Masonry restoration in Sparks NV - repairs that blend in with your old brick
Mortar crumbling out of your brick joints? We refill them with a matched mix so the wall holds and the repair blends in.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does masonry restoration involve on a brick house in Sparks?
At Stonework Sparks Concrete and Masonry, masonry restoration in Sparks, NV usually means repointing, where we take the worn mortar out of your brick joints and pack in new mortar while the brick itself stays in place.
Most calls start the same way, with sandy grit along the base of a wall or joints that have sunk back from the brick, and the homeowner wondering whether the whole wall is going. Usually it isn't, and I'll show you what I found before I suggest anything. What moves the price is how much of the wall needs new joints, how high we have to work, how gently the old mortar has to come out and whether any bricks need replacing. The schedule turns mostly on the size of the wall and on the weather, since fresh mortar needs suitable days to set. Your written estimate explains what we'd do and why, so you see the figure for your own wall before you decide.
How can you tell your brick wall needs restoration?
Mortar crumbling out of joints
If a joint turns to sand when you rub it, or you keep finding grit along the bottom of the wall, the mortar has stopped holding the bricks tight. Left alone, water works in deeper each year, and a joint repair can turn into loose or replaced brick.
Joints sunk back from brick
When the mortar sits well behind the face of the brick, the brick edges are taking the weather on their own. That usually means the joints are near the end of their life, and catching it now keeps the job to new mortar rather than new brick.
Cracks along the mortar lines
Fine cracks through the joints, or a gap opening between a brick and its mortar, let water into the wall. Sometimes it's just aging mortar and sometimes it points to movement, so I'd want to look before anyone fills them.
How we handle masonry restoration on your wall
I start by looking over the whole wall with you, because the joints that failed first usually tell us why, whether it's a downspout dumping water or a section that moves. Then our crew takes the worn mortar out down to sound material, and on older or softer brick we do that by hand. It's slower, but it's much easier on the wall than a grinder, which can chip brick edges and widen the joints. We mix the new mortar to match the old wall in color and texture, pack the joints and shape them to the same profile as the rest, so the repair doesn't stand out once it dries. We finish by cleaning mortar off the brick face and the ground around it.
Restoration often leads into other work on the same house. When the brick around an old firebox is worn out or you'd like a working hearth again, our fireplace installation work can build one that suits the restored wall. When a wall is sound but simply looks tired, stone veneer installation, a thin layer of stone set over the existing wall, gives it a new face.
Get a free on-site estimate for your mortar and brick repair
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no 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 us about masonry restoration in Sparks?
Here's how a restoration job runs from your first call to the final walk-around, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call us or send the form
Call (775) 447-1297 or send the form, and I'll set a time to come out, look at the wall with you and answer your questions. Please point out the worst joints and anything you've noticed after rain.
Read your written estimate
You get a written estimate that explains what we'd do and why, including whether a simple repair will do the job. You can take your time with it before deciding anything.
Our crew does the work
Our own crew does the repointing with me on site running it, so the person who looked at your wall is checking every joint. If we find something once the old mortar is out, I'll show you before we change the plan.
Look over the job together
When the joints are done, we walk the wall with you and look over the finished work together. Then we clean up the mortar dust and leave the ground the way we found it.
Why Sparks homeowners call us for masonry restoration
I write the estimate myself
I come out myself to look at your wall and write the estimate, and I explain what I found before suggesting anything. If a simple repair will do, I'll tell you so rather than sell you more than you need.
A license question worth asking
We're licensed and fully insured. The City of Sparks notes that a contractor licensed by the State of Nevada isn't always licensed in Sparks, so please ask anyone you're thinking of hiring about both.
Trained under an experienced mason
I set tile for years, then learned brick, block and stone under an experienced mason before we opened in 2023. Careful repair work, matching new mortar to an old wall, is what we're best known for.
If your joints are crumbling, please call (775) 447-1297 or send a note through our contact page, and I'll come out and take a look with you.
Brick walls, chimneys and masonry restoration in Sparks
The City of Sparks issues building permits and says even small home improvement projects may need one, so I don't assume a repointing job is exempt. We check with the office that covers your address, whether that's the city or Washoe County, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and the inspections.
Older buildings of unreinforced masonry, brick laid with no steel inside it, show up in mapped clusters across Reno, Sparks and Washoe County, and they're highly vulnerable in an earthquake. The city plans its building rules around earthquake shaking, too. That's why I take a careful look at any old chimney or tall brick wall while I'm checking the joints, and we bring the same care to jobs in Reno and Spanish Springs.
Questions about masonry restoration in Sparks
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick likely needs repointing if the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face, crumbles when you touch it, has holes in it, or shows hairline cracks or gaps between brick and mortar. You can check for all of these yourself before you call. A few photos of what you find help me come prepared.
How long does mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. That means most brick walls need their mortar renewed at some point while the brick stays put, which is exactly what repointing does.
What kind of mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
Brick industry guidance says new mortar should be similar in strength to the original or weaker, because mortar stronger than the brick can make the brick face break away, called spalling, and that damage is lasting. It's a fair question to ask any mason before work starts. I look at your old mortar first and mix ours to suit it.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Sparks?
The cost depends on how much of the wall needs new mortar, how high we're working and how the old mortar has to come out, so we give a figure only after seeing the wall. Removing mortar by hand on soft brick takes more labor than power tools, and repointing a few worn sections costs far less than a whole wall. Your written estimate spells out what we'd do and why.
What can be done about an old brick chimney in Sparks?
National earthquake guidance warns that an old chimney built without steel reinforcing can fall outward onto people walking by, or inward into the house. The same guidance calls two fixes the most reliable: replacing it with a metal flue inside a framed enclosure, or removing the chimney and firebox entirely. I'll look at yours with you and explain what I find before suggesting either.
What is the best way to clean old brick before repointing?
National preservation guidance says cleaning with water goes best when there's no chance of frost or freezing, because water left inside the masonry can freeze and cause flaking and cracking. We plan any washing around that, so cleaning the wall doesn't undo the repair.
Related masonry work for your home
Fireplace installation
If you're restoring old brickwork and would like a working fireplace or new hearth to go with it, we plan and build that too.
View service Fireplace installationStone veneer installation
When a sound wall has a face you're tired of, stone set over it gives the house a new look without rebuilding the wall underneath.
View service Stone veneer installation
Service areas for masonry restoration
Stonework Sparks Concrete and Masonry is based in Sparks, Nevada, and the 9 cities below each have their own page, from Reno to Truckee. They aren't the only places we work, so if you're nearby, please give us a call.
Sparks, NV
Send us photos of your worn joints
Photos of the crumbling or cracked joints and a note on where the wall sits on your house help me bring the right tools and mortar samples to the estimate.