Brick pointing in Santa Cruz CA - tight joints that keep water out of the wall
Crumbling or cracked mortar between your bricks? We clear the worn joints and refill them with mortar that suits the old brick.
Do your brick joints need pointing?What it takes in Santa Cruz
Mortar is the part of a brick wall that's meant to wear out, and when the joints crack or crumble, water gets into the wall behind them. Brick pointing in Santa Cruz means replacing that worn mortar before the damage reaches the brick itself.
The price moves with how much wall needs work, how high it goes and how gently the old joints have to come out. The schedule turns on the weather, since mortar wants mild days to cure, and on whether an older house needs a look from the city first. Your estimate puts a number on your wall.
I do the pointing myself or watch it closely, because that's where a repair goes right or wrong. Where the brick is soft, we clear the old joints by hand, since a power saw in a thin joint tends to chip brick edges and cut past the joint. If cracks step through the wall like a staircase, we'll look at foundation repair first.
You can count on a straight answer about whether your wall needs repointing now or can wait, so call us at (831) 201-6259.
Brick pointing on walls, chimneys and stone
Soft old brick, harder newer brick and stone each take mortar differently, so we look at what the wall's made of before we choose the mix or the tool.
Brick houses and garden walls
Exterior walls and freestanding garden walls take weather on their joints first, so we repoint the worn sections and leave sound mortar where it is.
Chimney stacks
A chimney takes weather on every side, and worn joints up there let water inside. We repoint stacks and handle chimney repair when the brick itself has failed.
Stone and mixed walls
Stone walls and brick with stone trim have wider, uneven joints, so we pack and finish each one to suit the stone instead of forcing one look across the wall.
Why owners of older brick call J&Laround Santa Cruz
Most of our calls come from people with older homes who want the job done right and not done twice, and that's how we'd rather work anyway.
My crew, with me on site
My crew does the work with me there, so the person who looked at your wall is the one watching the new joints go in.
Repointing is what we're known for
Plenty of good masons rarely point brick, so ask anyone you're weighing about repointing in particular. We've been in business since 2013, and older brick and stone is what we're best known for.
Mortar no harder than yours
New mortar must be no harder than the old, or the brick takes the stress and its face flakes off. We match the old mortar so the joint gives first.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured. California also requires a home improvement contractor to name any subcontractors when you ask, with each one's license number, so ask whoever you hire.
A straight answer, even if it's no
I'd rather tell you a wall can wait than sell you work it doesn't need, so you'll hear which joints are worn and which are fine. Satisfaction guaranteed.
A free on-site estimate from J&Lfor your worn brick joints
Add photos of the worn joints and the wall's rough size in square feet, and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come look myself, and the estimate is free with no pressure to book.
From call to finished wallthe way J&L runs it
You deal with the same person from the first look to the walkthrough, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the work.
Call or send the form
Call (831) 201-6259 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing in the joints, with a photo or two if you can.
I come look at the wall
I come out and check the joints myself. You get a written estimate that says what we'll do and why, including what can be left alone.
Permits and prep
If the job needs a permit, we handle it before work starts. On the day, we cover plants, windows and paving below the wall to catch the dust.
Raking out and repointing
We clear the worn mortar to an even depth, then pack in the new mortar and finish each joint to match the ones around it.
Walkthrough and cleanup
I walk the wall with you before we call it finished, and we clean up the site before we leave.
Brick pointing questions
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Look along the joints for mortar worn back more than ¼ inch, mortar that crumbles, gaps, hairline cracks, and cracks where the brick meets the mortar. You don't need all of them, and one worn patch doesn't mean the whole wall needs doing. Send us photos of what you find and I'll tell you whether it's time.
How much does brick repointing cost in Santa Cruz?
Repointing brick across the US usually runs about $3 to $25 per square foot of wall, and that's the national market, not our price. Taller walls that need scaffolding cost more per square foot than low ones, and soft brick cleared by hand takes longer. Your estimate gives you a number for your own wall here.
How long does mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself can go well past 100. So a brick house usually needs repointing more than once in its life, and worn joints on an old house don't mean anything's gone wrong.
Do I need a permit to repoint brick in Santa Cruz?
Construction permits inside the city come from the City of Santa Cruz Building & Safety Division, and whether your job needs one is something we check for your address rather than guess. On a house over 50 years old, city planning staff also review significant alterations, even when the house isn't on the city's historic survey. We find out whether the city or the county covers you, and if a permit's needed, we pull it and line up the inspections.
What is the best way to clean old brick before repointing?
Gently, and only where it's needed. On older and historic homes, the city's historic design guidelines say treatments like sandblasting that damage historic materials shall not be used, and cleaning should use the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting strips the hard outer face off old brick, and that face is what keeps water out.
What is the best time of year to repoint brick?
One national cost guide suggests spring or fall, when daytime temperatures give fresh mortar good curing weather. We plan around the forecast so the new joints get the conditions they need to set.
Brick pointing around Santa Cruz
We're based in Santa Cruz and repoint brick across the cities around it, from the coast over the hill, where we see plenty of older homes. Pick your city below, or call if you don't see it.
Get your brick pointing looked at in Santa Cruzwhile the brick is still sound
Catching worn joints early usually keeps the job to brick pointing, before water starts costing you bricks. Call (831) 201-6259 or send the form, and I'll show you which joints need work and which can wait.