Brick pointing in Corona CA - new mortar joints that match the brick you have
Mortar crumbling out of your brick joints? We rake it out by hand and repoint with mortar matched to your wall.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Does your brick wall need repointing?
Brick pointing, also called repointing, means taking the crumbling mortar out of the joints in a brick wall and packing in fresh mortar. In Corona, it's how we close up worn joints so the wall holds together the way it was built, without replacing the brick itself.
Most people call me after they notice joints crumbling, gaps between bricks or a crack running up a wall. The price depends on how much wall needs pointing, how high it goes and whether something behind the damage has to be fixed first, like a broken brick that needs brick repair or a wall that's still moving. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any city review your house needs, and the written estimate I leave with you lays out what your wall needs and what the work includes.
How can you tell your brick joints need attention?
Mortar turning to sand
If you can rub the mortar out of a joint with your finger, or you find little piles of sand at the foot of the wall, the mortar is too worn to hold the bricks well. Left alone, more joints open up and bricks start to loosen, and a pointing job slowly turns into rebuilding parts of the wall.
Joints sunk back from the brick
When joints sit well behind the brick face or have open gaps you can see into, water and dirt have a way in. The brick is usually still fine at this stage, so it's the best time to repoint, because waiting means deeper joints to clean out and more brick edges at risk.
Cracks stepping through mortar
A crack that zigzags up the joints like stairs usually means part of the wall has moved, sometimes because of what's under it. Pointing over a crack without knowing why it's there tends to end in another crack, so it's worth having someone look before the gap gets wider.
How we do brick pointing on your house
I start by looking over the whole wall and working out why the mortar wore out, because new joints over an unsolved problem just fail the same way. Then our crew takes the old mortar out by hand with chisels anywhere a saw would chip the brick edges. It's slower, but it leaves your brick whole, and we clean each joint back deep enough for the new mortar to grab and stay put. We mix the new mortar to match what's in your wall, pack it into the joints, shape it like the joints around it and clean the brick face as we go. What we won't do is smear grout across worn joints as a shortcut, because that covers the problem without fixing it.
Pointing is often one part of a bigger fix. When cracks run through a wall because the ground or footing under it has moved, national preservation guidance for brick puts structural work ahead of cosmetic repairs, so foundation repair comes first and the pointing follows. Chimneys get the same careful pointing, and when the brick up there has loosened or cracked, we take care of it as chimney repair.
Repointing worn sections
This suits a wall where the damage is in one area, like low near the ground or under a downspout, and the rest of the joints are still solid. We match the new joints to the old ones so the repaired patch doesn't stand out.
Repointing a whole wall
This suits a wall where most of the joints are soft or open, or where old patch jobs have left a mix of mortars. Doing it all at once puts one mortar in every joint, so the wall looks like one wall again.
Get a written estimate for your brick pointing
We reply within one business day, by phone or by message, whichever way you reached us. I come out, look at the wall with you and give you a free written estimate, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
(951) 393-1203Brick pointing in Corona: permits and older homes
The City of Corona requires a permit, before any work starts, from anyone who builds, alters, repairs, improves or removes a building or other structure in the city. When your wall needs one, we pull it, set up the inspections and meet the inspector on site. If your house is a historic resource, the city wants a plan for the change reviewed and approved before it issues that permit, so tell me early and leave time for it. If you'd like to ask about your own house, Corona's plan review staff answer questions at 951-736-2250 or BuildingPlanCheck@CoronaCA.gov.
Around Corona we point a lot of brick on older homes, garden walls and chimneys, often where an earlier patch went in with hard gray mortar that never matched. We're based in Corona and work across the cities around it, and we see the same mix of old brick and old patches on jobs in Riverside and Norco.
What happens after you call us about brick pointing in Corona?
Call or send us a message
Call (951) 393-1203 or use the form, and we get back to you the same way you reached us. We set a time that works for you, and I come out.
Walk the wall with me
I look at the joints, the cracks and whatever might be behind them, with you there to ask questions. The written estimate lays out what the work includes, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We handle permits and repoint
We take care of any permits the job needs, then our crew does the pointing. Sometimes the old mortar coming out shows something nobody could see from outside, and when it does, I tell you before we go further.
Walk the finished wall together
Before we pack up, we walk the finished job with you and look over the new joints together. We clear away the mortar dust and leftover material too.
Frequently asked questions
Is surface grouting the same as repointing brick?
No. Surface grouting just spreads a thin coat of cement grout over the joints, while repointing takes the worn mortar out and replaces it. National preservation guidance for brick says grouting makes the joints look wider, leaves some residue on the brick face and can't stand in for repointing. If a bid you're holding sounds like a grout job, I'll tell you plainly.
What is the best mortar for repointing old brick?
Usually a mortar that matches the old one in color, hardness and how easily moisture passes through it. National preservation guidance written for historic brick says hard mortars high in portland cement let less moisture through than the brick around them, and they often make that brick break down faster. I look at what's in your wall now before we mix anything, so the new joints suit the brick you have.
Who can legally do brick pointing in California?
A licensed contractor, unless the job falls under the state's small-job exemption. The state's masonry contractor license covers installing clay brick and building walls with or without mortar, plus the cleaning and caulking that go with that work. Someone without a license can only take work under $1,000, and only when it needs no permit and they have nobody working for them on the job.
How much does brick pointing cost in Corona?
There's no set price, because the cost turns on how much wall needs pointing and what it takes to do it carefully. National preservation guidance calls repointing a lengthy and expensive job, partly because the wall has to be looked over and the cause of the damage found first. Slow hand removal, a tall wall or chimney that needs scaffolding and any repair that has to come first all add to it. Your written estimate spells out what the work includes so you can weigh it.
How do I tell if a crack in my brick wall needs pointing?
Watch it over time, because a crack that opens and closes with the seasons is still moving. Preservation guidance for brick says active cracks get a flexible sealant, while cracks that have stopped moving may be pointed. If you're not sure which kind you have, I'll look at it when I come out for the estimate.
How long does brick pointing take?
Longer than most people expect, because taking mortar out by hand and packing new joints is slow, precise work, and it's noisy while it lasts. On a tall wall, scaffolding may stand across that side of the house for a while. Any structural repair or city review has to come first, and I'll walk you through the order when I look at the wall.
Corona, CA
Send us photos of your worn joints
A few pictures of the joints and any cracks, and a word on whether your Corona home is a historic resource, let me come out knowing what to look for.