Brick repair in Fayetteville NC - fresh mortar joints that suit your older brick
Crumbling, sunken or cracked mortar between your bricks? We rake out the worn joints and repoint them with mortar matched to your wall.
Do my worn mortar joints need brick repair?
Brick repair in Fayetteville, NC, usually means repointing, which you may also hear called tuck pointing. We take out the mortar that's worn, crumbling or cracked and pack new mortar into those joints, so water stays out of the wall and the brick around it is left whole.
Most folks call me after they brush a joint and watch sand fall out, or notice the mortar sitting deeper than the brick. The price mostly follows how many joints have failed and how hard the wall is to reach, and the schedule turns on how much wall there is and whether a permit or historic review comes first, so the estimate is where you get your own figure. North Carolina requires a general contractor to hold a state license once a project is valued at $40,000 or more, and we're fully licensed and insured whatever the size of your job. If it's a brick retaining wall that's leaning or giving way rather than just worn at the joints, that's a different job, and I'll tell you so when I see it.
How can you tell your brick needs repair?
Most trouble with a brick wall shows up in the mortar between the bricks, not in the bricks themselves. These are the things I look for when I walk a wall with you.
Mortar sitting back from the face of the brick usually means the joints have worn down and hold water.
Sand or grit falling out when you rub a joint means the mortar is crumbling and no longer bonding.
Small holes or gaps in the joints let water and bugs get behind the face of the wall.
Thin hairline cracks running through the mortar often mean a joint has started to fail, even on a solid wall.
A crack where a brick meets its mortar means the two have pulled apart and water has a way in.
Brick faces flaking off beside an old patch can mean someone used a mortar harder than the brick.
If you can see open joints or flaking brick, it's worth a call now, because the fix usually stays smaller while the damage is still only in the mortar.
What happens when you call us about brick repair in Fayetteville?
From the first call to the last swept-up bit of mortar, here's how a brick repair job goes with us and who you'll be dealing with at each step along the way.
You call or send a message
You call (910) 302-3425 or send the form, and we get back to you to set up a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly where the worn joints are so I know what I'm walking up to.
I look at your wall
I come out myself, walk the wall with you, answer your questions and point out which joints have failed and which are fine to leave. The estimate tells you what we'd repoint, how we'd match the mortar and what it'll cost before you decide anything.
We repoint and clean up
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit the job needs, and then I'm on site working with our crew until the joints are finished and the site is cleaned up. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Get a free estimate for your brick repair
Send a few photos of the worn joints, and tell us if your house sits in a historic district. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no pressure to book.
- Call
- (910) 302-3425
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Mortar choice and how we take old joints out
Getting the old mortar out is where a lot of brick gets hurt. Hand tools like a hammer and chisel suit small areas, while a grinder or power saw goes faster on big ones but can damage the brick around the joint. On small patches we take the old mortar out by hand so the brick doesn't get chewed up, and on bigger areas I'll tell you how we plan to do it before we start.
Older brick homes need extra care with the mix. In historic buildings the mortar is meant to be the part that gives, steering moisture out through the joints so the brick is spared, and a harder, tighter mortar like Portland cement can push that moisture into the brick until it fails. Testing the old mortar adds cost, so it usually only makes sense on historic work that has to closely match what's already there.
If your house is in one of Fayetteville's historic districts, plan on one more step before we start. The city reviews all building work that affects the outside of buildings in those districts, and its historic commission approves exterior changes, so brick work on the outside of your house goes through that review. The city's Planning Department answers questions about historic properties at (910) 433-1612. We're based in Fayetteville and do this same work in the cities around it, like Hope Mills and Spring Lake.
Brick repair questions from Fayetteville homeowners
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing where the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbles, has holes in it, or shows hairline cracks or cracks between the brick and the mortar. Only those joints need work, and since repointing is slow, hands-on work, good joints are better left in place. I'll show you which is which when I come out.
Can any mortar be used to repair a brick wall?
No, the new mortar has to be as strong as the original or weaker, never stronger. Harder mortar puts extra stress where the brick meets the joint and can pop the face off the brick, damage that can't be repaired. Ask any mason how they'll match your old mortar, and I'm glad to walk you through how we do it.
How long does mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and the mortar used, while the brick itself can last well over 100 years. That's why the mortar is the part that wears out first, so worn joints on an older house are usually ordinary upkeep and not a sign the wall is failing.
What causes mortar to wash out of a brick wall?
Water from a leaking downspout can leach the mortar right out of the joints. The downspout has to be replaced and any other drainage problem fixed before we repoint, or the new mortar can wash out the same way, so point out any leaking downspout when you book the visit.
Who signs the permit application for brick repair in Fayetteville?
On Fayetteville permit applications, North Carolina law requires a licensed contractor or someone who actually works for them to sign, and an application signed by anyone else is voided and can lead to legal action. If your job needs a permit, I sign for it as your contractor, and if it isn't clear whether one is needed, we check with the city or county office before we start.
How much does brick repair cost in Fayetteville?
Brick repair cost in Fayetteville comes down to how many joints have failed and how much work it takes to reach and match them, so the on-site estimate is where you get a real number. Because repointing is labor heavy, the size of the area, the height of the wall and how deep the mortar has worn back move the price most, and leaving good joints alone keeps it down.
Other masonry work around your home
Driveway pavers
If your driveway is cracked or sinking in spots, our driveway pavers work gives you a new surface laid on a solid base that suits the house.
Retaining wall construction
When a slope in your yard keeps washing out or an old wall is leaning, retaining wall construction holds the soil back with a wall built from the footing up.
Get your worn mortar joints looked at
Call (910) 302-3425 or use the form, because a few bad joints caught now usually stay a small repair, with only the failed mortar coming out.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM