Masonry restoration in Tuscaloosa AL - sound joints that protect the old brick
Crumbling or gapped mortar lets water into your walls. We rake out the worn joints and repoint them with mortar that protects the brick.
- Fix the cause once We find why the joint failed instead of patching it twice.
- Original brick kept On older homes we repair what's there before replacing anything.
- You see what I see I point out each worn joint and explain why it failed.
- A walk-through at the end We go over the finished wall together before we call it done.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
How can you tell your brick and mortar need work?
Worn mortar is easy to miss from the yard, and once water works in behind it, repointing can turn into resetting loose brick. Here's what to look for.
Mortar that crumbles when scraped
If a key scrapes sand out of a joint, the mortar has broken down. Left alone, water sits in that joint and starts working on the brick around it.
Joints sunk back from the brick
When mortar sits well behind the brick face, rain has been washing it out for years. Deep joints hold water, so they wear out faster each year.
Gaps and open joints
Missing mortar leaves openings straight into the wall for water and insects. A few open joints are a small repair, but a wall full of them is a much bigger job.
Thin cracks beside the brick
A hairline crack between brick and mortar means the two have pulled apart. It looks minor, but it lets water in and usually grows longer over time.
Brick faces flaking off
When a brick face comes off in flakes, the mortar around it is often too hard or the brick is staying wet. Every flaked brick is one more to replace.
A chimney that leaks in rain
Water stains around the fireplace or on the ceiling often trace back to worn joints up on the chimney. The longer it leaks, the more you end up repairing inside too.
How we handle masonry restoration on older brick
Most masonry restoration on a brick house is repointing, where we rake the worn mortar out of the joints and pack in new mortar suited to your brick. That's usually the right fix, because mortar joints typically last more than 25 years while the brick itself can last more than 100, so the joints give out long before the wall does. On older homes we repair what's there before we talk about replacing anything, and when a wall needs cleaning we use the gentlest method that does the job, because harsh cleaning can ruin old brick for good. I'll tell you up front how we'll get the old mortar out, since power tools are faster than hand tools but can damage the brick around the joint. The price moves mostly with how much of the wall needs new joints, and the schedule with the weather and any permit questions, so your estimate is where you get a figure for your own house.
Restoration jobs often lead to other work. If the firebox behind a worn chimney is past saving, fireplace installation can make more sense than patching it again, and if you're adding onto the house or dressing up plain block, stone veneer installation puts a stone face on the wall that sits well beside the restored brick.
What happens after you call about masonry restoration in Tuscaloosa?
From your first call to the final walk-through, you deal with me and our own crew, and you'll know what's happening at each step.
Call or send a request
Call (205) 579-1102 or send the form with your address. We'll set a time for me to come out and look at the wall with you.
Get a written estimate
I show you the joints I'm worried about and why they failed. Then I write up an estimate covering the work and what drives the price.
Permits sorted, then the work
If your job needs a permit, we sort that out first. Then our crew does the repointing with me checking on it as it goes.
Walk the finished wall together
We clean up and walk the finished job with you, joint by joint, so you can see what was done and ask about anything.
Why Tuscaloosa homeowners call D&L Tuscaloosa Concrete and Masonry
The owner writes your estimate
I come out myself, look at the wall with you and write the estimate, so nothing gets lost in a handoff.
Repairing old brick since 2017
We've been in business since 2017, and brick and mortar repair on older homes is what we're best known for.
Licensed and insured on your property
We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about both before any work starts on your house.
Historic districts checked first
If your Tuscaloosa home might sit in a historic district, we check that before we schedule anything, so the plan fits before our crew starts.
Get an estimate for your brick, written on site
Put your address in the form and attach a few photos of the worn joints if you have them, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll then come out and write a free estimate with no obligation.
Examples of restored masonry
Look through these examples of repointed joints and restored brick to get a feel for the work before we talk about your house.
Questions about repointing old brick
These are the questions I hear most about worn mortar and old brick. If your wall raises something else, call or send a request and ask about your own job.
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick likely needs repointing if the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbles, has gaps or shows hairline cracks, including cracks between the brick and the mortar. You can check for all of these on a walk around your house before you ask anyone for a quote.
Why does the mortar mix matter when repointing old brick?
New mortar has to be weaker than the brick, because mortar that's harder than the brick makes the brick faces spall, or flake off. That's why the mix is a fair question for any mason who quotes your job, and why we pick ours to suit the brick on your house.
Do I need a permit for masonry restoration in Tuscaloosa?
Your job may need one, because the city requires permits for all new construction, demolitions, remodels and alterations, and its building and inspection office handles permits and inspections. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application with the city or county office that covers your address.
What changes if my house is in a Tuscaloosa historic district?
Projects in a historic district may face extra rules, and the city's design guidelines call for repairing worn historic features rather than replacing them, with any replacement matching the old in design, color and texture. The guidelines also rule out sandblasting and call for the gentlest cleaning possible, and Planning & Zoning answers district questions at hpc@tuscaloosa.com or (205) 248-5100.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Tuscaloosa?
The cost comes from your own wall, so I give you a figure after I've looked at it rather than a number over the phone. Past the size of the job, the price climbs when joints have worn deep, when a chimney or second story needs scaffolding, when cracked brick has to be replaced or when new mortar has to match old brick closely.
How do I choose a mason for repointing brick?
Ask to see repointing jobs they've done, or have them work a small hidden section of your wall first, because a brick trade group points out that an excellent bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. On bigger jobs, Alabama treats repairing or improving a home as residential home builder work once labor and materials cost more than $10,000, unless the work falls outside the state board's jurisdiction, so ask about that license before you sign.
Get your worn mortar looked at this season
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and joints filled before more water gets in usually mean fewer bricks to replace later.