Brick pointing in Santa Fe NM - new mortar joints that leave your old brick whole
Mortar crumbling, sandy or sunk back from the brick? We replace the worn joints with a matched mix so the wall stays tight.
What does brick pointing fix on a Santa Fe house?
Brick pointing, also called repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of a brick wall's joints and packing in fresh mortar. Sterling Santa Fe Concrete & Masonry does it on homes across Santa Fe so the joints are sound again and the brick stays right where it is.
Most people call when they notice mortar sitting back from the brick face, sand collecting on a sill or thin cracks running along the joints, and often it's only one part of the wall. The price comes down mostly to how many joints need cutting out, how high and easy to reach they are and how carefully the old mortar has to come out, because this is slow hand work. The schedule turns on the size of the wall and whether your house needs city or historic approval first, and I'll put both in a written estimate once I've seen your wall.
How we do brick pointing on older walls
I start by finding out why the joints failed, because a gutter dumping water on one corner or an old patch of hard mortar will wear out new joints just as fast if nobody deals with it. Then we mark the joints that need work. On older brick, I take the old mortar out by hand with chisels where a saw would chip the edges, since power saws almost always break brick edges on walls with thin joints, and hand tools do the least damage. The new mix is no stronger than what's already in the wall, so the mortar takes the wear instead of the brick. We pack the joints in layers, shape them to match the old ones and clean the brick face before we leave. It's slower, but the brick comes through whole, and it's a fair question to ask any mason how they take mortar out.
Worn joints are sometimes a sign of something bigger. If cracks step diagonally through the brick or part of a wall has dropped, that's a foundation repair question first, because new mortar in a wall that's still moving just cracks again. Chimneys usually show worn joints before the rest of the house since they stand above the roof with nothing over them, and when the crown or flashing is part of the problem we take care of it as chimney repair along with the pointing.
Brick pointing permits and historic review in Santa Fe
Inside the city limits, the City of Santa Fe's Land Use Department issues building permits and requires them for most construction work, so I check with the city what your job needs instead of guessing. If your house is in one of Santa Fe's five historic districts, the city's Historic Preservation Division has to approve the work before a construction permit is issued. Outside the city line, the office may be Santa Fe County or Los Alamos County instead. Whichever office it is, we file the paperwork, and the work waits until the approvals are in hand.
What we find most often on older Santa Fe brick is an earlier repair done in hard modern mortar next to the original soft joints, and the brick beside those patches is usually where the faces have started to flake. We cut those patches out as carefully as the rest so the whole wall behaves the same way again. We meet the same mix of old joints and hard patches on jobs in Los Alamos and Española.
How brick pointing works with us
Call or send us photos
Call (505) 303-0434 or use the form and tell me about the wall. Photos of the worn joints and whether your house is in one of the historic districts help me plan the visit.
I look at the wall
I come out myself, measure the wall and tell you plainly what I'd do and why. Your written estimate shows which joints need work, how the old mortar comes out and the price, so you know the cost before anything starts.
We repoint the joints
Once you say go and any approvals are in, my crew and I do the work with me on site. We cut out, refill and clean one section at a time.
We walk it together
When we're done, I walk the wall with you before we pack up. If something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to point it out.
Get a free estimate for your brick pointing and wall repairs
Send the form and expect a reply within one business day. I'll set a time to come out, look at your wall in person and give you a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
Questions before you book brick pointing
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the face, when it crumbles or has holes, or when hairline cracks show in the mortar or along the edge of the brick. Only the bad joints need redoing, so a wall with a few worn patches may need just those areas. Send photos and I'll tell you what I see.
How long does new mortar last after repointing?
Mortar lasts roughly 25 to 50 years, while the brick itself lasts about 100 years or more. Over a brick home's life, that means the joints will likely need redoing at some point while the brick carries on, which is why taking old mortar out without hurting the brick matters so much.
Why should new mortar match the old mortar on a historic brick house?
New mortar should be equal to or weaker than the old mortar in strength, because a harder mix strains historic brick and can cause spalling, where the face of the brick breaks away. Color is part of the match too, since sand color and cement type change how new mortar looks, and one trade group advises putting a sample in a hidden spot first to check it.
Do I need historic approval for brick pointing in Santa Fe?
If your house is in one of Santa Fe's five historic districts, plan on approval from the city's Historic Preservation Division before work starts. For general maintenance, the division offers staff approvals through the city's Maintenance and Repair Application, sent by email, and many requests are approved that way, which can be quicker than a full review. I'll find out which route your job takes when we file it.
How much does brick pointing cost in Santa Fe?
The cost is mostly labor, because repointing is slow work and taking mortar out by hand with chisels adds to it. The size of the worn area, how hard the joints are to reach and any approvals your house needs set the rest, so I give you a written price after I've seen the wall.
Is surface grouting the same as repointing brick?
No, surface grouting spreads a thin mortar over the joints without cutting the old mortar out, and it isn't a substitute for repointing or a recommended treatment for historic masonry. A grouting bid covers less work than a repointing bid, so when you compare prices, make sure both are for cutting out and refilling the joints.
Why Santa Fe homeowners call Sterling Santa Fe Concrete & Masonry for brick pointing
I come out and stay
I look at your wall, measure it and write the estimate myself, and I'm on the job with my crew while the work gets done. The person who decided how your joints should be done is the one watching them get done.
Learned on my father's jobs
I was mixing mortar and hauling brick for my father long before I could drive, and I've run this business since 2013. That time around old walls is what tells me how hard a joint can be cut before the brick suffers.
Older Santa Fe brick is home
Many of our calls come from older homes in Santa Fe's historic districts, and repairing the brick and stone you already have is what we're best known for. Keeping an old wall in good shape is the work we do most, not a side job.
Fully licensed and insured company
We're fully licensed and insured. A state licensing rule requires a company to hold its own license even when one of its people is licensed, so it's fair to ask any company you're comparing to show theirs.
On a pointing job, the brick is what has to last, so how the old mortar comes out matters more than how fast it goes. Request your estimate or call (505) 303-0434 and I'll come take a look.
Related masonry work
Foundation repair
If your brick shows stair-step cracks or a wall has dropped, the cause may sit below grade, and it's worth fixing that before any joints get new mortar.
Chimney repair
A chimney with loose bricks, a cracked crown or leaks around the flashing needs more than fresh joints, and we can repair those parts while we're up there.
Get your brick joints and walls checked
Call (505) 303-0434 or send photos through the form, because a few worn joints caught now is usually a smaller job than a whole wall later.
