Tuckpointing in Lincoln NE - tight mortar joints that keep water out of your brick
Crumbling or cracked mortar between your bricks lets water in. We find what wore it out, fix that, then repoint the joints.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
When does a brick house in Lincoln need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing, which masons more exactly call repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of the joints in your brick and packing in new mortar, and for a house in Lincoln it's how we stop water from getting into the wall through crumbling joints.
Most people call us after they notice sandy grit under a wall, gaps between bricks or joints that crumble when they scrape them with a key, and a lot of the time it's around a chimney that's also letting water in, which is where chimney repair comes in. The price mostly moves with how much wall needs new joints, how high up it is and how deep the wear goes, while the schedule turns on whether there's a water problem to fix before any mortar goes in. You'll get your own figure in a written estimate once I've seen the wall.
How we do tuckpointing on your house
I start by finding what wore your joints out, because a leaking downspout, an overflowing gutter or ground that drains toward the wall will wash new mortar out the same way it did the old, so we get that fixed first. Then our crew cuts the worn mortar out of the joints back to solid mortar, clears out the dust, packs in new mortar in layers and tools each joint to match the ones around it. We clean the brick face and the ground under the wall before we leave.
Sometimes the joints aren't the only problem. If bricks have cracked or their faces are flaking off, we take care of that as brick repair on the same job so the new mortar has solid brick to hold onto. And when the water soaking your wall comes off a driveway that slopes back toward the house, new driveway pavers set to drain the other way can fix the cause.
Repointing just the worn areas
This suits a wall where the damage sits in one place, like the side that takes the most weather, around a chimney or along the bottom rows where rain splashes back. If that's all your wall needs, that's all I'll recommend.
Repointing a whole wall or house
This makes sense when the joints are worn from one end of the wall to the other, because chasing spot after spot means more trips and a patchwork look. Doing it all at once gives you joints that match across the whole wall.
If mortar is falling out of the joints or you're seeing damp spots inside, call (402) 202-7624 rather than waiting, because every rain pushes more water into the wall.
What happens when you call us about tuckpointing?
Here's how a tuckpointing job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end. I'm the one you'll see at the start and at the finish.
Tell us what you're seeing
Call (402) 202-7624, use the form or email sales@lincolnconcreteandmasonry.com and tell me about the wall. Photos of the worn joints and any leaking downspouts help me know what to look at first.
I look at the wall
I come out myself, look at the joints and at what wore them out, and walk you through what I'd do and why. You get a written estimate, and if a smaller repair will do the job, that's what it says.
Our crew repoints the joints
Our own small crew of masons does the work, and I'm on the job with them. You can ask me anything while we're there.
We walk the finished job
Before we call it done, I walk the wall with you so you can see the new joints up close. If anything doesn't look right to you, that's the time to point it out.
Get a written estimate for your tuckpointing
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out, look at your joints and give you a free in-person estimate, with no pressure to book.
(402) 202-7624Tuckpointing older and landmark homes in Lincoln
If your house is an individual Lincoln landmark or sits in a local landmark district, the city's standards apply to exterior changes, and I can't tell you from what the city publishes whether repointing counts as one. So before we set a start date, check with the city's historic preservation staff at preservation@lincoln.ne.gov or (402) 441-6377, and let me know what they tell you. A house that's only on the National Register isn't held to the city's design guidelines unless federal funding is involved.
Around Lincoln we mostly repoint older brick houses and chimneys, and the joints that go first are usually the ones that stay wet the longest. We see the same wear on brick homes in Seward and Crete, and we work in the other cities around Lincoln too.
Tuckpointing questions we hear from Lincoln homeowners
How do I know if my brick mortar needs repointing?
Your mortar needs repointing when the joints have worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumble when you scrape them, have holes or gaps, show hairline cracks or have cracks opening between the brick and the mortar. Any one of those is reason enough to plan the work. Send a few photos and I'll tell you what I see.
How long does new mortar last after tuckpointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how much weather the wall takes and what mortar was used, while the brick itself can well outlast 100 years. That means the joints wear out long before the brick does, so repointing is upkeep a brick house needs now and then over its life.
What is the best mortar for repointing old brick?
The best mortar for repointing is about as strong as your original mortar or weaker, never stronger. Mortar that's too strong can damage brick in a way that can't be repaired. Ask any mason how they'll match the new mortar to the old, and I'll tell you on the estimate visit what I'd use and why.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Lincoln, NE?
Tuckpointing is priced by how much wall needs new joints, how high it is and how deep the old mortar has worn, so you get a real figure in a written estimate after I've seen your wall. Repointing only the worn areas costs less than doing a whole wall, and replacing broken brick or fixing a downspout first adds to it. If a smaller job will do, I'll say so.
Does a masonry contractor need to be registered in Nebraska?
Yes, Nebraska law requires contractors to register with the Nebraska Department of Labor before doing any construction work in the state. The department says registration isn't a guarantee of good work or protection against fraud, so treat it as a starting point. If you do the work yourself on your own property, you aren't a contractor under that law.
How do I find a mason who's good at tuckpointing?
Ask to see repointing jobs they've done, not just walls they've built, because a fine bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. Another fair test is having them show their work on a small section of your wall that's out of sight. We're licensed and insured. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Other work that often goes with tuckpointing
When bricks have cracked, crumbled on the face or come loose, new mortar alone won't hold the wall together, and swapping those bricks out is its own job.
A cracked or sunken driveway that drains toward your house keeps soaking the base of the brick, and pavers set with the right slope send that water away.
Book a tuckpointing estimate in Lincoln
Catching worn joints while it's still just mortar keeps the job from turning into a brick repair, so call (402) 202-7624 or send the form.