Brick pointing in Yuma, AZ - solid joints that keep water out of your brick
Mortar crumbling or sunk back from the brick face? We clear out the worn joints and pack in new mortar so your wall sheds water.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Do my brick joints need pointing or a bigger repair?
Brick pointing, which a lot of people call repointing, means raking the worn mortar out of the joints in a brick wall and packing in fresh mortar, and in Yuma we do it so water stops getting into your wall before it can reach the brick itself.
Most people call me after they've brushed a hand along a wall and watched sand come off, or noticed the joints sitting back behind the brick face. The first thing to sort out is whether the damage stops at the mortar or the bricks need brick repair too, because that decides the rest of the job. Price moves with the size of the wall, how deep the joints have worn, how high we have to work and how many bricks need replacing, and the schedule turns on those same things plus any permit or city review your address calls for. When I come out, I'll write up an estimate for your own wall.
How can you tell your brick joints are wearing out?
Joints sunk behind the brick
When the mortar sits back from the brick face, it has worn away and water now pools in the joint after every soaking. Left alone, it keeps wearing deeper until the water starts working on the brick around it.
Mortar that turns to sand
If a key or screwdriver scrapes the joint into loose grit, the mortar has lost its bond. Those joints let water straight into the wall, and the longer they go, the more of the wall needs raking out.
Hairline cracks and gaps
Thin cracks in the mortar, or a gap opening between brick and mortar, mean the joint has pulled loose. Water gets in through that gap, so small cracks are cheapest to fix while they're still small.
Loose or cracked bricks
A brick that rocks, splits or flakes on its face means the trouble has gone past the mortar. Pointing alone won't fix that, and putting it off usually means more bricks to replace later.
How we handle brick pointing on your wall
First we figure out whether the trouble stops at the mortar or reaches into the brick itself, because new joints won't fix a brick that's cracked or loose. If it's the mortar, we rake out the worn joints back to solid mortar, brush out the dust so the new mortar has something clean to grab, and dampen the brick so it doesn't pull the water out of the mix too fast. Then we pack new mortar in layers, tool each joint to match the shape of the old ones, and clean the brick face as we go.
Sometimes the joints are only telling you about a bigger problem. When cracks follow the mortar in a stair-step line down a wall, the wall may have settled, and foundation repair needs to come before any new mortar or the cracks will likely open back up. A chimney with worn joints often has more going on up top, so pointing there usually goes hand in hand with chimney repair.
Spot pointing
This suits a wall where only a few areas have worn, like the bottom rows near the ground or a patch under a downspout. We rake out and refill just those joints and match the new mortar to what's around it.
Full-wall repointing
When most of the joints are soft or sunk back, doing the whole wall at once makes more sense than chasing patches. You also get an even color and joint shape from end to end.
Pointing with brick replacement
If some bricks are cracked, loose or flaking, we take those out and set new ones before any pointing starts. This is the right call when the damage has reached past the mortar.
Get an estimate for repointing your brick wall
We reply within one business day. I come to your home, walk the wall with you and explain what I see before I write up a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
(928) 271-5129- Based in
- Yuma, AZ 85364
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
What happens after you call about brick pointing in Yuma?
Here's how a pointing job runs from your side, from the first call to the last walk around the finished wall.
Call or send a message
Call (928) 271-5129 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the wall. Tell us where the worn joints are so I know where to start looking.
Walk the wall together
I come out myself, look over the joints and bricks with you and explain what I see. Then I write up an estimate for your wall, so you know what the work covers and what it costs before anything starts.
Rake out and refill joints
My crew and I take care of any permit steps first, then clear out the worn mortar and pack in new. Expect some noise and dust while the old mortar comes out, and I'll tell you what comes next as each stage wraps up.
Clean up and look it over
We clean mortar off the brick face and the ground around the wall. Then we walk the wall with you so you can see the finished joints for yourself.
