Tuckpointing in Palm Bay FL - tight mortar joints and the cause fixed too
Crumbling or cracked mortar between your bricks? We cut out the joints that are failing, repoint them, and find what wore them down.
Do my crumbling mortar joints need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing, which most masons also call repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of the joints in a brick or block wall and packing in new mortar. At Fieldstone Palm Bay Concrete & Masonry we do it for homes in Palm Bay so the wall holds together again and water stops getting into the joints.
Most people call us after sand comes away when they run a finger along a joint, or after they spot a crack stepping through the mortar or a stain spreading below it. The price turns on how high the wall is, what shape the brick or stone is in and how much of the mortar has actually failed. The schedule turns on how much wall needs new joints and whether we have to test a mortar mix first. I come out, look at the wall with you and write an estimate for your wall, so you're working from your own figure.
How we handle tuckpointing on your wall
I start by walking the wall with you and checking the joints by hand, because failed mortar gives itself away by crumbling or sounding hollow. We leave the sound joints alone since good old mortar is worth keeping. Then I ask what's wearing the joints down, like runoff from a roof edge or a downspout emptying against the wall, because if that keeps happening the new joints go the same way. Our crew cuts the failing mortar out to a solid depth and brushes and dampens the joints. Then they pack new mortar in layers, tool it to match the joints around it and clean the brick face before we leave.
Sometimes the mortar isn't the only thing that's gone. A brick that's cracked through or flaking on its face needs brick repair before we point around it, since new mortar can't hold a loose brick in place. While I'm out looking at a wall, people often ask about the drive too, and if it's cracked or tired we can lay driveway pavers in its place.
Spot repointing for a few failed joints
This suits a wall where the damage sits in one area, like under a gutter or along the bottom courses, and the rest of the mortar is still hard. We cut out and refill just those joints, so you aren't paying to replace mortar that has years left in it.
Full repointing when most joints are gone
When the mortar is soft across most of the wall, patching here and there just chases the problem from one spot to the next. Doing the whole face at once gives you joints that match and wear at the same rate.
Tuckpointing permits and rules in Palm Bay
There are a few city steps to sort out before any work starts. The Palm Bay Building Department keeps a list of work that needs a permit no matter its value. That list names electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical and gas work, and tuckpointing isn't on it, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your job needs a permit. Florida now allows certain permit exemptions for small home improvement projects under $7,500. In Palm Bay a home in a flood zone doesn't qualify, and the contractor or homeowner has to send the city a written exemption request before work begins. Work started without an approved exemption or a required permit can end up in code enforcement, so we check with the office that covers your address and handle the permit when your job needs one.
Most houses here are block, so the brick we point is usually on chimneys, front planters, garden walls and accent facing, and the worn joints tend to sit where water hits hardest. We're based in Palm Bay and work in many of the cities around it, north to Rockledge and south into the West Vero Corridor, and we see the same kinds of walls there.
Brick and mortar joint work
Why call us for tuckpointing
I come out to every job
I look at every wall myself and write the estimate, and a crew led by our lead mason does the work. You talk to the person who saw your joints, and the mason running the crew knows which ones we marked to keep.
In business since 2013
I ran another Palm Bay mason's jobs and crew for years before opening our doors in 2013. I'll explain what's wrong with your wall and why I'd fix it the way I suggest, and no question is too small.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're fully licensed and insured, and the city requires anyone you hire for construction work on your property to be a state certified or registered contractor. You can check any contractor's licensing with the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and the city wants printed ads to show the state license number, so compare the two before you hire.
If your joints are going soft, send us a request or call (321) 326-1779 and I'll come walk the wall with you.
(321) 326-1779Get a tuckpointing estimate for your wall
We reply to every request within one business day, and I'll set a time to come out and look at the joints myself. The estimate is free, done on site, and comes with no obligation. Photos of the damaged joints and a note on whether the cracks are getting wider help me come prepared.
Tuckpointing questions from Palm Bay homeowners
What is the difference between tuckpointing and repointing?
On most homes they're the same job, cutting out worn mortar and replacing it with new. One cost guide splits them by finish. It calls repointing fresh mortar that matches the old color, and tuckpointing mortar matched to the brick with a thin line of contrasting putty for crisp joint lines. Most walls here need repointing done well, and I'll tell you if the putty finish is worth it on yours.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Palm Bay?
Across the US, tuckpointing or repointing brick usually costs about $500 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall, and that's the market's range, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on the height and condition I mentioned above. Since we only cut out the joints that are failing, I measure what actually needs work when I write your estimate.
Can tuckpointing fix the cracks in my brick or block wall?
It can when the cracks aren't extensive, sit mainly in the mortar joints and stay about the same width. Before you call, check how far the cracks run and whether they're getting wider. A crack that runs through the bricks or keeps widening points to something moving behind the wall, and that needs looking into before new mortar goes in.
How often does mortar need repointing?
One cost guide puts it at every 25 to 30 years for brick and stone mortar. That makes it worth setting money aside well before the joints start to go. Joints that stay wet or take runoff can wear sooner, which is why I look for the cause and not just the joints.
What is the best mortar for repointing an older brick house?
The best mortar is one that's equal to or weaker than the old mortar in strength, never stronger. On older masonry, a harder mix puts stress on the brick and makes its face flake or pop off, which masons call spalling. Ask any contractor how their mix compares to yours, and I'll tell you how ours does.
How long does it take to match old mortar before tuckpointing?
When nobody knows what the original mortar was made of, the usual guidance is to put trial batches of different mixes in test joints and let them age for at least one week. So if your house needs a match, allow for that wait when we set a start date. Once the mix is settled, the time on site depends on how much wall needs new joints.
Get tuckpointing and brick repair priced in Palm Bay
Mortar that's caught early usually means fewer joints to cut out, so call (321) 326-1779 or send the form while it's small.
