Brick pointing in Eugene OR - solid new joints that go easy on older brick
Mortar crumbling or worn back from the brick? We rake out the old joints and fill them with mortar that suits your brick.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What is brick pointing, and does your house need it?
Brick pointing, also called repointing, means raking the worn mortar out of the joints in a brick wall and putting new mortar in its place. In Eugene, we do it on houses, chimneys and garden walls so the brick stays tight and sound.
Most people call us when mortar is sanding out of the joints or a wall looks patchy up close. The price mostly depends on how much wall needs pointing, how high it goes, how deep the joints are worn and whether the brick is soft enough that the mortar has to come out by hand. The schedule depends on the same things, plus a permit check if the job calls for one. If the bricks themselves are cracked or flaking, that's brick repair, and I'll tell you which one you need once I've seen the wall. You get your own number with the estimate, which spells out what we'll do and why.
How do you know if your brick joints need pointing?
Mortar sanding out
If you can rub mortar out of a joint with your thumb, or grit is piling up on the ledge below, the mortar has broken down. Left alone, the joints keep emptying until the brick starts to loosen.
Joints sunk back from brick
Mortar that sits well back from the face of the brick has worn away over the years. Deep joints leave the brick edges exposed, and the repair gets bigger the longer it waits.
Fine cracks in the mortar
Hairline cracks running along the joints usually mean the mortar has turned brittle. If a crack steps through the brick too, that points to movement in the wall, and that's a different job.
Gaps between brick and mortar
A thin gap where the mortar has pulled away from the brick, or holes in the joint, lets water into the wall. If we catch it while the brick is still sound, the job stays pointing and doesn't turn into replacing brick.
How we do brick pointing
I start by checking how soft the brick is and what the old mortar is like, because that decides everything after. Where the brick is soft, we take the old mortar out by hand, since a power saw on thin brick joints almost always chips the edges, and a chipped edge stays chipped. The usual guidance is to rake each joint out to a depth based on how wide it is, so the new mortar has room to bond and doesn't pop back out. Then we pack in new mortar that's no harder than what's already in the wall, shape the joints to match the old ones, and clean the brick and the site. Hand work is slower, and I'll show you on your own wall why it's worth it.
Pointing is often one part of a bigger repair. On a chimney, worn joints often show up alongside loose brick or a cracked top, and we take care of that as chimney repair. Cracks that step through brick and mortar together, or a wall that has moved, can mean the house has settled. We look at that as foundation repair first, because fresh mortar won't hold over a crack that's still moving.
Get a free brick pointing estimate in Eugene
We get back to you within one business day. I come out, look at your joints and write a free estimate that says what we'll do and why, with no obligation to go ahead.
- info@eugeneconcreteandmasonry.com
- Based in
- Eugene, OR 97401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call us about brick pointing in Eugene?
Here's who does what, from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you'll have in hand before you decide.
Call or send a message
Call (541) 225-4006 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to see the wall. Tell us roughly where the mortar is going so I know what I'm walking into.
I look at your wall
I come out, check the brick and the joints, and ask what you want from the wall. The estimate says what we'll do and why, so you know where the money goes before you decide anything.
We do the pointing
If the job needs a permit, we sort it out before we start. Pointing is slow, noisy work, and on taller walls scaffolding can block some windows for a while, so plan around that.
Clean up and walk through
We clean the brick and the site once the joints are done. Then I walk the wall with you before we call the job finished.
Why Eugene homeowners call us for brick pointing
Licensed and fully insured
Oregon law generally requires anyone paid for construction work on a house to be licensed. We're licensed and fully insured, so the crew on your wall meets that rule.
Trained where inspectors checked everything
I learned masonry on commercial jobs where an inspector checked the work and shortcuts got torn out. We've been in business since 2017, and a house gets the same standard.
Our own masons, checked as they go
Our own masons and laborers do the pointing, and I check the joints while the work goes on. That's how the hand raking and the mortar in the estimate actually end up in your wall.
Straight talk on older Eugene brick
Older brick, chimneys and walls holding back a slope are what we're best known for around Eugene. If your joints still have years in them, I'll tell you that rather than sell you a job.
If you're not sure your joints need work yet, that's a good reason to call. Send us a message or call (541) 225-4006 and I'll come take a look.
Brick pointing on older Eugene homes and chimneys
Eugene's list of typical projects that need a building permit covers additions, alterations and remodels to existing structures, and it names things like decks and garages, but not brick pointing. So the list alone doesn't settle whether your pointing job needs one. If it does, we pull the permit and handle the inspections, and if it's unclear, we check with the city before we start, not after. You can also ask the city's Residential Plan Review yourself, by email or at 541-682-5611, through the city's residential permits page. Older houses can add one more step. If yours is a city landmark, alterations go to the city's planning director, who approves them, approves them with conditions or denies them based on rehabilitation or restoration criteria. City landmark properties can also get low-interest rehabilitation loans from the city, and you can ask about the loan terms through its historic designation page.
A lot of the brick we point around Eugene is older and softer than people expect, on chimneys, porches and low garden walls, so hand raking comes up often. We see the same kind of brick on jobs in Springfield and Cottage Grove, and we treat it the same careful way there.
Questions about brick pointing in Eugene
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than a quarter inch from the face, is crumbling, has holes in it, shows hairline cracks or has cracked away from the brick. Walking around the house and looking closely at the joints is the easiest way to judge when it's time to ask for an estimate.
How much does brick repointing cost in Eugene?
Across the US, professional brick repointing usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall. That's a national range, not our price. You get your own number with the estimate, which spells out what we'll do and why.
Why should new mortar be softer than the brick?
New mortar should be softer because mortar harder than the brick or the original mortar can put serious stress on the wall as it heats and cools, and that damages the brick. Softer mortar keeps the wear in the joints, which are far easier to replace than brick.
How long does brick pointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. So a brick wall can outlive more than one set of joints, and a careful job leaves the brick in good shape for the next round.
Is tuckpointing the same as brick pointing?
In everyday use, mostly yes. Repointing, or pointing, means removing worn mortar and replacing it, and some people call that tuckpointing, though the name is somewhat inaccurate. If that's the term you searched, our tuckpointing page covers it too.
Can I just smear new mortar over the old joints instead of repointing?
No, surface grouting, spreading a thin layer over the old joints, can't take the place of proper repointing. It isn't a recommended treatment for historic masonry either, so on an older house it's worth doing the joints properly once.
Related masonry work we often pair with pointing
Foundation repair
If a wall has shifted or keeps cracking in the same place, the problem is usually underneath, and that needs fixing before any new mortar goes in.
See the service Foundation repairChimney repair
A chimney with loose brick, a cracked top or a lean you don't trust needs more than fresh joints, and it's work we're often called for.
See the service Chimney repairBrick repair
When the bricks themselves are cracked, crumbling or flaking at the face, new mortar won't help, and the damaged ones need cutting out and replacing.
See the service Brick repair
Where we do brick pointing around Eugene
Stonecraft Eugene Concrete and Masonry is based in Eugene, Oregon, and does brick pointing in the eight cities listed here, including Springfield and Junction City. If your city isn't on the list, call and ask.
Eugene, OR
Send us photos of your worn joints
Email a couple of photos to info@eugeneconcreteandmasonry.com with a rough size of the wall and whether your house is a city landmark, and I'll come out knowing what to look for.