Tuckpointing in Tallahassee FL - mortar joints that hold and spare the brick
Mortar crumbling out of your brick joints? We fix what's wearing it down, then repoint so the joints hold and the brick stays sound.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Do your brick joints need tuckpointing, and what does the work involve?
Tuckpointing in Tallahassee, FL usually means repointing, where we rake the worn mortar out of your brick joints down to sound mortar and fill them again, so the wall sheds water and the brick keeps its support.
Most people call me after they notice sand along the base of a wall or joints sitting back from the face of the brick, and they want to know how serious it is and what it will cost. The price moves with how many square feet of wall need work, how deep the mortar has worn, how high the wall reaches and whether it needs scaffolding, and whether any bricks have to be replaced along the way. The schedule turns on the size of the job and on whatever is causing the wear, since that has to be put right first. Your own figure and plan come in a written estimate, in plain words, after I've looked at the wall with you.
How we do tuckpointing on your brick
Before anyone touches a joint, I look for whatever is wearing the mortar down, such as a gutter spilling over, a downspout emptying against the wall or a sprinkler hitting the brick, because new joints won't hold up if the cause is still there. Then we rake the old mortar out down to sound mortar, by hand where the wall calls for it, so the edges of the brick don't get chipped. New mortar should be about as strong as the old or weaker, since mortar harder than the brick can damage it in a way that can't be repaired, so we match strength first and then the color and shape of your joints. We pack the joints and tool them to match the rest of the wall, the way the old school mason I trained under taught me, and he made me tear out and relay any joint that wasn't right. I'll tell you plainly that good repointing is slow and noisy work, and scaffolding may stand against the house for some time, so you know what to expect.
Repointing often turns up other work. Where bricks have cracked or crumbled, we replace them through our brick repair work before the joints around them are filled, and if water running off an old driveway is part of what's wearing the base of the wall, we can lay driveway pavers graded to carry it away from the house.
Repointing the worn sections
This suits a house where the wear sits in one place, such as under a gutter or along the bottom courses, so you pay for the joints that need it. We blend the new joints into the old so the patch doesn't stand out.
Repointing a whole wall or house
When the mortar has worn across most of a wall, doing it all at once gives an even look and means setting up scaffolding only once. It's the larger job, but it often saves coming back for the next section in a few years.
Older and historic brick homes
On an older house the joints are part of its character, so we take extra care matching the mortar's softness, color and profile to the original. This suits owners who want the repair to disappear into the wall.
If mortar is falling out in pieces or a brick has come loose, call (850) 391-6065 soon, since open joints keep letting water into the wall.
What happens when you call us about tuckpointing in Tallahassee?
Here's how a tuckpointing job runs with us, from the first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll see and what you'll have in hand at each stage.
I come out to look
After you call or send the form, I set a time and come out myself to look the joints over with you. I explain what I see, including what's wearing the mortar, before I write anything down.
You get a written estimate
The estimate sets out in plain words which walls we'll repoint, how we'll match the mortar and what fixing the cause involves, with the price. Nothing is scheduled until you've read it and decided.
We set a start date
If you go ahead, we pick a start that suits you and take care of the permit side for our part of the work where one applies. The small crew I trained works alongside me from the first day.
We finish and walk it
We clean up as we go, so mortar dust doesn't sit on your windows and walks. When the joints are done, I walk the finished wall with you before we call it done.
Get a written tuckpointing estimate for your brick walls
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out myself for a free on-site estimate. There's no pressure and no obligation, so you can take the written figure and decide in your own time.
(850) 391-6065Tuckpointing in Tallahassee: permits and historic homes
Inside the city, the Growth Management Department's Building Inspection Division issues the permits required to build, renovate or expand a structure, and I can't tell you from here whether repointing your wall falls under that, so the division is the place to ask. Where a permit applies, we help you find out which office handles your property and take care of the paperwork for our part of the work. If your house is historic, there's a second office to know about. The Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation serves as the Tallahassee-Leon County Architectural Review Board and oversees design standards for historic properties through certificates of appropriateness and local landmark designations, so you can contact the board about your property before we settle on a mortar and joint style.
We're based in Tallahassee and work across the cities around it, and most calls look much alike, with older brick worn thin near the ground, under gutters and on chimneys. We see the same kind of wear on jobs in Quincy and Bradfordville, and we handle it the same careful way.
Tuckpointing questions from Tallahassee homeowners
Is tuckpointing the same as repointing?
Usually, yes, because most people use tuckpointing to mean repointing, which is removing worn mortar down to sound mortar and filling the joints again. The word also names an older finish where a thin strip of contrasting mortar is laid along each joint to make it look very fine, and one cost guide puts that style slightly above standard repointing in price. I'll tell you on site which one your wall has or needs.
How do I know if my brick mortar needs tuckpointing?
Your joints are due for a look if the mortar has worn back more than a quarter inch from the face of the brick, crumbles when you scrape it, has holes in it or shows hairline cracks. Cracks running between the brick and the mortar are another sign. If you're seeing any of these, a few photos are a good place to start.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Tallahassee?
Across the US, repointing or tuckpointing brick usually costs about $3 to $25 per square foot of wall. Where your wall lands in that spread depends on the things that move any job, such as how deep the mortar has gone, how high the wall reaches and whether bricks need replacing. Your own figure comes in a written estimate after I've seen the wall. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
How long does tuckpointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves may well go past 100. That means a sound brick wall may need its joints redone during its life, and it's ordinary upkeep rather than a sign the house is failing.
Can tuckpointing fix cracks in a brick wall?
Not when the cracks are structural, because those go beyond routine repointing and often need a professional investigation to find the cause and the right repair. Hairline cracks in the mortar itself are a different matter and are a sign the joints need repointing. If I see a crack that looks structural, I'll tell you before I write up any joint work.
What should I ask a tuckpointing contractor in Tallahassee before hiring?
Ask whether repointing is regular work for their crew, because brick industry guidance points out that an excellent mason isn't always qualified to repoint, and it suggests testing a crew's skills before you choose. Ask too how they take out old mortar, since power tools can damage the brick around the joint. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm glad to answer both questions standing at your wall.
Related masonry work for brick homes
Bricks that have cracked, flaked on the face or worked loose need replacing with a close match before fresh mortar around them can do its job.
A cracked, tired drive out front can be replaced with pavers set on a packed base, which can be lifted and reset if one settles later.
Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (850) 391-6065 or use the contact form with a few photos, the wall's rough size in square feet and whether the home is historic, so I arrive knowing what to look for.