Brick repair in Alameda CA - sound mortar joints that suit the age of your house
Sandy, crumbling joints or mortar washing out of one wet spot? We find the cause first, then repair the brick so it holds.
Brick repair usually means the joints. That's where walls wear.
At Allied Alameda Concrete and Masonry, brick repair in Alameda usually means repointing, which is clearing the worn mortar out of the joints and packing in fresh mortar. Brick itself lasts a very long time, but the mortar between it wears, and that's where most of the walls I'm asked to look at have started to give out.
Joints usually wear from water more than from age, from a gutter that overflows or rain that runs down the same stretch of wall year after year. Once the mortar opens up, water reaches deeper into the wall, and a hurried repair with the wrong mortar or the wrong tools can take the edges off older brick.
What moves the price is how much wall needs repointing, how high it runs, how easily we can reach it and how stubborn the old mortar is. The schedule turns mostly on whether a water problem has to be fixed first and whether the city wants a review, and the written scope I send after the visit sets out your own job.
Brick repair gives warning signs. Here's what to look for.
Mortar that crumbles to sand
If the joints rub away under a fingertip or leave grit at the foot of the wall, the mortar has usually worn through. The longer it's left, the deeper water gets into the wall.
Mortar missing in one patch
A run of empty joints in one spot usually means water keeps reaching that part of the wall. Left alone, the bricks around it stay wet and start to wear as well.
Chipped edges or flaking brick faces
This often comes from water trapped in the wall or from an old patch done with mortar harder than the brick. Waiting lets the damage spread to bricks that are still sound.
Brick repair starts with a visit. I come out myself.
You call or write, and we get back to you to set a time. I come out and look at the brickwork with you, and before we touch the joints I look for the water that wore them out, such as a leaking downspout, so it's fixed first. Otherwise the new mortar faces the same trouble the old mortar did.
Afterward I send a written estimate that spells out the scope, including which sections of wall we'll repoint. Some things, like how far the damage runs behind the face, I can only tell you once the old mortar starts coming out, and I'll say so plainly in the estimate.
Once you're ready, we take care of any city steps and schedule the work. Our own small crew of masons does the job, with me checking in on site, and we treat your house and yard with care while we're there. When it's done, I walk the finished wall with you, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Need brick repair? Tell us about the wall.
Send photos of worn joints, any leaking downspouts and your home's age. We reply within one business day to set a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
(510) 254-3205Brick repair in Alameda and nearby. Older houses need care.
Alameda has more than 10,000 buildings from before 1930, and for some work on historic structures the city's Planning Division issues a Certificate of Approval on top of the regular building permit. Its list names alterations and certain demolitions, not brick repair, so whether your job needs one isn't settled, and a city Planner at 510-747-6805 can tell you. When approval or a permit is needed, we handle the application and work with the city through the inspections. Any contractor also needs a current city business license to apply for a building permit here, which is fair to ask about before you hire.
We're based in Alameda and do this work across the East Bay, including Oakland, Berkeley and many other cities around them. A brick visit often leads to questions about driveway pavers or retaining wall construction, and I'm glad to look at those while I'm there.
Questions about brick repair. Here are straight answers.
The answers below cover what most people want to know first. If yours isn't here, please call (510) 254-3205 and I'll gladly explain.
Is tuckpointing the same thing as brick repair?
Usually, yes, because on most houses renewing the worn joints is the main part of brick repair. Pointing, repointing and tuckpointing are names for that same job, and our page on brick pointing covers it on its own.
What kind of mortar is best for repairing an older brick house in Alameda?
For historic brick, national preservation guidance generally advises against masonry cement, because it usually contains no lime and makes a hard mortar that can damage older masonry. Ask any contractor which mortar they plan to use and whether it has lime in it. When only some joints need work, the guidance says a mortar analysis can supply a custom lime mortar with matching sand.
Can grinding out old mortar damage the bricks?
It can on older brick, since the same guidance warns that raking out joints with a mechanical grinder can damage the edges and corners of historic bricks. How the old mortar comes out decides whether your brick keeps its edges, so it's worth asking before work starts, and I'll explain at the estimate how we'd do it on your wall.
Do I need a licensed contractor for brick repair in California?
For most brick jobs, yes. The state lets an unlicensed person take a job up to $1,000 only when the work needs no permit and they employ no one, so brick work outside that needs a licensed contractor. We're licensed and insured.
Masonry wearing at the joints? Call us to come look.
Call evenings or weekends, or use the form. Tell us where the mortar is wearing and your home's age, and we'll set a time to look.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