Why Yuma homeowners call J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry for pointing
The owner walks your wall
We're based in Yuma, and I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, then work alongside my crew once it starts. You hear about your joints from the person who'll actually be fixing them.
In business since 2013
We've been at this for 13 years, and I learned on block and brick going up on new homes before I moved to fixing houses people live in. That background means I can tell you why a joint failed, not just that it did.
Repointing is everyday work here
Brick repair and repointing are what we're best known for, and that matters because a mason who lays fine new brick isn't always practiced at clearing and refilling old joints. Ask me about our past repointing work when I'm out, and I'll show you.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're fully licensed and insured, which is one of the first things you should ask any mason who'll be working on your house. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
On a pointing job, the most important call happens before anyone picks up a chisel, and that's deciding whether it's the mortar or the brick. Call (928) 271-5129 or send us a message to set up a time for me to come look.
Brick pointing and brick repair in Yuma
Yuma's Building Safety Division helps with permits in the city, and the work its list says generally needs one is new construction, remodels, electrical, mechanical and plumbing. Pointing isn't on that list, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your job needs a permit, and the division is the place to ask because it can also tell you which work needs none. When a job does need one, we handle the application and set up the inspections with the city or county office, and you'll know what to expect before work starts. If your house sits in the Main Street, Century Heights or Brinley Avenue historic district, the city's Design and Historic Review Commission reviews development plans there, so give us your address early and we'll plan the job with that in mind.
Around Yuma we see a lot of brick yard walls and older brick homes where the joints wear first near the ground, where sprinklers and runoff hit the same rows over and over. That's where I start when I look at a wall, and we see the same kind of wear on jobs in Fortuna Foothills and Somerton.
Questions about brick pointing in Yuma
How do I know if my brick joints need pointing?
Your joints need pointing when the mortar has worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles, has holes in it, or shows hairline cracks or gaps between brick and mortar. You can check this yourself with a key or a ruler before you call anyone. If you also find loose or cracked bricks, the wall needs repair as well as new joints.
How much does brick pointing cost in Yuma, AZ?
Across the US, repointing brick usually costs about $500 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall, and that's a national figure, not a Yuma price. Where your job lands depends on how deep the joints are worn, how high the wall goes and whether any bricks need replacing. For a price on your own wall, I'll come out and write up an estimate.
What kind of mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
New mortar should be about as strong as the old mortar or weaker, never the strongest mix you can find. The brick industry's guidance is that mortar stronger than what's in the wall can damage the brick in ways that can't be repaired, so the old mortar sets the standard. That's why the hardest bag at the store isn't the right pick for an older wall.
How long does new mortar last after repointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how much weather they take and the mortar used. The bricks themselves can last well over 100 years, so pointing is the upkeep that lets a good brick wall keep going.
What is the best way to remove old mortar without damaging the brick?
On historic brick, taking mortar out by hand with chisels and mash hammers takes more labor but usually poses the least risk to the brick. Power saws on thin joints almost always chip the brick edges, and those chips show for the life of the wall.
Is brick pointing the same as tuckpointing?
Mostly yes, because people use tuckpointing as another name for replacing worn mortar, though the name isn't quite accurate. Tuckpointing traditionally means adding a thin line of contrasting mortar so the joints look finer than they are. Our tuckpointing page covers that finish if it's what you're after.
Related masonry work for Yuma brick walls
Foundation repair
If a wall has moved because the ground under it shifted, fresh mortar will likely crack again until the footing underneath it gets dealt with first.
Chimney repair
A chimney stands above the roof and takes weather on every side, so its joints often wear first and the crown can need more than pointing.
Service areas for brick pointing near Yuma
J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry is based in Yuma, AZ, and we point brick across the cities around it, including Fortuna Foothills and San Luis. The four areas listed here each have their own page, and they aren't the only places we work.
Yuma, AZ
Get your worn brick joints looked at
Have a photo of the worn joints, the wall's rough size and your address ready when you call or fill out the form, and the first conversation goes a lot quicker.