Tuckpointing in Eugene OR - solid joints that keep water out of your brick
Mortar crumbling to sand or sitting back from the brick? We cut out the worn joints and pack in new mortar that matches the wall.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What is tuckpointing, and is it what my brick needs?
Tuckpointing in Eugene, OR means cutting the worn mortar out of your brick joints and packing new mortar in its place, and keeping water out of the wall is the main reason to do it. The brick trade calls it repointing, and it's one of the most effective, lasting ways to cut down the water getting into brickwork.
Most of the calls I get start with mortar that crumbles when you touch it, or a chimney you don't quite trust. Often the bricks are fine and only the joints have worn, though sometimes a few bricks need brick repair too. The price turns on how many joints need cutting out, how high and hard to reach they are and how closely the new mortar has to match the old, and the schedule mostly turns on when we can get you on the list and whether the job needs a permit. I'll come look and write an estimate that says what we'll do and why, so you're working from your own wall and not a guess.
How can you tell your mortar joints are failing?
Mortar turning to sand
You rub a joint and it comes away as grit or crumbs on your finger. That mortar has stopped holding water out, and the longer it goes, the more of it washes away and the more joints end up on the list.
Joints sunk behind the brick
The mortar sits back from the brick face instead of flush with it, which leaves a ledge for rain to sit on. Caught early it's a repointing job, but left alone the brick edges start taking the weather and can crack or flake.
Hairline cracks along the brick
Thin cracks run through the mortar or open up right where it meets the brick. Water gets in there and works its way into the wall, so a few cracks now can turn into broken brick later.
How we do tuckpointing on your brick
I start by walking the wall with you and marking which joints we're redoing, because people mean different things by tuckpointing and I want us to agree on the job before anybody picks up a tool. Those marked joints go into the estimate. On the day, our crew cuts the old mortar out of those joints down to solid material, brushes them clean and packs new mortar back in, in layers so it fills the joint all the way to the back. We tool each joint to the same shape as the old ones and clean the brick face, so the repair blends into the wall instead of standing out from it.
When a brick itself has cracked or its face is flaking off, new mortar around it won't fix that, so we handle it as brick repair on the same job. We also lay driveway pavers, so if the driveway in front of the house needs work too, I can look at both while I'm out.
Get a tuckpointing estimate for your brick
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out, look at the joints and give you a free estimate that says what we'll do and why, with no obligation.
- 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 about tuckpointing in Eugene?
From your first call to the last walk along the wall, here's how a tuckpointing job runs with us and what you'll have in hand along the way.
Call or send us a message
Call (541) 225-4006 or use the form and tell us roughly where the worn mortar is. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look and write the estimate
I look at the joints, ask what you want from the wall and mark the ones that need redoing. The estimate says what we'll do and why, so you know the cost before you decide anything.
We repoint and walk it
If you go ahead, and once any permit question is settled, our crew repoints the marked joints and cleans the brick and the site. Then we walk the wall with you before we call it done.
Why Eugene homeowners call us about worn mortar
I write the estimate myself
I come out, look at the wall and write the estimate myself, and our own masons and laborers do the work while I check it as it goes. The person who decided which joints to redo is the one making sure they got done right.
Doing masonry in Eugene since 2017
I learned the trade on commercial jobs where an inspector checked everything and shortcuts got torn out, then started this business in Eugene in 2017. Nine years on, I still answer the phone and still hold a house to that standard.
Licensed in Oregon, fully insured
Oregon law generally requires anyone paid for construction work that improves a property to be licensed with the state Construction Contractors Board. We're licensed and fully insured, so that's not a risk you take on.
Getting the right joints and the right mortar matters more than anything else on this job, so get in touch and I'll come take a look at your wall.
Tuckpointing, brick repair and permits in Eugene
Eugene lists masonry repair among the work that doesn't need a building permit, as long as the job stays clear of buried disposal systems, public pipes, utility easements, flood plains, setbacks and stormwater systems. Work without a permit still has to meet building code and local rules such as setbacks and height, and the city's Residential Plan Review answers questions at 541-682-5611. Most tuckpointing is plain repair, but I don't assume it. If your job needs a permit, we pull it and handle the inspections, and if it's unclear, we check with the city before we start, not after.
If your house is a historic property and you apply to the city for approval to alter it, the planning director looks for worn historic features to be repaired rather than replaced, and anything replaced to match the old in design, color and texture. That's how I like to repoint anyway. We see plenty of older brick homes and chimneys around Eugene, and the same kind of worn joints on jobs in Springfield and Cottage Grove.
Questions about tuckpointing in Eugene
Is tuckpointing the same as repointing?
Mostly, yes. Repointing is the trade's name for cutting out worn mortar and replacing it, and tuckpointing is the looser name most people use for the same work. What the word covers changes from region to region, which is how disputes over a job start, so ask any contractor to spell out which joints and repairs are included, the way our estimate does.
Does my whole brick wall need tuckpointing or just the bad joints?
Usually just the bad joints. A joint needs work when the mortar has worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles, has holes in it, or shows hairline cracks or cracks where it meets the brick. Original joints that are still in good shape are better than repointed ones, so it makes sense to plan the work around the damaged areas alone.
What kind of mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
Mortar that's equal to or weaker in strength than what's already in the wall. Mortar stronger than the old puts stress on older brick and can make the brick faces pop and flake off. Brick guidance names different mortar types for older and newer brickwork, so ask how the proposed mortar compares with yours and which type suits your wall, and I'll go over that at the estimate.
How long does tuckpointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is to weather and what mortar went in. The bricks can last well over 100 years, so most brick walls need their joints redone at some point even when the bricks are still sound.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Eugene?
The price comes down mostly to how many joints need cutting out, because repointing is slow hand work and every joint adds labor. How high and hard to reach the brick is, whether it's a chimney and how closely the mortar has to match the old color and texture move it too. Redoing only the joints that are actually failing is the biggest thing that keeps it down, and your estimate spells out which ones those are.
What is the best way to stop water coming through a brick wall?
Find where the water starts first, then fix that and the damage it left. Stains on the brick, flaking brick faces, worn joints, damp spots inside and mold all point back to a source, and it isn't always the mortar. That's why I look at the whole wall before suggesting any repointing.
Related services for brick and paving work
Brick repair
When a brick has cracked, flaked or come loose, new mortar around it won't hold, so we cut out the damaged brick and set a sound one.
See the service Brick repairDriveway pavers
A paver driveway is laid piece by piece, so a sunk or stained spot can be lifted and reset instead of breaking out a whole concrete slab.
See the service Driveway pavers
Service areas for tuckpointing near Eugene
Stonecraft Eugene Concrete and Masonry is based in Eugene, OR, and we do tuckpointing in the cities around it too, including Junction City and Veneta. These are the 8 cities with their own page on this site. If your city isn't listed, call and ask.
Eugene, OR
Get your worn brick joints looked at
Have a few photos of the worn joints and your address ready when you call (541) 225-4006 or send the form, so I know what I'm walking up to before I come out.