Brick pointing in Sparks NV - sound joints that keep water out of your brick
Mortar crumbling, sanding out or cracking between your bricks? We cut out the worn joints and repoint them with mortar matched to your wall.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What is brick pointing, and does my wall need it?
Brick pointing in Sparks, NV, means cutting the worn, crumbling mortar out of the joints between your bricks to an even depth and packing in fresh mortar, which is one of the best ways to keep water out of a brick wall.
Most calls I get for this start with a homeowner who has noticed sand at the foot of a wall, gaps between the bricks or a chimney that looks tired, and the brick itself is usually still sound. We're based in Sparks and work across Reno, Carson City, Truckee and the cities around them. The price mostly turns on how much of the wall needs work, how deep the joints are worn, how high we have to reach and how closely the new mortar has to match the old. The schedule turns on the weather and on whether a crack needs watching before we fill it, and your written estimate spells out what we'd do and why.
How can you tell your brick joints need pointing?
Mortar crumbling or sanding out
If you can rub mortar out of a joint with your finger, or you find sand on the ground at the base of the wall, the mortar has lost its strength. Left alone, the joint keeps eroding and lets more water into the wall each winter, and that's usually when brick faces start to flake.
Joints sunk back or full of holes
When the mortar sits well behind the face of the brick or has open pockets in it, rain runs into the wall instead of off it. Catching it at this stage usually means pointing the joints, while waiting can mean replacing bricks that have been damaged along their edges.
Cracks in or beside the mortar
Fine cracks in the mortar, or a gap opening between a brick and the mortar next to it, let water in the same way a worn joint does. A crack that keeps growing can also mean something is moving, which is why I look at it closely before suggesting anything.
How we handle brick pointing
I start by looking closely at the joints and any cracks, and if a crack looks like it's still moving, I'd rather we watch it for a while before pointing it, because filling an active crack only hides the problem. Once the wall is ready, we mix mortar to match yours in color and texture, cut the old mortar out to an even depth or back until we reach sound mortar, and brush the joints clean. Then we pack the new mortar in firmly and tool it to the same shape as the rest of the wall, so the repair doesn't stand out. We finish by cleaning mortar off the brick faces and picking up around your house.
Pointing sometimes turns up other work. Cracks that run in a stair-step pattern or keep widening can mean the house is settling, and that calls for foundation repair before we touch the joints. A chimney takes more weather than any other brick on the house, so when its joints are failing we often look at the crown and flashing too, which falls under chimney repair.
Get a free on-site estimate for your brick pointing
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to look at the joints with you. Your written estimate is free, and there's no obligation or pressure to book.
- hi@sparksconcreteandmasonry.com
- Based in
- Sparks, NV 89431
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about brick pointing in Sparks?
Here's how a pointing job goes from your first call to the final walk-around, and who you'll be dealing with along the way.
Call or send us photos
When you call or send the form, I set a time to come out, look at the wall with you and answer your questions. Photos of the joints you're worried about help me see what's going on before I visit.
Get your written estimate
You get a written estimate that explains what we'll do and why, so you know what you're paying for before you decide anything. Before work starts, we check which office covers your address.
Our crew points the joints
Our own crew does the work with me on site running it. Cutting out joints is noisy, and on a tall wall or chimney scaffolding may stay up for a while, so it helps to plan around that.
Look it over together
When we're done, we walk the finished wall with you so you can see the joints up close. Then we clean up before we leave.
Why Sparks homeowners call us for brick pointing
The owner looks at your wall
I come out myself to look at the job and write the estimate, and I'm on site running our own crew while the work gets done. I set tile for years and then learned brick, block and stone under an experienced mason before starting this business in Sparks in 2023.
Repairs that don't stand out
We're best known for careful repair work, matching new mortar to an old wall so the fix blends in. That matters on pointing more than most jobs, because a mismatched joint shows from the street for as long as the wall stands.
Licensed and fully insured
The City of Sparks points out that a contractor licensed by the State of Nevada isn't necessarily licensed in Sparks, so please ask us, and anyone else you're talking to, about both. Asking up front saves you trouble later if a permit or an inspection comes into the job.
On this job the mortar decides how well the repair holds up, so the first step is letting me see yours. Please call (775) 447-1297 or send us a note to set up a visit.
Brick pointing, chimneys and foundations in Sparks
The City of Sparks says even small home improvement projects may need a building permit. I won't guess whether your job does, so before we start we check with the office that covers your address, the city or Washoe County, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and the inspections.
Our winters freeze hard enough that the city's building criteria plan for frost 24 inches down, and that same freeze works on any water sitting in a worn joint. That's why we pay the closest attention to chimneys, the sides of a house that take the weather and the low rows of brick where sprinklers keep the wall wet. We see the same wear on jobs in Reno and Spanish Springs, and we handle it the same way.
Questions about brick pointing in Sparks
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than ¼ inch from the face, crumbles, has holes in it, shows hairline cracks or has pulled away from the brick. Any one of those, including the signs described above, is reason to have the wall looked at. If you're not sure, send us photos of the joints and tell us which part of the house they're on.
Can new mortar damage old brick?
Yes, new mortar can damage old brick if it's harder than the mortar already in the wall. Repointing mortar should be equal to or weaker in strength than the original, because a stronger mortar can make the face of the brick flake and break off, and that damage can't be repaired. We match the hardness of your mortar as well as its color, so the joint gives before the brick does.
How long does brick repointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how much weather the wall takes and the mortar used, while the brick itself can last well over 100 years. Since mortar wears out long before the brick, pointing is upkeep on a sound wall rather than a sign the wall is failing. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How much does brick pointing cost in Sparks, NV?
The cost of brick pointing in Sparks depends on how many joints need work, how deep they're worn and how hard the wall is to reach, so I give you a figure only after seeing it. A chimney or a second-story wall that needs scaffolding costs more than a low garden wall, and a close color match on an older house takes more time to mix and test. Cracks that need watching or a repair underneath can also change the scope, and your written estimate lays all of that out.
What is the best time of year to repoint brick in Sparks?
Spring and fall are usually the best times to repoint, since one national cost guide calls them ideal curing weather for mortar. The same guide says emergency work in winter or during a heat wave will likely cost more. If your joints are only starting to wear, it pays to call early and plan the work for mild weather.
How do I choose a contractor for brick repointing?
Choose someone experienced in repointing specifically, because it's careful, slow work and even a very good mason isn't always skilled at it. You can ask to have a contractor's repointing tested and evaluated, such as on a small sample area, before you hire them. It's also fair to ask how they remove the old mortar, and the answer you want is a toothing chisel or a pointer's grinder, cut to an even depth or back to sound mortar.
Other masonry work that often comes with pointing
Foundation repair
If your wall has stair-step cracks, doors that stick or brick that's shifting, the trouble may start below grade, and that needs fixing before any pointing.
View service Foundation repairChimney repair
A chimney sits up in the wind, sun and snow, so its crown, flashing and brick often need attention sooner than the walls below it.
View service Chimney repair
Brick pointing service areas around Sparks
Stonework Sparks Concrete and Masonry is based in Sparks, Nevada, and the nine cities listed below each have their own page here, among them Reno and Carson City. If your house is in one of them or close by, please give us a call.
Sparks, NV
Send us photos of your brick joints
A few clear photos and a note on which wall they're on help me see before the visit whether it looks like simple pointing or something that needs a closer look.