worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbling or missing mortar, hairline cracks, or a crack opening up between a brick and its mortar, because those are the signs it's time. The price moves with how much wall there is, how high it goes, how deep the wear runs and which finish you want. The schedule mostly turns on whether any brick has to be fixed first and whether the city needs to sign off. My written estimate gives you the number for your wall, along with my honest take on what can wait.
How we handle tuckpointing on your house
I start with the brick, not the mortar, because repointing only works when the damage stays in the joints. Leaks, stair-step cracks, loose or cracked bricks and spalling, the face of the brick flaking away, mean the brick needs repair first, and whatever caused it gets fixed before any fresh mortar goes in. Once the brick checks out, we cut the worn mortar out of the joints, clean them, pack in new mortar suited to your brick and tool it to the finish you picked. I ask about that finish up front so the quote covers the look you expect, and we brush the wall down and clean up before we call it done.
If that first check turns up loose or damaged bricks, we take care of it as brick repair before the joints, so the new mortar has something solid to hold. Owners fixing up the front of the house sometimes ask about the driveway while we're there, and we lay driveway pavers too.
Joints that match what you have
Most owners want the new joints to blend with the old ones, so we match the mortar color and the shape tooled into the joint. This suits a wall where you'd rather nobody could tell where the repair starts.
The traditional tuckpoint finish
Tuckpointing is also the name of an older finish, a flush joint colored like the brick with a thin strip of contrasting mortar run along it. It suits an owner after that period look, and it's more work, so tell us early if that's what you have in mind.
Call (510) 216-0213 soon if water is coming through the wall or bricks feel loose, because that's brick repair and it gets bigger the longer it waits.
What happens after you call us about tuckpointing?
Here's how a tuckpointing job runs with us, from the first call to the last joint. I'm the one who comes out, writes your estimate and works on the wall with the crew.
Call us or send the form
Tell us where the mortar is worn and roughly how much wall is involved. We set a time for me to come out and see it.
I inspect the wall with you
I check the brick as well as the joints and ask which finish you want. You get a written estimate for your wall, with my honest take on what needs doing now and what can wait.
We repoint and walk it together
Once you say go, we take care of anything the city needs and I work on site alongside the crew. When the joints are done, I walk the finished wall with you so you can see every section.
Get a written tuckpointing estimate for your wall
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at your joints and brick with you and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(510) 216-0213Tuckpointing in Oakland: rules and the brick we see
Construction in Oakland goes through the city's Bureau of Building, and that's the office that decides whether your repointing job needs a permit, so I don't guess at it. When a job needs one, we handle the application and the inspections with the city. California licenses masonry contractors under their own class, which covers masonry walls laid with or without mortar, and we're licensed and fully insured. The Contractors State License Board limits a contractor's down payment on home improvement work to $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and every later payment has to be listed in the contract and match work done or materials delivered. On site, we keep sand and mortar materials covered, because the city's construction guidance says stockpiles have to be protected so wind and water don't carry them off.
Most of the brick we repoint around Oakland is on older houses, chimneys and garden walls, where the mortar has had decades to wear back and the brick underneath is often still fine. We see the same kind of older brick on jobs in Berkeley and Alameda, and we work across the East Bay from our base here.
Tuckpointing questions from Oakland homeowners
Is tuckpointing the same as repointing?
Yes, both words mean removing worn mortar from the joints between bricks and putting new mortar in its place. Tuckpointing is also the name of one older decorative finish, the one in the finishes above, so it's worth saying which you mean when you ask for a quote.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Oakland?
Tuckpointing across the US usually costs about $5 to $25 per square foot of wall for taking out the old mortar and repointing the joints. Where your wall lands depends on the size, height, depth of wear and finish covered up top, and my written estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
Do cracked mortar joints need to be fixed right away?
Not always, because many cavity and veneer walls, where the brick is an outer layer with a gap or framing behind it, can handle the extra moisture that minor cracks let through. Water through cracks is more of a problem in solid brick walls, so I'll tell you which kind you have and whether yours can wait.
Does my older home need a different mortar for tuckpointing?
Usually yes, if it was built in the early 1900s or before, because older mortars made without portland cement are far weaker than today's. A new mortar that's stronger than the old one pushes the load onto the brick and can make the faces spall, so the mix should be picked with the age of the building in mind.
What is the best way to remove old mortar from brick joints?
Hand tools like a hammer and chisel suit small areas, while grinders and power saws work faster on big walls. Power tools can damage the brick around the joints, so ask any crew how they plan to take the old mortar out, and I'll tell you how we'd do yours.
How do I find a good mason for tuckpointing in Oakland?
Ask for past repointing projects or a sample on a hidden part of the wall, because an excellent bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. Ask us the same things you'd ask anyone else, including which finish the quote covers.
Other brick work that often goes with tuckpointing
Loose, cracked or flaking bricks have to be fixed before fresh mortar goes in, so it makes sense to price both jobs together on one estimate.
A tired concrete driveway can look worse next to freshly repointed brick, and pavers in warm brick tones tie the front of the house together.
Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (510) 216-0213 or send the form with a few photos, the age of your house and a rough idea of the wall area, so I show up knowing what to look at.