Masonry restoration in Yuma AZ - worn joints renewed, old brick kept whole
Mortar crumbling out of your brick or stone wall? We clear the worn joints with care and refill them so the wall holds together again.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does masonry restoration on an older Yuma home involve?
Masonry restoration in Yuma, AZ brings a worn brick or stone wall back to sound shape, mostly by repointing, which means raking the tired mortar out of the joints between the bricks or stones and packing in fresh mortar, and by repairing any brick that's cracked or loose.
Most calls start the same way. You brushed a joint and it fell out as sand, or a crack showed up in a wall you've walked past for years. The price turns on how much wall there is, how many joints are worn through, how tall the wall is and whether some bricks need brick repair before the joints get redone. The schedule turns on that same scope, plus picking days mild enough for fresh mortar to set. Once I've walked the wall with you, the estimate puts your own number on it.
How do you know your brick or stone wall needs restoring?
Mortar that rubs out as sand
If you can scrape a joint with a key or your thumb and it crumbles, that mortar has stopped holding the wall together and stopped keeping water out. Left alone, water works deeper every year, and a few bad joints turn into a whole wall face.
Joints sitting back from the brick
When the mortar has worn back far enough to leave shadows between the bricks, or gaps you can see into, water has a ledge to sit on. This is usually the stage where repointing alone does the job, and waiting lets the damage reach the brick itself.
Cracks or bricks that move
A crack that climbs the wall along the joints, or a brick that rocks when you push it, usually means more is going on than worn mortar. I look for the cause before anyone touches a joint, because new mortar over an unsolved problem usually cracks again.
How we do masonry restoration on older walls
First I walk the whole wall to see whether the damage stops at the joints or goes into the brick, and anything cracked, loose or flaking gets fixed, along with whatever caused it, before we repoint. Older brick and stone can be soft, so we clean gently and clear the old joints with care to protect the edges, because we'd rather go slower than chip the very thing we came to save. Then we pack the joints with fresh mortar, shape them to match the rest of the wall and clean up. Whoever you hire, ask how they clean the wall, how they take out the old mortar and how they keep new joints from drying too fast. High-pressure washing can etch soft brick, a grinder can chew up brick edges and corners, and lime mortar that dries too quickly bonds poorly and wears out sooner.
Restoration often sits next to other work on the same house. If an old brick fireplace is past saving, we also do fireplace installation, and where a plain block wall needs a new face rather than repair, stone veneer installation gives it one.
Repointing alone
This suits a wall whose bricks or stones are still solid and where only the mortar has worn, because that's the one case where new joints fix the whole problem. It's the simplest version of the job and keeps the most original material in place.
Repair first, then repoint
This suits a wall where some bricks or stones are cracked, loose or flaking, since those get repaired or replaced and the cause sorted out before any joint is filled. It costs more than repointing alone, but on a damaged wall it's the version that holds up.
A softer, high-lime mix
High-lime mortar lets moisture pass through more easily than a dense cement mix, and mortar that traps water in a wall ends up damaging the brick or stone around it. Lime mortar also shifts little as temperatures change and can re-seal hairline cracks, so it suits older and historic walls, and you can ask for a mix that lets the wall dry instead of assuming harder is better.
Get an estimate for restoring your brick or stone wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a visit. I'll walk the wall with you, explain what I see and 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 masonry restoration in Yuma?
From your first message to the last joint, here's how a restoration job runs and who you'll deal with at each stage.
Call or send the form
Call (928) 271-5129 or fill out the form, and we'll set a time to come see the wall. Tell us roughly where the damage is so I know what to look at first.
I walk the wall with you
I come out myself, show you what I see in the joints and the brick, and explain whether repointing will do or whether repair comes first. Then I write up an estimate that lays out the work and the mortar, so you know what the price covers before you decide.
We do the work and finish
If the job needs a permit, my crew and I take care of those steps before we start. As each stage wraps up, I tell you what comes next, so you're never guessing what's happening on your wall.
Why Yuma homeowners trust J&L with their older brick
The same person, estimate to wall
I come out to look at your job and write the estimate myself, and I work alongside my crew once the work starts. The person who explained the wall to you is the one standing at it, so nothing gets lost between the visit and the job.
Thirteen years of brick and repointing
We've been in business since 2013, and here in Yuma we're best known for brick repair and repointing. I started out laying brick and block on new homes, which taught me how a wall goes together before I ever took one apart.
Fully licensed, insured and guaranteed
We're fully licensed and insured, so you're not taking on the risk of the work being done at your house. Your satisfaction, guaranteed, and I'd rather walk you through a joint twice than leave you guessing about it.
On an old wall, the joints only hold once the reason they failed is fixed, so tell us about your wall and I'll come look at it with you.
Masonry restoration and brick repair in Yuma
The city's Building Safety Division helps owners get permits for new construction, remodels, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, and masonry restoration isn't named on that list, so ask the city whether your job needs one. If your home is in the Main Street, Century Heights or Brinley Avenue historic district, the city has its Design and Historic Review Commission decide whether a permit is issued for any exterior renovation or other exterior change, so check with them before work on an outside wall. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and set up the inspections with the city or county office, and we tell you what to expect before work starts.
Around Yuma we see plenty of older brick and block yard walls, older homes where the original mortar has worn back from the face, and the odd adobe wall. We meet the same walls on jobs in Fortuna Foothills and Somerton, and we treat them the same way, starting with what caused the wear.
Questions about masonry restoration in Yuma
How much does it cost to repoint brick in Yuma?
Repointing brick across the US usually costs about $500 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, and that's the going rate nationally, not our quote. Taller walls that need scaffolding cost more per square foot than walls a crew can reach from the ground. Your own figure comes from the estimate after I've seen the wall.
How long does repointing last before it needs doing again?
Brick and stone mortar needs repointing every 25 to 30 years. That makes it long-term upkeep, so it's worth having the joints looked at as the mortar ages rather than waiting for bricks to loosen.
When is repointing not enough to fix a brick wall?
Repointing only works when the damage is limited to the mortar joints. Leaks, stair-step cracks, loose or cracked bricks and spalling, where the face of the brick flakes off, mean the brick itself needs repair, so we find and fix the cause first and repoint after.
Does a house in a Yuma historic district need extra review for masonry work?
Yes, exterior work on a home in the Main Street, Century Heights or Brinley Avenue historic district goes through the city's Design and Historic Review Commission before a permit is issued. Mention it when you call, and I'll plan the job around that review.
What is the best time of year to repoint brick?
One national cost guide advises planning repointing for spring or fall, when daytime temperatures sit between 40 and 90 degrees for 24 to 72 hours. The same guide says emergency work during extreme heat waves will likely cost more, so booking ahead can save you money.
Can you use cement mortar on an old adobe wall?
No, cement mortar doesn't suit unstabilized adobe, the kind made without added binders. The two expand and shrink at different rates, and the harder cement speeds up the adobe's decay, so if you own an older adobe wall, ask about the mortar before anyone starts.
Other masonry work that pairs with restoration
Fireplace installation
If the old fireplace is cracked or past repair while you're restoring the brick around it, we can build a new one that matches your house's masonry.
Stone veneer installation
When a plain block or concrete wall is sound but looks tired, a stone veneer face gives it a new look without tearing down what's already standing.
Masonry restoration across Yuma and nearby cities
J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry is based in Yuma, AZ, and we restore brick and stone across the cities around it. Four areas have their own page, including Fortuna Foothills and San Luis, and we work in other nearby cities too.
Yuma, AZ
Send us photos of your worn joints
A few photos, the rough size of the wall and whether your home sits in a historic district let me show up already knowing what to look for.