Crumbling, sandy or missing mortar between your bricks lets water in. We replace the failed joints with a mix chosen for your brick.
Tuckpointing in Summerville, SC, also called repointing, means we clear the worn mortar out of the joints between your bricks and pack new mortar back in, so the wall sheds water again and the bricks stay tight.
Most calls start with something you can see. The mortar turns sandy when you rub it, it has pulled back from the brick face, or hairline cracks run through the joints. On older brick homes it's usually worst under a leaky gutter, around a chimney or near the ground where water sits. Those joints are the wall's first defense against rain, so once they open up, water gets behind the brick.
The price turns on how many joints have failed, how high the wall goes and whether it needs scaffolding, how hard the old mortar is to cut out, and whether something else needs fixing first, like a downspout dumping on the wall or a cracked brick. The schedule turns on the same things and the weather, since we don't lay mortar in the rain. Your written estimate lays out the materials, the steps and anything not included.
In South Carolina, repair of brick, block and masonry falls under the state's Masons trade, and when that work for a property owner runs over $500, the state treats it as residential specialty contractor work that calls for a license. Ask any crew you're comparing to show you theirs before they set up.
Tuckpointing only holds up when the right joints get redone for the right reason. These are the things I check on your wall before I write anything down.
I go along the wall and test the joints, scratching them and looking for gaps, cracks and mortar that's sunk back from the brick face. Plenty of walls have bad joints in a few spots and sound mortar everywhere else, and knowing the difference keeps the job sized to what your wall needs.
Mortar wears faster where water keeps hitting it, like below an overflowing gutter, beside a downspout or where soil and mulch sit against the brick. If we repoint without fixing that, the new joints wear out the same way, so I'll show you the cause and what it takes to fix it before we talk about mortar.
Fresh mortar usually looks brighter than joints that have weathered for years, so color, sand and joint shape all matter when only part of a wall is redone. I note the existing joint profile, whether it's flat, curved in or raked back, so the new work sits in with the old.
From the first call to the final walk-through, you deal with me and our own crew. Here's how a repointing job runs, one step at a time.
Call (843) 376-1285 or use our form and tell us your address and what you're seeing on the wall. If you know your house is in the Historic District, mention that too, since it changes the approvals.
I come out, look the wall over, measure it and ask what you want from the repair. Your written estimate spells out the materials, the steps and anything not included, and I check with the office covering your address about permits.
Our crew rakes out the failed joints, packs in the new mortar and shapes each joint to match. I check the work as it goes, so a problem gets caught on the row it's in, not after the scaffolding comes down.
When it's done, we walk the wall with you and leave the site clean. After that, keep gutters and downspouts running clear and soil off the brick, because water is what wore the old joints down.
We rake out only the joints that have failed and leave sound mortar where it is. Good mortar is still doing its job, and cutting it out adds hours and puts the edges of your bricks at risk from the grinder or chisel. The joints we do open get cleaned out to an even depth, so the new mortar has something solid to bond to.
We pick the mortar mix to suit your brick, and I tell you which one we're using. That way you know what's in your wall, and anyone who works on it later can match it instead of guessing. Where bricks are cracked or flaking, we handle that as brick repair in the same visit, since new joints around a failed brick won't stop the water.
If you're also planning driveway pavers out front, tell me when I come out. Mortar drops and scaffolding feet are easier on bare ground than on new pavers, so we'd usually finish the brick before the pavers go in.
Repointing only the failed areas keeps the cost down and the sound mortar in place, and that's where we lean. When most joints are going, doing the whole face makes more sense and gives one even look.
New mortar can be tinted and shaped to match the old joints, or the whole wall can get one consistent color and profile. Matching is the better choice for partial work, since a fresh color stands out on weathered brick.
We get back to you within one business day. I come out, look the wall over and measure it, then write up a free estimate with the materials, the steps and anything not included, and there's no obligation to book. Have your address handy and let us know if the house is in the Historic District.
(843) 376-1285The Summerville Building Department requires permits for renovations and repairs to building structures and systems, and its list names work like roofing and vinyl siding but not tuckpointing. That list doesn't settle whether your repointing job needs a permit. We find out whether your address is inside city limits or in the county, check with the office that covers it and handle the permit and inspections if the job needs them.
Homes in the Downtown Historic District have one more step. The Board of Architectural Review reviews exterior changes there, and its approval has to be granted before the permit application goes in. The city's historic district guidelines also tell owners to use the gentlest methods available, because some cleaning and repair techniques damage historic materials and raise the cost. We help you line up that approval first.
We do the same work across Summerville and North Charleston, and on the older brick homes we see, the mortar usually wears unevenly. It's worst near the ground and under rooflines while the rest of the wall holds up, which is why we test joint by joint instead of grinding out the whole house.
I learned brick, block and stone with a big commercial outfit, where work got measured and checked before anyone started the next row. I started this business in Summerville in 2013, and in 13 years repointing and brick repair with mortar chosen to suit the wall is what we've become known for. I'd rather spend an extra hour checking joints than have you find a problem later.
I come out and measure the job myself, and our own crew does the work. We're fully licensed and insured. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job. If your mortar is sanding out or cracking, call (843) 376-1285 or send us the form and I'll set a time to come look at the wall with you.
Bricks that are cracked, loose or flaking on the face need replacing, not just new mortar around them, so the wall sheds water as one piece again.
A paver driveway gives the front of a brick house a finished surface that can be lifted and reset in sections later instead of breaking out a slab.
We're based in Summerville and repoint brick across the cities around it in Dorchester, Berkeley and Charleston counties. If your city isn't listed below, we're still glad to hear from you.
The price comes down to how much of the wall has failed and what it takes to reach it, so it's set by measuring your wall. Doing only the failed joints instead of the whole face is the biggest thing that keeps it down. Our written estimate lists the materials, the steps and anything not included.
Federal preservation guidance says a good repointing job is meant to last at least 30 years, and preferably 50 to 100. Getting there takes a careful job, so the crew and method you pick now shape your wall for decades.
One contractor guide says the new mortar should be softer and lower in strength than the brick around it. On soft older brick, mortar that's too hard causes the brick to flake and crack because it can't flex. Federal preservation guidance adds that straight portland cement and sand mortar is extremely hard, holds water in, shrinks as it sets and moves a lot with temperature.
Plan for slow, noisy work. Federal preservation guidance tells owners of historic buildings that repointing is precise, time-consuming and noisy, and that scaffolding may stay on the face of the building for some time. How long yours takes depends on how many joints have failed, the wall's height and the weather.
Clear a working strip along the wall by moving furniture, grills and pots and trimming back shrubs, so the crew and any scaffolding can set up. Keep nearby windows closed while joints are being cut out, since it raises dust, and let us know about pets or cars that need to stay clear.
Call (843) 376-1285 while it's still a few loose joints, because every storm pushes more water through them and the repair grows with it.
