Brick pointing in Woodland CA - fresh joints that keep water out of your brick
Mortar crumbling or sunk back from your brick? We clear the joints and refill them with a mix that suits your house's age.
Do worn mortar joints mean your brick needs repointing?
Brick pointing, or repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of your brick joints to an even depth and packing in new mortar. Some people call it tuckpointing. For a brick house in Woodland, it's one of the best ways to stop water from working its way into the walls.
Most people call us after they notice mortar sitting back from the brick face, or sand collecting at the bottom of a wall when they brush it. The price mostly comes down to how much wall needs new joints, how high we have to work and whether the old mortar has to come out by hand. The schedule depends on how much wall there is and on the permit and historic check for your address, and I write all of it into your estimate so you can see what's included. If some of the bricks are cracked or broken too, we can handle brick repair on the same job.
How we do brick pointing on older houses
First I ask when the house was built and what's been patched before, because the new mortar should be no stronger than what's already in the wall. Mortar that's harder than the brick around it puts stress on older masonry, and the brick faces start popping off, which masons call spalling. Preservation guidance for historic brick says hand chisels carry the least risk, and a grinder in the wrong hands can chip soft brick badly, so we take the old mortar out by hand wherever the brick is soft. Hand work takes longer, and on old brick I think it's worth it. Then we pack the joints with the new mix, shape them to match the old joints and clean the wall before we leave.
Joints rarely wear out for no reason, so I look for the cause. A crack that steps up through the mortar can mean the house has settled, and new joints won't hold until foundation repair takes care of what's underneath. Chimneys get weather on every side, so when the joints up there are worn we usually fix them as part of a full chimney repair.
Permits, historic homes and brick pointing in Woodland
Woodland requires a building permit any time a building is altered, repaired or improved, with some exceptions. Building Division staff decide whether your job needs one, and it's their decision whether repointing your walls counts. So before we start, we check with them about your address, and if a permit is needed we pull it and set up the inspections. Downtown is on the national historic register, and the city treats any outside change to a designated landmark, or to a building in a designated district, as a project. It asks owners to contact the Planning Department before buying materials or starting work, so if your home might be historic, I'll send you to them first.
Many homes in Woodland are well over 100 years old, and mortar from before the early 1900s was mostly lime and softer than what goes into new walls. That means a lot of houses here likely need a softer mix than a new build would get. We see the same older brick on jobs in Davis and Winters, along with many other cities around Woodland.
How brick pointing works with us
Call or send us photos
Call us or send a few photos of the worn joints, and tell me roughly when the house was built. That way I know what I'm walking up to.
I look and write it up
I come out to look at the wall, ask questions and figure out what's really causing the wear. You get a written estimate that spells out the work and what's included, and we sort out the permit question with the local office before we start.
Our crew does the work
A crew lead and our masons do the repointing, and the same crew stays on the job from start to finish while I stop by to check on it. When it's done, I walk the wall with you before we call it finished.
Get a free written estimate for your brick and mortar joints
We get back to you within one business day, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. After you send the form, I'll reach out to set a time, come look at the wall and ask a few questions. Then I'll write up what the job needs so you can see what's included.
Questions before you book brick pointing
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than ¼ inch from the face, crumbles, has holes or hairline cracks, or has cracked away from the brick. Run a key along a few joints on your most exposed walls and see what comes out. If you can't tell, send me a couple of photos and I'll tell you what I see.
How much does brick pointing cost in Woodland?
Brick pointing is priced by the wall in front of us, mostly how much of it needs new joints and how the old mortar has to come out. Hand removal on soft, older brick takes more labor than a grinder, and preservation guidance for historic buildings warns that repointing them is likely to be lengthy and expensive. Your written estimate shows exactly what you're paying for.
How do I choose a contractor for brick repointing?
Choose someone with repointing experience in particular, because the brick industry's own advice is that an excellent mason may not be qualified for it. Ask how they'll pick the mortar and how they'll take the old joints out, and weigh their answers before you hire anyone. Ask me the same questions.
Should I repoint the whole wall or just the bad joints?
Usually the whole affected section of wall, because it's hard to tell which joints are letting the water in. If you patch only the worst spots, the leak can stay behind and the wall ends up looking patchy.
How long does new mortar last after brick pointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how much weather the wall gets and which mortar went in. The brick itself may well last over 100 years. That's why the joints come due long before the brick does, and why the mix matters.
How long does brick repointing take on an older house?
Repointing is slow work, and on an older house it usually takes longer than people expect. Preservation guidance for historic buildings calls it precise, time-consuming and noisy, says scaffolding may cover the front of the house for a while, and plans time at the start to evaluate the building. Once I've seen your walls, I'll tell you what to expect.
Why Woodland homeowners call Signature Woodland Concrete and Masonry for brick pointing
I look before I price
I come out to look at your brick and write the estimate myself, and a crew lead and our masons do the work while I stop by to check on it. The person who figured out the problem is the one who checks the fix.
In business since 2017
I learned masonry under an older mason and started this business in Woodland in 2017, and we're best known for figuring out why brick gave out before we fix it. On an older Woodland house, that means asking questions about the walls before anyone picks up a chisel.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and insured. California's contractors board treats masonry as its own trade, covering brick and walls set in mortar, so it's worth asking any crew about their license before they work on your walls.
On old brick, the mix and the way the old mortar comes out matter most. Send us a few photos or call (530) 207-3191, and I'll come take a look.
Other work that often comes with repointing
Foundation repair
Doors that stick, floors that slope or brick cracks that reopen after patching can point to a settling house, worth fixing before new joints go in.
Chimney repair
A chimney with loose bricks, a cracked top or water stains on the ceiling beside it needs more than fresh joints, and we handle the whole stack.
Have us look at your worn mortar joints
When you call, it helps to know whether your house is a landmark or sits in a historic district, so we can settle the planning question early.
