Brick pointing in Gilroy CA - tight mortar joints that keep water out of your walls
Mortar crumbling, cracking or sitting back from the brick? We clear out the worn joints and pack in new mortar so water stays out.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does brick pointing involve, and do your joints need it?
Brick pointing, also called repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of the joints between your bricks and packing in fresh mortar. In Gilroy it's one of the best ways to keep water from soaking into a brick wall or chimney.
Most people call us after they've rubbed a joint and watched sand fall out, or noticed a chimney that looks patchy up close. The price moves with how much wall needs doing, how high it is and whether we need scaffolding, how deep the joints have worn and how soft the brick is, because hand work on old brick takes longer. The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether any cracked or loose bricks need brick repair before the pointing starts. When I come out, I'll show you which joints need work and what I'd do about them, and put the estimate in writing.
How can you tell your brick joints are wearing out?
Mortar sunk behind the brick
If the mortar sits back from the brick face and every joint has a little ledge, the weather has worn it down over the years. Each ledge holds water against the brick, and the longer it goes, the deeper we have to cut to reach sound mortar.
Sandy, crumbling or missing mortar
When you can scrape mortar out with a fingernail, or there are holes where it's gone, it isn't holding the bricks or keeping water out anymore. Left alone, bricks start to loosen, and a loose brick turns a pointing job into rebuilding that section.
Thin cracks along the joints
Hairline cracks in the mortar, or a gap opening between the brick and the mortar, give water a straight path into the wall. Caught early, that's a joint to repoint, but if it's ignored, the water does its damage inside the wall where you can't see it.
How we do brick pointing on your house
First I look at the brick and the old mortar, because soft or older brick needs a gentler hand than hard, newer brick. Guidance written for historic masonry says grinders are the most common tool and can be disastrous for soft brick in unskilled hands, while hand chisels take more labor but in most cases carry the least risk, so on soft or older brick we clear the old joints by hand. When a grinder is the right tool, we hook it up to a vacuum to keep the dust down. Then we brush the joints clean, pack in the new mortar, shape the joints to match the rest of the wall and clean the brick face before we leave.
Pointing fixes the joints, but it won't fix whatever is pushing on them. If cracks run in a stair-step pattern across a wall or the brick has shifted, the wall may be moving underneath, and we'd look at foundation repair first, because new mortar on a moving wall just cracks again. Chimneys get repointed too, but a cracked crown, the concrete cap on top, or loose bricks near the top call for chimney repair along with the joints.
Spot repointing
This suits a wall where the wear is in one area, like the joints under a downspout or along the bottom few rows. We match the color and shape of the joints so the repair blends in as well as it can.
Full wall or chimney repointing
This makes sense when most of the joints show wear, which is common on older brick that's never been redone. Doing the whole face at once means one scaffolding setup, and the joints wear evenly from then on.
Get a written estimate for your brick pointing
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the joints with you and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation.
(669) 205-6449- Based in
- Gilroy, CA 95020
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call us about brick pointing?
Here's how a pointing job runs from your first call to the last walk along the wall, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send the form
Tell us whether it's a wall, a chimney or both, and roughly how much of it looks worn. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
Walk the joints with me
I check the mortar, the brick and whatever is behind the damage, then tell you what I'd do and why. You get the estimate in writing, so you know the scope and the price before any work starts.
Our lead mason does the work
Our lead mason runs the crew, and I check in while the job is going. Repointing is slow, noisy work and scaffolding may stand against the wall for a while, so it helps to plan around both.
Walk the finished wall together
When it's done, I walk the job with you and point out what to keep an eye on, like the spots where water hits hardest. That way you'll spot trouble early, whoever you call next time.
Why Gilroy homeowners call us for brick pointing
I write every estimate myself
I come out from Gilroy, look at your joints and write the estimate, then check in while our lead mason runs the job. You're talking to the person who actually saw your wall, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the work.
Licensed and fully insured
That covers the crew on ladders and scaffolding up your wall or chimney. If there's an accident on the job, the risk isn't yours to carry.
Learned from the supply yard up
I started out selling brick and mortar at a supply yard, kept hearing what went wrong after it left, and then learned the trade on a local mason's crew, and we've been in business since 2021. That's why I explain what's causing the damage before I talk about fixing it.
On a pointing job, the real goal is stopping the water, not just filling the joints you can see. Tell us about your wall or chimney through our contact page or call (669) 205-6449.
Brick pointing and masonry work around Gilroy
In California, the Contractors State License Board issues the C-29 masonry license, which covers brick, block and stone work, including masonry walls and fences, so that's the license to ask any crew about before they touch your brick. The state's workplace rule on crystalline silica dust also covers repair and maintenance work on buildings, and cutting out old mortar throws exactly that dust. Studies on this work show that a grinder fitted with a shroud and hooked to an industrial vacuum cuts the dust workers breathe, so it's fair to ask any crew how they grind, and it's why our grinder runs on a vacuum.
We're based in Gilroy, and around here we see a lot of older brick chimneys, garden walls and planters where the joints wore out long before the brick did. We find the same kind of work on jobs in San Martin and Morgan Hill.
Questions about brick pointing in Gilroy
(669) 205-6449Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn away more than ¼ inch, crumbles, has gaps or hairline cracks, or has pulled away from the brick. Walk along the joints and look for those signs before you call, so you can tell us where the worst of it is.
Brick walls and chimneys usually need repointing every 20 to 30 years as normal upkeep. If your house is older and the joints have never been redone, it's worth planning for, the way you'd plan for a new roof.
No, the Brick Industry Association says new mortar must be equal to or weaker in strength than the original. Mortar that's harder than the old mortar can break off the face of the brick, which is called spalling, so ask any crew how they'll match your old mortar.
Hire a crew with real repointing experience, because the Brick Industry Association warns that an excellent mason isn't always qualified for this work. It advises testing a crew's skills before you choose, so ask to see pointing they've done and check for the state masonry license covered above.
Brick pointing cost depends on how much wall needs work, how high it is, how deep the joints have worn and how much hand work the brick needs. One national cost guide calls spring and fall ideal curing weather for mortar and says emergency work in winter or during a heat wave will likely cost more. I'll give you a written figure once I've seen the wall.
No, guidance written for historic masonry says surface grouting can't take the place of full repointing and isn't recommended on historic brick. Grout smeared over worn joints covers them without clearing out the bad mortar underneath, so whatever is letting water in stays there.
Related masonry services for brick homes
Foundation repair
If stair-step cracks keep reopening or a brick wall has started to lean, the ground or footing under it may need fixing before fresh mortar can hold.
Chimney repair
Chimneys take more weather than any other brick on the house, so a cracked cap, loose top bricks or a tilting stack may need work beyond the joints.
Brick pointing service areas around Gilroy
Quality Gilroy Concrete and Masonry is based in Gilroy, California, and each of the 12 cities below has its own page, including Hollister and Watsonville. We work in other nearby cities too, so call if yours isn't listed.
Gilroy, CA
Get your brick joints looked at
Snap a photo of the worst joint and tell us whether it's a wall or a chimney, so I know what to look for when I come out.