Tuckpointing in Lincoln CA - New mortar only where your brick wall needs it
Mortar crumbling or washing out between your bricks? We replace the failing joints and leave the sound ones, so the wall stays tight.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Do my brick joints need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing in Lincoln, CA means cutting worn or cracked mortar out of your brick joints and packing new mortar in its place, so the wall sheds water again and the bricks stay locked together. On most homes it's a repair to part of a wall, not a rebuild.
It usually starts with sand on the ground under a brick wall, or joints sunk back so far from the brick that you can catch a fingernail in them. We're Excel Lincoln Masonry and Concrete, based in Lincoln and working across the cities around it, and I'll tell you straight whether your wall needs a few joints redone or more than that. The price turns on how high the wall is, how much mortar has failed, what shape the brick is in and how easy the wall is to reach, and the schedule mostly follows how many joints need cutting out and whether the city wants a permit. At the estimate I'll give you a price for your wall and tell you what needs doing now and what can wait.
How we handle tuckpointing on your wall
A lot of folks say tuckpointing when they mean redoing worn joints, so I ask what finish you're after before I price anything, because the two jobs take different amounts of handwork. Then our crew cuts out the joints that are failing and leaves the sound old mortar where it is, since good original joints hold up better than new ones and repointing is slow, careful work you shouldn't pay for where it isn't needed. We pack the fresh mortar into the cleaned joints, tool it to the profile you picked and brush the brick clean before we leave.
Joints aren't always the only problem. If bricks have cracked along with the mortar, they need brick repair before we repoint, because fresh joints around a broken brick won't keep water out. And if your driveway is cracked or uneven, we also lay driveway pavers, and I can look at that on the same visit.
Joints matched to what's there
This suits most houses, where the goal is simply to fix worn joints. We match the mortar color and the joint shape to the old work so the repaired sections blend in.
Traditional tuckpoint finish
This is the older look, a flush joint colored close to the brick with a thin line of contrasting mortar on top. It suits owners who want that style, and it takes more handwork than a plain repair.
If mortar is falling out in chunks or bricks have started to crack, call rather than wait. We reply within one business day.
What happens when you call about tuckpointing in Lincoln?
Here's how a tuckpointing job runs with us, from your first call to the final walk-through. I'm the one who comes out, prices it and runs the work, so you deal with the same person throughout.
Call or send the form
Tell us where the wall is and what you're seeing, and we'll set a time to come out. The wall's rough square footage and a few photos of the worst joints help me get ready.
I look the wall over
I come out myself, check the joints and the brick, and ask what finish you want. You get a price for your wall, with what needs doing now and what can wait, so you're not paying for joints that are fine.
We repoint the failing joints
If the job needs a permit, we handle it first and tell you where it stands before we start. Then I run the job on site with our crew, cutting out and refilling the joints we agreed on.
Walk the finished wall together
Once the joints are filled and the brick is brushed clean, I walk the wall with you section by section. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Get a tuckpointing price for your brick wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at your wall and give you a free estimate at your property, with no pressure to book.
(916) 587-8582Tuckpointing in Lincoln, CA: permits, licenses and local walls
The City of Lincoln requires a building permit whenever a structure is repaired or altered, as well as for new work, so whether your repointing needs one is the city's call. I check with the city before we start, and when there's a permit we pull it, set up the inspections and tell you where it stands. The city also requires anyone contracting in Lincoln to hold a current city business license, carry workers' compensation and be bonded, and subcontractors need the city license and a bond too. We're licensed and insured, and the city points owners to the Contractors State License Board to check any contractor's license by phone or on its website. Under California's minor work rule, someone without a contractor's license can only take on jobs under $1,000, and only when the work needs no permit and they have nobody working for them, so ask for a license on anything bigger than a small patch.
The city lists no frost line here, so the joints we cut out in Lincoln usually wore down from sprinklers soaking the same stretch of wall, gutters spilling over or plain age, not from freezing. I look for that water source before we repoint, because new mortar in a wall that stays wet just wears out again. We see the same pattern on brick homes in Roseville and Rocklin.
Tuckpointing questions from Lincoln homeowners
Is tuckpointing the same as repointing?
Yes, for most people it is. Repointing is the exact name for removing worn mortar from the joints and putting new mortar in, and tuckpointing is the name most folks use for it. The word also covers the older decorative finish described above, so it's worth saying which one you mean.
How do I know if my brick mortar needs tuckpointing?
Your mortar needs work when it has worn back more than about a quarter inch from the brick face, crumbles when you scrape it, or shows hairline cracks or holes. Bricks cracking along with the joints is another sign. Check the walls that take the most water first, since that's where it usually shows up.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Lincoln, CA?
Tuckpointing across the US usually costs about $5 to $25 per square foot of wall, for cutting out the old mortar and filling the joints with new. That's the market's range, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on the things covered at the top of this page, and I'll price your wall when I come out for the free estimate.
What is the best mortar for repointing old brick?
The best mortar is one that's weaker than your brick, because mortar harder than the brick can make the brick faces flake off, which masons call spalling. Ask any contractor which mortar they plan to use and how it compares with your brick. I'll tell you what I'd use and why when I look at the wall.
How long does tuckpointing last?
Mortar usually lasts roughly 25 to 50 years, while the brick itself lasts about 100 years or more. That gap means a brick house needs its joints redone now and then, so it's normal upkeep and not a sign the wall is failing.
Should I fix foundation cracks before tuckpointing?
Yes, large foundation cracks or a leaking basement should be dealt with before any repointing. They can point to a structural problem, and filling the joints first just means the new mortar cracks along with the wall. I want to know why the wall moved before we put new mortar in it.
Other masonry work that goes with tuckpointing
When a brick has cracked through or its face has flaked away, new mortar alone won't hold it, so we replace or reset the damaged bricks first.
If your driveway is cracked or sinking, pavers give you a surface where single pieces can be lifted and reset instead of tearing out the whole slab.
Have me look at your mortar joints
Call (916) 587-8582 or send the form, because catching worn joints early usually means repointing a few sections instead of a whole wall.