Tuckpointing in Bellingham WA - Fresh mortar joints that protect your brick
Crumbling or cracked mortar between your bricks? We cut out the worn joints and refill them with mortar suited to your wall.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
When does a brick wall need tuckpointing, and what else comes with it?
Tuckpointing in Bellingham, also called repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of the joints in your brick and packing them with fresh mortar so the wall sheds water and holds together again. It often comes with replacing a few damaged bricks in the same visit.
Most people call us when they find grit on a windowsill or a joint they can push a key into, and they want to know how serious it is. The price moves with how much wall needs it, how deep the joints have worn, how high we have to work and whether some bricks need brick repair too, while the schedule mostly turns on the size of the job and what the office for your address needs before we start. I'll look at the wall with you and put what I'd do in writing, so you have a figure for your own house instead of a guess.
How can you tell your mortar needs tuckpointing?
Joints sunk back from the brick
The mortar sits in a groove behind the brick face instead of flush with it, so rain collects there and soaks in. Left alone, the joint keeps wearing deeper and the brick edges start taking the weather the mortar used to take.
Mortar that turns to sand
Rub a joint with your thumb and it crumbles, or you find grit on the sills and the ground below the wall. That mortar has stopped holding, and the longer it goes, the more likely a brick works loose and the job grows.
Cracks and gaps in the joints
Hairline cracks run through the mortar or along the edge between brick and mortar, and some joints have holes where mortar is missing. They let water in, and how much that matters depends on how your wall is built, which is the first thing I check.
Work that often goes with it
Brick repair
Bricks that have cracked, crumbled or lost their faces behind a bad joint need replacing, or the fresh mortar ends up holding onto a weak spot.
Driveway pavers
Plenty of homeowners redo the front of the house in one go, so if the old driveway is cracked or sinking, pavers can be planned alongside the brickwork.
How we handle tuckpointing on your house
A crack in the mortar doesn't always mean your wall needs work this month, so the first thing I do is look at how the wall is built and tell you straight whether it can wait or should go higher on your list. When it's time, our masons cut the worn mortar out of the joints back to solid material, brush out the dust and pack in fresh mortar mixed to suit your brick, because the wrong mix can do more harm than the old cracks. We fill deep joints in layers so each one sets up solid, shape the face to match the joints around it and clean the mortar smears off the brick before we leave.
A wall with joints that have been open for years often has a few damaged bricks too, and we take care of those as brick repair in the same job so the new joints have sound brick on both sides. If you're fixing up the front of the house anyway, ask about driveway pavers when I come out, since I can look at both and write them up together.
Repointing the worst areas
This suits a wall that's mostly sound with worn mortar in one area, often low on the wall, under a leaky gutter or near the top of a chimney. We repoint just those spots and match the color as closely as the old mortar allows.
Repointing a whole wall
This suits a wall where the joints have worn back all over, because patching one spot after another leaves a quilt of colors and keeps you calling us back. Doing the whole face at once costs more up front, but the joints match and age together, so it's the one I'd usually pick.
Repointing older brick
This suits houses from the early 1900s or before, which were laid with soft mortar made without portland cement. We mix the new mortar to suit that softer wall, because a modern mix can be far harder than the brick and mortar around it.
Get a written tuckpointing estimate for your wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come look at your mortar with you and leave a free written estimate with no obligation. Or call (360) 255-7006.
Call (360) 255-7006Why Bellingham homeowners call us about tuckpointing
I look at your wall myself
I come out to every job, look at the mortar with you and write the estimate, then check in with our masons and with you while the work is underway. You get the reasons from the person who made the call on your wall, and I'd rather explain a choice twice than rush you.
Careful repointing since 2013
I sold brick, block and stone before learning 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, and older walls are where the right mix matters most.
Licensed and insured in Washington
We're licensed and insured. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state Department of Labor & Industries, and that registration is what lets a contractor take on repairs to your house.
Bellingham's rules checked first
In Bellingham, the city's permit center takes building and land-use applications by email, and the city's Historic Preservation Commission reviews changes to homes on its historic register. If your house is listed, tell me at the first visit so we know what the commission needs before any joints are cut.
What I care about most on a repointing job is that the new mortar suits the wall it's going into. When you're ready, send us a request or call (360) 255-7006 and I'll come out and take a look.
What happens after you call about tuckpointing in Bellingham?
Tell us about your wall
Call (360) 255-7006 or send the form and tell us which walls look worn and roughly how old the house is. We set a time that works for you.
I walk the wall with you
I look at the mortar and how the wall is built, answer your questions and tell you whether it can wait. You get a written estimate of what I'd do, so you can compare it and take your time deciding.
We check permits and schedule
Before anything starts, we check with the office that covers your address and tell you what it says, and if a permit is needed, we help you sort out the application. Then we set a start date.
Our masons do the work
Our masons cut out and refill the joints, deal with any damaged bricks and clean up the wall. I check in with them and keep you posted until the job is done.
Common questions
How do I know if my brick needs tuckpointing?
Your brick needs tuckpointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face, crumbles, has holes in it, or shows hairline cracks in the joints or between the brick and the mortar. You can check for those yourself from the ground before you call, and a phone photo of the worst spot helps when I come out.
Do small cracks in mortar need to be fixed right away?
Not always. Brick veneer and cavity walls, which have a gap behind the brick, can handle the little extra water that gets through minor cracks, so the repair can often wait. Solid brick walls built several bricks thick have no gap to drain it, so cracks there should go higher on your list, and I'll tell you which kind you have.
Why does the type of mortar matter for tuckpointing?
New mortar has to be weaker than the brick, because mortar that's harder than the brick can make the brick faces break off. Ask any mason which mortar they plan to use, and I'll tell you which mix we'd use on your wall and why.
How long does tuckpointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and what mortar was used, while the brick itself can last well over 100 years. That's why most brick houses need repointing at some point even when the brick is still fine.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Bellingham, WA?
The cost of tuckpointing comes down to how much wall needs it, how deep the joints are worn and how high we have to work, so a few patches near the ground cost much less than a whole wall or a chimney. Matching an old soft mortar and replacing damaged bricks add to it. I'll measure it with you and put the figure in writing.
How do I choose a mason for tuckpointing in Bellingham?
Choose someone with repointing experience in particular, because an excellent bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. You can ask to see past repointing jobs, or ask the mason to show their work on a hidden section of your wall first.
Get your worn mortar looked at
Call, use the form or email sales@bellinghamconcreteandmasonry.com with a few photos of the worn joints, and mention whether your house is on the city's historic register so I come out knowing what to look for.