Tuckpointing in Wichita Falls TX - fresh mortar joints that match your brick
Mortar crumbling or worn back from your brick? We cut out the bad joints and refill them so the wall is tight again and the repair blends in.
Does your brick need tuckpointing or something more?
Tuckpointing in Wichita Falls, TX, means cutting out the worn, crumbling mortar between your bricks and packing those joints with fresh mortar, so the bricks stay right where they are and the wall gets sound joints again.
Most folks call after they notice mortar sanding out of the joints or a crack running across the wall. If the damage stops at the mortar, tuckpointing is the fix, but leaks, stair-step cracks or loose and cracked bricks mean the bricks need work too, so we find what's causing it first and handle the brick repair in the same job. The price moves with how much wall needs doing, how deep the joints are worn, how high we have to work and how many bricks need replacing. The schedule turns mostly on the size of the wall and the weather, because fresh mortar needs mild days to cure right. Your own figure comes from the written estimate I give you after I've seen the wall.
How can you tell your mortar joints are failing?
Most of the time you can spot worn mortar from the driveway or with a closer look along the wall. Here's what I look for when I walk a house, and what each sign usually means.
Mortar sitting back from the face of the brick, so the brick edges stick out and catch water.
Mortar that crumbles or rubs out as sand under your fingertip, which means it has lost its strength.
Thin cracks running along the joints, which let rain work its way into the wall behind them.
Holes or gaps where chunks of mortar have dropped out, often under windows or near downspouts.
Cracks that step up the wall like a staircase, a sign the trouble goes past the mortar.
Loose or cracked bricks, or damp spots on the inside wall, which usually mean the bricks need repair too.
If you're seeing stair-step cracks, loose bricks or water getting inside, call (940) 298-1133 now rather than waiting, because those problems tend to grow.
What happens when you call us about tuckpointing in Wichita Falls?
I come out to every job myself, and I work alongside our crew once it starts. Here's how a tuckpointing job runs from your first call to the final walk-through.
Call and set a time
Call (940) 298-1133 or send the form, and I'll set up a time to come out and look at the wall with you. Tell me what you've noticed so I know where to start.
Look at the wall together
I check whether the trouble stops at the mortar and talk through what I see, for as long as you want to ask questions. You get a written estimate with a plain answer on what your wall really needs, and I'd rather tell you it's smaller than you feared than sell you more.
Handle paperwork, then do the work
Once you say go, we take care of any city paperwork the job calls for, then our crew and I cut out the old joints and pack in new mortar. Grinding out mortar is loud and dusty, so I'll tell you up front which days to expect it and you can plan around them.
Clean up and walk it
We clean up the mortar dust and droppings around your house, then I walk the finished wall with you before we call it done. I want you looking for the patches and not finding any.
Get a written tuckpointing estimate for your wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the joints with you and leave a free written estimate, with no pressure to book.
- Call
- (940) 298-1133
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Matching mortar to your brick and old joints
Matching the mortar is the part of tuckpointing I care about most, for looks and for the brick. Brick industry guidance says new mortar should be about as strong as the old or weaker, since mortar harder than the brick can cause damage that can't be repaired. We also match the color, sand and joint shape to what's there. The same eye for color goes into the driveway pavers we lay.
You'll sometimes hear about smearing a thin coat of grout over the joints instead of cutting them out. Federal preservation guidance says surface grouting can't replace real repointing and doesn't recommend it for historic masonry, and I agree, because the worn mortar is still back there underneath. We cut the old joints out to solid mortar and pack new mortar in, which takes longer but holds up.
The work is precise and slow, and it's noisy, since cutting out mortar takes grinders and hand tools. On a tall wall there may be scaffolding up for a while. Trade guidance says workers should wear safety glasses against flying mortar chips and a respirator against the dust, and that's a fair question to put to anyone you're thinking about hiring.
Tuckpointing questions we hear in Wichita Falls
How much does tuckpointing cost in Wichita Falls?
Tuckpointing brick across the US usually runs about $500 to $2,500 for each 100-square-foot section of wall, and that's the market's range, not a quote from us. Where your wall lands depends on the things that move the price, and I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen it. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How do I know if my mortar needs repointing?
Your joints need repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles, has holes or shows cracks. You can check that yourself with a close look and a fingertip before you call. Tell me about anything bigger you've noticed, and I'll check whether the trouble stops at the mortar.
How long does new mortar last after tuckpointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves can last well over 100. That means a brick house will usually need its joints redone at some point during the brick's life, and catching it before water gets in keeps the job to the mortar.
What city or state rules apply to tuckpointing in Wichita Falls?
The City of Wichita Falls says construction work in the city has to follow city codes, with the correct permits and licenses in place, and we're fully licensed. When a job calls for a city permit, we take care of the application and line up the inspections, and I'll go over it with you at the estimate. If your home has a historic designation, ask the city's Planning Division whether its preservation rules reach your house, and if it's a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, you'll need to notify the Texas Historical Commission 60 days before exterior changes.
How do I choose a good tuckpointing contractor in Wichita Falls?
Ask to see repointing a crew has already done, because an excellent mason isn't always skilled at repointing, and ask them to point a hidden section of your wall first so you can judge it. I'm happy to show you joint work we've done or start on an out-of-the-way spot, and we're insured. Most of our calls in Wichita Falls, Burkburnett and Iowa Park come from people who heard about us from somebody next door.
What is the best time of year for tuckpointing?
Repointing goes best between late spring and early fall, when the air stays between 40°F and 90°F for 24 hours before the work and 72 hours after it. Fresh mortar needs that window to cure right, so I'll talk timing with you at the estimate.
Other brick and paving work we do
Brick repair
When cracked, loose or chipped bricks turn up alongside worn joints, we replace them with brick that matches, so the wall is sound before mortar goes in.
Driveway pavers
If your driveway is cracked and tired next to freshly pointed brick, a paver drive in colors that suit your house finishes off the front.
Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (940) 298-1133 or use the form, and include photos of the worn mortar, a rough size of the wall and whether your home has a historic designation, so I come out ready with the right questions.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM