Tuckpointing in McAllen TX - crisp, tight mortar joints and clean brick edges

Tuckpointing across the US usually costs about $5 to $25 per square foot, and that's a national figure for the work, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on how much of it needs work, how deep the joints are worn, how high we have to reach and which finish you pick, and emergency work in winter or during extreme heat waves will likely cost more. I'll put your own number in the estimate, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.

Your joints need work when the mortar has worn back more than ¼ inch, is crumbling, shows hairline cracks or voids, or the bricks are cracking along with the joints. Any one of those is reason to have someone who knows masonry look at the wall before it gets worse. If a crack is the main worry, watching it over a while tells you whether it's still moving, because an active crack should be sealed with a flexible sealant while one that's stopped can be pointed.

Both replace old mortar, but tuckpointing fills the joints with mortar close to your brick's color and adds a thin line of contrasting putty for crisp lines, while repointing uses fresh mortar that matches your old mortar color. Repointing usually suits a wall where you want the repair to blend into the old work, and tuckpointing suits a house where you want sharp, defined joints. When you compare bids, ask each one which finish it covers so you're pricing the same job.

It may, because the city's Building Permits and Inspections Department generally requires a permit when you erect, construct, alter, repair or improve a building, so it's worth asking before work starts. If your property falls under the city's historic preservation rules, you need a certificate of appropriateness before you can get a building permit for alterations, which means the Historic Preservation Council approves the work first and the permit application follows. When a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork with the city and set up the inspections, and we're licensed and fully insured.

Use new mortar that's weaker than the brick, because mortar harder than the brick makes the brick faces spall and flake away. Ask any contractor how their mortar compares with your brick, and whether they'll set a small sample in a hidden spot first so you can see how it matches the old joints. It's also fair to ask how they'll cut out the old mortar, since power tools are faster than hand tools but can damage the brick around the joints.

Mortar usually lasts about 25 to 50 years, while the brick itself lasts 100 years or more, so a brick house will likely need its joints redone during its life. That makes joint work part of keeping the house up over the long run, not a sign something went wrong. When you plan it, spring or fall is the usual pick, because mortar cures best when daytime temperatures stay between 40 and 90 degrees for at least 24 to 72 hours.