I come out and look at the wall with you
I come out to every job myself, look at the joints with you and tell you what I see. I stay involved after that while our crew does the work.
Brick pointing in Yakima WA - solid joints that keep water out of your wall
Mortar crumbling or cracking out of your brick? We clear out the bad joints without chewing up the brick and fill them tight again.
Do the mortar joints on your brick wall need pointing?
Brick pointing in Yakima, WA means clearing the worn mortar out of the joints between your bricks and filling them with fresh mortar. It's one of the best ways to keep water from soaking into a brick wall or chimney.
Most people notice it as mortar that's sunk back from the brick face, sand piling up at the base of the wall, or a damp spot inside near the chimney. Worn joints don't mean the wall is finished, and often only one side or one section needs work. I'd rather tell you a wall can wait than sell you a job you don't need.
The price comes down to how much of the wall has failed, how deep the mortar has gone and how high we have to work, because anything over about 8 feet needs scaffolding. The schedule turns on the same things plus the weather, since fresh mortar needs mild, dry days to cure right. When I come out, I'll tell you which joints need it and what I'd do, and the estimate puts a figure on your wall.
What happens when you call about brick pointing?
I started this business in Yakima in 2023 after years laying brick and block for a big commercial outfit, where somebody was always checking the work. We're fully licensed and insured.
You get a straight answer and an estimate
I tell you what I'd do and whether any of it can wait, and then you get an estimate. If only the chimney or one wall needs pointing, that's all the estimate covers.
We check the paperwork, then I walk the finished job
If you go ahead, we find out what your local office needs before anyone touches the wall, and then our crew does the pointing. When they're done, I walk the finished wall with you.
How we do brick pointing without chewing up your brick
We start by marking the joints that have actually failed, because sound original mortar is better left alone and there's no sense paying to replace it. Getting the old mortar out without chipping the brick edges is the hard part, so we take our time and don't run saws through thin joints, since a saw breaks the edges and overcuts the short vertical joints. The new mortar is mixed no stronger than what's already in the wall, because mortar that's harder than the old can make the brick face flake off.
Sometimes the joints are only part of the story. If cracks run through the brick and keep coming back after pointing, the wall may be moving underneath, and that's a job for foundation repair. A chimney that leaks can also have trouble above the roofline that pointing alone won't fix, so we look at the whole stack and handle it as chimney repair when it needs more.
- Mark the failing joints with you so you know what you're paying for
- Remove old mortar to sound material, with no saws in thin brick joints
- Mix new mortar no stronger than the original
- Fill and finish the joints solid, with no gaps left for water
- Clean mortar off the brick and haul away the debris
How a pointing job runs on site
Pointing is slow, careful work, and most of the effort goes into getting the old mortar out cleanly.
Protect the house and set up
We cover windows, plants and walkways, because raking out mortar throws a lot of grit. On tall walls we set up scaffolding so the crew can work steady and close to the joint.
Clear the joints to sound mortar
We chisel the old mortar out to an even depth, or until we reach mortar that's still sound. That gives the new mortar something solid to bond to.
Pack the joints full
We press the new mortar in until the joint is full, working deep joints in layers. Holes and gaps left behind are where water gets back in.
Finish, protect and clean up
Once the mortar has stiffened, we tool each joint to a firm face and keep the fresh work out of hard sun and rain while it sets. Then we brush mortar off the brick and clean up the site.
Find out which joints need pointing and what it'll cost
Send a few photos of the worn joints and tell us roughly how tall the wall is. We get back to you within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look at the wall with you and give you a free estimate with no obligation. If your house is a designated historic property, mention that too.
(509) 452-1015Questions about brick pointing in Yakima
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than about a quarter inch, crumbles, has holes, shows hairline cracks or has pulled away from the brick. Check low on the wall and around downspouts and the chimney, where water runs. Photos of what you find help us when you ask for an estimate.
How much does brick repointing cost in Yakima?
Across the US, tuckpointing or repointing 100 square feet of brick usually costs about $500 to $2,500. That's what the work runs nationally, not our price, and your wall lands higher or lower depending on how much has failed and whether it needs scaffolding. You get a figure for your own wall after I've looked at it.
How long does repointed mortar last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and what mortar went in, while the brick itself can last more than 100. Over a house's life, it's the joints that need attention now and then, not the brick. That's why we work so hard to leave the brick in one piece.
How do I check a masonry contractor in Washington before hiring them?
Washington requires construction contractors to register with the state Department of Labor & Industries and to be bonded and insured, and you can look any of them up with the department's contractor verification tool. It shows whether the registration is active, whether workers' comp is paid up for any employees, and any safety violations or lawsuits against the contractor's bond. For pointing, also ask about repointing experience, because a good mason isn't always a good repointer, and you can ask to have a crew's repointing tested before you choose.
Pointing brick in Yakima and the cities around it
Around Yakima, we see plenty of older brick homes, chimneys and garden walls where the mortar has worn back but the brick is still good. We work out of Yakima and take jobs in the cities around it, including Selah, Union Gap, Terrace Heights, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Grandview and Ellensburg. If you don't see your city listed, call and ask.
Before we start, we check with the city or county office that covers your address, and if the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork with you. Inside Yakima, that's the city's code administration office, which publishes the city's permit guidelines and takes questions at (509) 575-6126. If your house is a designated historic property, the city reviews changes to its exterior and may require a Certificate of Appropriateness, so check with the city's Historic Preservation Program before work begins.
Send us photos of your worn joints
A few photos let me see before I come out whether your wall looks urgent or can wait a season, so call (509) 452-1015 or send them through the form.
If you're not sure your joints need pointing yet, ask and we'll give you a straight answer.
Tell us about your project