Masonry restoration in McAllen TX - mortar joints that match and walls that breathe
Crumbling mortar, stained brick or water getting in? We fix the cause, then repoint with mortar matched to your wall.
- Service
- Masonry restoration
- Call
- (956) 331-0202
How do you know your brick or stone needs restoring?
Mortar crumbling from joints
If you can scrape sand out of the joints with a key, or you see gaps where mortar used to be, the mortar has usually worn past its life. Wait too long and water works in behind the brick, and a pointing job turns into replacing brick.
Washed-out joints by downspouts
A streak of missing mortar under a downspout or below an overflowing gutter means water has been running down that wall for a while. It keeps cutting deeper every rain until the drainage gets fixed, and the brick in that stretch soaks it up too.
White powder or flaking brick
White stains or brick faces peeling off in flakes tell me moisture is moving through the wall and can't get out, sometimes because of mortar that's too hard or an old sealer. A flaked brick face doesn't come back, so it pays to find the cause early.
What does masonry restoration involve on an older McAllen house?
Masonry restoration in McAllen brings worn brick and stone walls back into sound shape, mostly by repointing, where we take the old, crumbling mortar out of the joints and fill them with fresh mortar matched to your wall. Done right, the wall sheds water again and the new work blends with the old so you can't tell where one ends and the other begins.
Most folks call me when they notice sand piling up under a wall, or a chimney or porch that's started to look tired, and they're not sure if it's a patch or a bigger job. The price mostly comes down to how much wall needs work, how tall it is, since anything that needs scaffolding costs more per square foot, and whether there's a drainage problem to fix first, and the schedule turns on that same drainage work and, for a historically designated property, the city's approval before we start. If it's only a few bad spots, brick repair may be all you need, and the on-site estimate gives you the figure for your wall.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough length and height of the walls
- Where joints are crumbling or missing
- Downspouts or gutters near the damage
- Whether the property is historically designated
How we do masonry restoration, start to finish
I start by finding where the water's coming from, because a leaking downspout or a gutter dumping on the wall will wash out new mortar just like it did the old, so we get that fixed before anyone touches a joint. Then we rake out the worn mortar carefully so we don't chip the brick edges, and pack the joints back in layers with a mortar matched to your old work in color, texture and joint shape. When the joints are done we clean the masonry gently, and we skip sealers and coatings, because even the ones sold as breathable can hold moisture in the wall and make it fail early. That's the part nobody sees, and it's the part my old boss would've made me tear out if I'd rushed it.
Restoration often leads into other work on the same house. If you want a new firebox that looks like it belongs with your old brick, we handle fireplace installation with the same eye for matching. And when a wall needs a new face rather than a repair, we do stone veneer installation, though I'll tell you straight if your brick is good and should just be repointed and left alone.
Other work that often goes with restoration
Fireplace installation
If you're bringing an older house back and want a new fireplace that fits the brick you already have, we lay one up to match.
Stone veneer installation
When you want a stone face on a block wall, a chimney or a porch, veneer gives you that look without building solid stone.
What happens when you call about masonry restoration in McAllen?
Call or send a request
You call (956) 331-0202 or fill out the form, and we set a time for me to come see the wall. Tell us roughly where the damage is so I know what to look for.
I come out and look
I come out myself, check the joints, the downspouts and where water's getting in, and ask a lot of questions. You get an estimate for your wall and my honest read on it, including any brick that's fine and should be left alone.
We handle any permits
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork with the city's Building Permits and Inspections Department and set up the inspections. We're licensed and fully insured.
We repoint, clean, walk it
My crew and I fix the drainage, repoint the joints and clean up after ourselves. Then we walk the finished wall with you, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions before you book masonry restoration
How much does brick repointing cost in McAllen?
Across the US, repointing brick usually runs about $500 to $2,500 per 100 square feet. That's a national figure for the repointing work, not our price, and where a wall lands in that range depends on how much of it needs doing. For a McAllen price on your own wall, the on-site estimate gives you the number.
How often does brick and stone mortar need repointing?
Brick and stone mortar needs repointing every 25 to 30 years, so it's a once-in-a-few-decades job you can plan and budget for as the mortar ages. If your joints are failing much sooner than that, water is usually the reason, and that's the first thing I look for.
Why does the type of mortar matter when repointing brick?
New mortar should be no stronger, denser or less able to soak up water than the original mortar or the brick. Mortar that keeps moisture from leaving the wall pushes that water out through the brick or stone instead, and that's what damages them, so the joint should be the part that wears, not the brick. We match the mix to your wall and I'll tell you what we're using at the estimate.
How do I get city approval for brick work on a historic home in McAllen?
If your building is historically designated, you need a certificate of appropriateness, the city's sign-off on the change, before you can get a permit for alterations or additions. City staff have said that applies to all exterior alterations in a local historic district, so plan for it before any work starts. A designated landmark or a home in a designated historic district may also qualify for property tax incentives, and the city's Historic Preservation Officer has the details.
What is the best way to clean old brick without damaging it?
Start with the gentlest method that works. Federal preservation guidance recommends washing masonry at very low pressure, even a garden hose, and raising it only if you need to. Grit blasting, grinders and sanding discs usually take some of the brick or stone surface off along with the dirt or paint, so ask any crew which method they plan before you hire them.
Can you repoint just part of a brick wall and have it match?
Yes, most restoration jobs only repoint the worn sections, and done right you can't see where the old work stops. It comes down to matching the sand color, the texture and the shape of the joint, and I'd rather mix a few test batches than guess and leave a patch that shows.
Get an estimate for restoring your brick or stone
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come look at your wall. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation, so you can hear what I see and decide from there.
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Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (956) 331-0202 or use the form with a few photos, the wall's rough height and whether the property is historically designated, so I show up knowing what your wall needs.