Tuckpointing in Noblesville IN - firm mortar joints and a wall that sheds water
Mortar crumbling out of your brick, or sand on the sill below a joint? We find why it let go, then repoint only what's failing.
The owner looks at your wall
I'm the one who comes out, looks the wall over and writes the estimate, so the person who found the problem is the one fixing it. Our own crew of masons does the work, and I'm on the job with them.
Pointing brick since 2013
I learned masonry under an older mason and started this business in 2013, so we've had 13 years of finding out why joints let go. If yours can wait, I'll tell you that instead of selling you work you don't need yet.
Fully licensed and insured for wall work
We're fully licensed and insured. A good bricklayer isn't always good at repointing, so ask any mason, us included, to show you repointing they've done. Then call (317) 214-8382 or send us photos of your wall.
What tuckpointing in Noblesville involves
Tuckpointing, which masons also call repointing, means raking the worn mortar out of your brick joints and packing in fresh mortar. It's for Noblesville homeowners whose joints are crumbling, cracking or pulling away from the brick, and it keeps water from working into the wall behind them.
Most calls start with sand on a windowsill or a joint you can scrape out with a key. I want to know why the mortar let go before we talk about fixing it, and since sound original joints hold up better than new ones, we repoint only the joints that have failed. What moves the price is how many joints that comes to, how high the wall is, how the old mortar comes out and whether drainage gets fixed too.
The schedule mostly turns on how much wall needs pointing, whether a gutter or downspout repair has to come first, and any permit step the city asks for. At the estimate I look the wall over, tell you what I think is causing the trouble and put the work and the price in writing, so you're comparing a plan and not a guess. Tricky walls take a little longer to read, and I don't mind that.
Tuckpointing, drainage fixes and the brick around them
Gutters and downspouts get checked first
When joints are washing out, I look up at the gutters and downspouts before I look at the wall, because water running out of a leaking downspout can strip a lot of mortar out of a wall fast. New mortar under a drip that's still running washes out the same way, so we write the gutter or downspout fix right into the job. If that water has been landing on your drive, our crew also lays driveway pavers and can talk with you about where it should go instead.
Mortar no harder than your wall
New mortar should be the same strength as the mortar already in your wall or weaker. That sounds backward, but the joint is supposed to be the soft part, because when the mix is harder than the old masonry, the stress goes into the brick and its face breaks away, which masons call spalling. So I look at what's in your joints before we mix anything. Brick that's already cracked or flaking gets handled as brick repair before we point around it.
Raking out joints without chipping brick
Hand tools like a hammer and chisel suit a small patch, and they're easy on the brick. Grinders and power saws clear a big wall much faster, but they can catch the brick edges around the joint, so how the old mortar comes out is something we settle wall by wall at the estimate. It throws dust and grit either way, which is why masons doing it wear safety glasses and a respirator, and we clean the grit up as we go.
Get a written tuckpointing estimate for your wall
Send photos of the crumbling joints and any leaky downspouts, and we'll reply within one business day, usually with me on the phone. Then I come out for a free on-site estimate with no obligation.
(317) 214-8382How a tuckpointing job goes with us
Call or send photos
Call (317) 214-8382 or send photos through the form, ideally of the crumbling or cracked joints and any downspout that's leaking. Most of the time I'm the one who calls you back to set up a visit.
I find what's behind it
I come out, look the wall over and work out what's behind the damage. You get a written estimate that says what I think is causing it, which joints need pointing and what else the job takes.
Permits, the work, a final walk
Once you're ready, we sort out any permit steps and set a start date. Our crew does the pointing, and I walk the finished wall with you before we pack up.
Tuckpointing questions from Noblesville homeowners
How can I tell if the mortar in my brick needs tuckpointing?
Your joints need work when the mortar has worn back more than a quarter inch, crumbles, has holes, shows hairline cracks or has pulled away from the brick. A wall rarely fails everywhere at once, so it's usually a few patches. Send photos and I'll tell you whether it needs doing now or can wait.
What kind of mortar is right for an older brick house?
An older wall likely needs a softer mortar than new construction would use, because before the early 1900s mortar was mostly lime with little cement. A lot of downtown Noblesville went up in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the city's downtown design guidelines, written as recommended practice, may suit older homes outside downtown too.
How long does tuckpointing last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and what mortar was used, while the brick itself can last well over 100. So pointing the joints now and then is normal upkeep for a brick house, not a sign something's wrong. Whatever we point, it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Do I need a permit for tuckpointing in Noblesville?
Noblesville requires a permit before any building or structure is built, altered, repaired or torn down, so check before mortar work starts. Permit questions go to the city's building and inspections office at 317-776-6325. Before we set a start date, I check for your address, and when a permit's needed we take care of the application.