Tuckpointing in Fargo ND - tight mortar joints that suit your older brick
Mortar crumbling or sitting back from the brick face? We cut out the worn joints and repoint them with mortar that suits your wall.
When does a brick house in Fargo need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing, also called repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of the joints in a brick wall and packing in new mortar. At Masoncraft Fargo Concrete and Masonry, we do it on homes in Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo and the cities around them, mostly in the warmer months when new mortar can cure.
Most people call because they've brushed a joint and watched sand fall out, or noticed the mortar sitting well back from the brick, and they're wondering if the wall is in trouble. The price comes down to how many joints need new mortar, how deep the old mortar has worn, how high we have to work and whether some bricks need brick repair along with the joints. The schedule turns on weather mild enough for mortar to cure and on any permit review. Once I've seen your wall, the estimate lays out what we'd do and why.
Why homeowners choose us for tuckpointing
You can count on a plain explanation of what your mortar needs, new work that suits the brick already on your house, and an honest word when a wall can wait.
I come out myself
I look at your wall and write the estimate, and our own crew does the work with me on the job.
Repairing older brick since 2017
We're best known for repair on older brick, stone and block, and we also build new work like driveway pavers.
Reasons before you agree
I explain why each section of wall is on the estimate, and I'd sooner tell you a joint can wait than sell it.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured, which matters on a job where our crew is up on scaffolding beside your house.
Backed by our satisfaction guarantee
Backed by our satisfaction guarantee, so call (701) 566-7317 when you're ready and I'll set up a time to look.
Kinds of tuckpointing we take on
Which one fits your house depends on how much of the wall has worn, where the water hits it and whether the bricks themselves are still sound.
Let's look at your mortar joints
Call (701) 566-7317 or send the form, and I'll come look at your wall and explain what it needs.
Why Fargo homeowners trust Masoncraft with their tuckpointing
We start by going over your wall joint by joint, marking where the mortar has worn back or cracked, so the estimate covers the joints that need it. The new mortar has to be weaker than your brick, because mortar stronger than the brick makes the brick faces spall, or break off. I'll gladly tell you how ours compares.
Then we schedule the work for weather mild enough for the new mortar to cure. Repointing is careful, slow and noisy work, and scaffolding may stand along the face of your house for a while, so I'll tell you where it goes and what to expect before we set it up.
Tuckpointing questions from Fargo homeowners
How do I know my brick needs tuckpointing?
Your brick needs repointing if the mortar has worn back more than a quarter inch, is crumbling, or has hairline cracks or gaps, or if bricks are cracking along with the joints. You can check for these yourself, and photos of what you find help me before I come out.
How long does mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar usually lasts about 25 to 50 years, while the brick itself can last 100 years or more. That gap is why a brick house's joints wear out long before the brick does, and why repointing is normal upkeep, not a sign the house is failing.
Can tuckpointing be done in a Fargo fall?
It can in early fall, but the window closes fast in Fargo. General guidance is to hold pointing until the air or surface temperature should stay above 40 degrees F for at least 8 hours after the mortar goes on, and the weather service's frost and freeze dates for Fargo fall between September 20 and October 9 in fall and between April 27 and May 19 in spring. Masonry researchers discourage repointing when freezing may occur, so if your job lands late, ask how the crew will protect the fresh mortar.
Does my mason need a North Dakota contractor license for tuckpointing?
Yes, if the job's price is over $4,000, North Dakota requires the person doing it to be licensed as a contractor in the state, and that covers repair work like tuckpointing. It's a fair question to ask any mason, us included, before you sign.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Fargo?
There isn't one fair number, because tuckpointing is priced by your wall, so I give you a price after I've seen it. Repointing only the worn sections costs less than a full wall, and tall walls, chimneys and cracked bricks that need replacing add to it.
What causes mortar to wash out of brick joints?
Water hitting the same spot again and again, such as from a leaking downspout, can wash the mortar out of the joints over time. Federal preservation guidance says the downspout and any other drainage problem has to be fixed before the mortar work, so I'll point out any I find when I look at your wall.
What happens when you call about tuckpointing in Fargo?
We plan your job around your wall and the weather, and I explain each step before we take it, so you always know what's happening on your house.
You get in touch
Call (701) 566-7317 or send the form. I answer, or I call you back to set up a time to come out.
I look at the wall
I come out and go over the wall with you, joint by joint, so you see what I see and can ask questions.
Your written estimate
I write up an estimate that explains what we'd do on your wall and why, so you can decide with the reasons in front of you.
The work and the walk-through
If you go ahead, we look into any permit, our crew does the work with me on site, and we walk the finished wall with you before we pack up.
Tuckpointing in Fargo and nearby cities
We're based in Fargo and repoint brick here, in Moorhead, West Fargo and nearby. In Fargo, a home in a Historic Overlay District gets extra review before the city issues a permit for exterior work, so I check with the city's Inspections Department first and handle any paperwork.
Get your Fargo tuckpointing estimate
Calling ahead of the warm months lets me see your wall now and plan the work for weather the new mortar can cure in.