Brick pointing in Macon GA - fresh mortar joints that protect the old brick
Mortar crumbling, cracked or sunk back in your brick joints? We cut out the failing ones and refill them with mortar matched to your wall.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does brick pointing involve, and what sets the price?
Brick pointing, which a lot of masons call repointing, means cutting the worn-out mortar from the joints of a brick wall and packing fresh mortar in its place. On a house in Macon, it closes up the joints water was getting through and keeps the brick around them sound, usually without replacing any brick at all.
Most folks call us after spotting sandy grit along the base of a wall or a joint they can scratch out with a key. The price follows how many joints have failed, how high they sit and whether we need scaffolding to reach them, and how soft the old brick is, since softer brick means slower, gentler work getting the old mortar out. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any city review your house needs and any drainage fix that has to come first. When I come out, I'll tell you what I think is causing the problem and write up the scope, so you know which joints we'd cut out and why.
How can you tell your brick joints are failing?
Joints sunk behind the brick
You see a shadow line where the mortar has worn back from the face of the brick. That usually means the joint has been eroding for years, and the longer it goes, the more water sits in it and works its way into the wall.
Mortar that turns to sand
Rub a joint with your thumb and it comes away as grit, or you find little piles of sand along the foundation. The mortar has lost what held it together, and once enough of it goes, bricks can loosen and start to shift.
Cracks along the joints
A crack might follow a single joint or climb the wall like a staircase. A short crack is often just tired mortar, but a stair-step crack can mean the wall is moving, and I want to know why before any new mortar goes in.
How we handle brick pointing on your wall
I start by working out why the joints failed, because new mortar over an old problem just fails again. Then we mark the joints that have actually given out and cut out only those, so you're not paying to redo good ones on work this slow and hands-on. Before anything comes out, I'll tell you how we'll get the old mortar out without chipping the brick, and how the new mortar compares to what's already in your wall. The crew packs the new mortar into the joints in layers, shapes each one to match its neighbors and cleans the face of the brick as they go.
Sometimes the joints are the symptom and not the whole story. If cracks keep coming back because the house has settled, the fix starts with foundation repair, and we point the brick once things have stopped moving. Chimneys usually need more than fresh joints, so when a crown, cap or flashing is part of the leak, we take that on as chimney repair alongside the pointing.
Spot pointing of failing joints
This suits a wall that's mostly sound with trouble in a few places, like under a downspout, along the base or around a chimney. We cut out and refill just those areas and leave the rest of the wall alone.
Repointing a full wall
This suits an older house where the joints have worn out across the whole face at about the same time. It's a bigger job, but doing it all at once gives you joints that match and wear together.
Find out which of your brick joints need pointing
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself, look over the wall and the drainage around it, and leave you a free, on-site estimate with no obligation.
(478) 309-1109Brick pointing permits and older brick in Macon
Macon-Bibb requires a building permit for any construction over $2,500 and a zoning compliance, also called a zoning permit, for all construction, so a repointing job can need paperwork before the first joint comes out. If your property is zoned HR1, HR2, HR3, HC, HPD, HPD-BH, CBD-1 or CBD-2, it sits in a design review district, and you'll need a Certificate of Appropriateness along with zoning compliance before work on any part of the house that can be seen from a street or public right of way, which can include the side or the back. You can check whether your property needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and the Macon-Bibb Building and Fire Safety Department answers questions about your own project at 478-803-0466 or buildingpermits@maconbibb.us. When your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city.
A lot of what we point in Macon is older brick, usually laid with softer mortar and often softer brick than you'd buy today, so we take the slower, gentler way with it. We see the same kind of older brick on jobs in Milledgeville and Fort Valley, and we work across Middle Georgia well beyond the cities on this site.
What happens after you call about brick pointing in Macon?
Call us or send the form
Call (478) 309-1109 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Mention any leaking downspouts or cracks you've noticed so I know where to look first.
I look over the whole wall
I come out myself, look at the whole job and what's around it, down to the gutters and downspouts, and tell you what I think is going on. Your estimate spells out the materials and the steps, so you see what you're paying for before we start, and if the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork.
The crew does the pointing
Our lead mason and crew do the work while I check in on it. Repointing is precise, slow and noisy, and scaffolding may cover part of the house for a while, so we'll talk through access before we set up.
We walk the finished wall
When the joints are done and the brick is cleaned, I walk the job with you before we call it finished. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if the mortar in my brick needs repointing?
A joint needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face of the brick, crumbles, is full of voids or is cracked. Only those defective joints need the work, and sound ones can stay as they are. If you're not sure, I'll go over the joints with you on the visit.
What mortar should go back in an old brick wall?
The new mortar should be about as strong as the original or weaker in how much crushing force it can take, because a mortar that's too strong can damage the brick beyond repair. On older brick homes, lime mortar is worth asking about, since it's flexible enough to absorb movement from temperature changes, settling and vibration. When cement is the only binder, the brick takes that movement instead and can wear away or flake and break apart at the face.
How long does repointed mortar last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. That's why repointing makes sense on a sound wall, because you're renewing the part that wears out and keeping the brick. Keeping water off the wall helps the new joints too, so we'll point out any drainage problem we see.
How much does brick pointing cost in Macon?
We price brick pointing after seeing your wall, because the cost follows how much hand work it needs. More failing joints, taller walls that need scaffolding, soft brick that has to be worked slowly and any drainage fix that comes first all raise it, while a wall with a few bad patches costs less. Call (478) 309-1109 and I'll come out and write up the scope.
What causes mortar to wash out of brick joints?
Water is the usual cause, and a leaking downspout can wash much of a wall's mortar away. Repointing alone won't hold if the water keeps coming, so the fix includes replacing the downspout and repairing any other drainage problems. We'll flag those before any new mortar goes in.
How do I choose a mason for repointing an older brick house in Macon?
Ask to see repointing jobs they've done, because an excellent mason or bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. On an older home, also ask how the old mortar comes out, since power tools in unskilled hands can be disastrous for historic masonry, especially soft brick. I'm glad to answer both before we start.
Macon, GA
Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (478) 309-1109 or email photos of the crumbling joints, any leaking downspout and your zoning district if you know it to service@maconconcreteandmasonry.com, so I come out already thinking about the cause.