Masonry restoration in Bellingham WA - mortar that protects your older brick
Crumbling or recessed mortar lets water into your walls. We repoint the worn joints with a mix that suits the brick it holds.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does masonry restoration involve, from repointing to washing the wall?
Masonry restoration on a Bellingham house is mostly repointing. Our masons cut out the worn mortar from the joints of a brick wall and pack in new mortar matched to the old, and where the wall needs it, they give it a gentle wash. It keeps water out of the wall and the brick in good shape, and it often comes up alongside work on a fireplace or a stone-faced wall.
Most people call me after they notice sand at the foot of a brick wall, joints sitting back from the face of the brick, or an old patch of hard gray mortar that never matched. The price depends on how many joints need work, how much wall there is and how easy it is to reach, and whether we have to match an unusual old mortar. The schedule depends mostly on the weather. For homes on the city's historic register, it also depends on the city's review before we start. My written estimate spells out what I'd do on your wall, so you'll see your own figure before anything's decided.
How do you know your brick needs restoring?
Mortar sitting behind the brick
The joints look sunken, with the mortar sitting back from the face of the brick instead of flush with it. That usually means weather has worn it away, and the longer it goes, the more water sits on those little ledges and works into the wall.
Sandy, crumbling joints
The mortar comes out as sand when you run a key along it, or you find grit piled at the foot of the wall. It has lost its hold and holes open up behind it, so waiting turns a few bad joints into a whole section.
Cracks along the brick edges
Thin cracks run through the mortar or open up where it meets the brick. Each one lets water into the wall, and left alone it starts wearing the brick edges too, which makes the repair bigger and harder to blend in.
Often paired with masonry restoration
Fireplace installation
If you're restoring an older brick house, a new fireplace can be built in brick and mortar chosen to look like it was always there.
Stone veneer installation
Where a wall has no brick worth restoring, stone veneer can face a plain concrete foundation or chimney and give it a finished masonry look.
How we do masonry restoration on older brick
I start by walking the wall with you and marking the joints that have failed, because those are what the job is about. Our masons clean the worn mortar out to a depth that gives the new mortar a good hold, and they take care not to chip the brick edges, since chipped edges make every joint look wider. On older walls we match the new mortar to the old as closely as we can and keep it soft enough to protect the brick. It goes in in layers and gets tooled to the same joint shape as the old, so the repair blends in. If the wall needs washing, we start gentle and only go stronger if the wall needs it, then clean up before we leave.
Restoration often sits next to other work on the same house. If you're bringing an old room back into use, fireplace installation lets us build a new hearth that suits the brick around it. If a plain wall needs to match the masonry beside it, stone veneer installation gives it that finished face.
Repointing the worn sections
This suits walls where the damage comes in patches, like under a downspout or along the top rows of brick. We fix those joints and leave the rest as it is, which keeps the wall's original look.
Repointing the whole wall
This makes sense when most joints are sandy or recessed and patching would leave the wall looking mismatched. It's a bigger job, but you end up with one even mortar color across the wall.
Gentle cleaning
This is for brick that's stained or grimy but still sound. We work up from a low-pressure rinse, because harsh washing can wear away the brick face and the mortar you're trying to keep.
Get a written repointing estimate for your wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free with no obligation, and you can call (360) 255-7006 instead.
Call (360) 255-7006Why Bellingham homeowners call Allied Bellingham Concrete and Masonry for restoration
I look at your wall myself
I come out to every job, look at the masonry with you and write the estimate myself. Our masons do the work and I check in with them and with you along the way, so the person who told you what to expect is the one keeping an eye on it.
Repointing older brick since 2013
I sold brick, block and stone before I learned the trade on job sites next to experienced masons, and I started this business in 2013. Careful repointing on older brick is what we're best known for, because a wall that's lasted this long deserves mortar that suits it.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're licensed and insured. Washington requires construction contractors to register with the state, and the state's contractor lookup lets you confirm a contractor's active registration and workers' comp account before you hire anyone.
On an older wall, the mortar decides how well the brick holds up, so it's worth getting right the first time. Send us a request or call (360) 255-7006, and I'll come take a look.
What happens after you call about your brick?
Call us or send a request
Call (360) 255-7006 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. If your house is on Bellingham's register of historic places, tell us then, because that adds a step before work starts.
Walk the wall together
I look at the joints with you, answer your questions and leave a written estimate. It lists which joints we'd repoint, how we'd match the mortar and whether the wall needs washing, so you can see what's behind the price before you decide.
Check the rules, set a start
We check what the office for your address needs, and in Bellingham the city sends permit applications for register properties to its commission, which tells you what review applies if the work isn't exempt. If a permit's needed, we help you with the application, then set a start date with you.
Our masons repoint the wall
Our masons do the work while I check in with them and keep you posted. When they're done we clean up, and the job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Common questions
How do I know if my brick mortar needs repointing?
Your mortar needs repointing when the joints have worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumble when you scratch them, have holes, or show hairline cracks or gaps between the brick and the mortar. Only the joints with those signs need the work. Repointing takes a lot of labor and a sound original joint is better than a new one, so we keep the job to the damaged joints.
What mortar is best for repointing an older brick wall?
The best mortar for older brick is one that's as strong as the existing mortar or weaker, because a harder mix stresses old brick and makes the faces spall, flaking off in chips. Mortar is meant to wear away in place of the brick, and a mix that lets moisture escape keeps the wall in better shape. Hard portland-cement mortar is the usual problem. In one documented case it trapped water against soft brick and badly damaged the wall. When a close match matters, a lab can test samples of the old mortar so the new mix comes as near to the original as possible.
How long does new mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and what mortar was used, while the brick itself may well last over 100 years. So over a wall's life, the mortar is the part you can expect to renew, and the brick stays.
Does my historic Bellingham home need city review before repointing?
If your property is on Bellingham's register of historic places, including a contributing property in a historic district, the city requires a certificate of alteration before anyone restores or repairs it, and the review covers all exterior features. Its planning and community development department won't issue a permit for that work until it has the certificate. The city lists ordinary repairs and maintenance, and emergency repairs, as exempt, as its code defines them, so we check with the city about your wall before we start.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Bellingham?
The cost of restoring a brick wall comes down mostly to how many joints have failed, because each one is cut out and refilled by hand. A tall wall that needs scaffolding, an old mortar that has to be tested to match, and washing all add to it, while keeping the work to the damaged joints keeps it down. I put the figure for your wall in a written estimate after I've seen it.
How do I clean old brick without damaging it?
Clean old brick gently, starting with a garden hose or water at 100 psi or less. Guidance for historic masonry generally stops at 300 to 400 psi. Any water cleaning should wait until there's no chance of frost, because water inside the brick can freeze.
Send us photos of your worn joints
A few photos, your home's age and whether it's on the historic register help me come out already knowing what to look for, so call (360) 255-7006 or send them with the form.