Brick pointing in Madison, AL - new mortar joints matched to the wall you have
Crumbling, cracked or sunken mortar joints let water into your brick. We clear them out and repoint with mortar matched to the old.
Worn mortar cleared out
We clear crumbled mortar out of the joints, minding the brick edges.
Mortar matched to yours
New mortar matched to your old joints in strength and color.
Joints packed and finished
Joints filled solid and shaped to look like the rest.
Cleanup and walk-through
We clean the wall down and walk the finished job with you.
What is brick pointing, and does your wall need it?
Brick pointing in Madison, AL means clearing out mortar that has crumbled, cracked or worn away between your bricks and packing fresh mortar back into those joints, so the wall keeps doing its job long after its first mortar gives out.
I look at how far your joints have worn, then we match the new mortar to the old in strength and color so the repair doesn't stand out and doesn't fight the brick. If you'd like to see it first, I'm glad to do a small test patch somewhere out of sight before we take on the whole wall.
The price comes down to how much wall needs pointing, how deep the joints are worn, how high we have to reach and how hard the old color is to match. The schedule turns on the size of the wall and on anything the city asks for first. Your written estimate gives you the price for your wall.
- New joints that match the old wall
- Brick spared from too-hard mortar
- A straight answer on what's wearing the joints
- Your price in writing before work starts
How can you tell your brick joints need pointing?
Look into pointing when the mortar between your bricks starts to crumble, crack, sink back or go missing, because that's where water gets into a wall.
Mortar that turns to sand
Rub a joint with your thumb. If the mortar powders off or falls out in chunks, it's no longer holding much.
Joints sunk behind the brick
When mortar sits back from the brick face, water gets a little ledge to rest on and works its way into the wall.
Cracks along the mortar lines
Thin cracks running through the joints let water in, and they usually open wider over time if nobody fills them.
Holes and missing mortar
Small holes or open gaps where mortar has dropped out are easy to miss from the yard but plain to see up close.
Stairstep cracks in the wall
Cracks that climb through the joints in steps can mean the house moved, and that may call for foundation repair before any pointing.
Rough chimney joints
Chimney mortar sits up where nobody looks, so it often goes first. If it's past the joints, we handle chimney repair too.
Get a free pointing estimate
Send photos of the worn joints and a rough wall size. We reply within one business day to set a free, no-obligation look on site.
What I look at on a brick pointing visit
Before I recommend anything, I look at the joints, the brick and what's been wearing them down, because pointing only lasts when the whole picture makes sense.
How deep the joints are worn
I check how far the mortar has worn back and how much of the wall it covers, since that decides whether we point a section or the whole wall.
The old mortar itself
I look at its color, texture and how hard it is, so the new mortar can match it in strength and color.
The brick faces and edges
Soft brick or brick with a flaking face changes the plan, and sometimes a few bricks need replacing along with the joints.
What's wearing the joints
I look for gutters spilling down the brick or a wall that has moved, because new mortar wears out the same way if the cause stays.
What a brick pointing job looks like
We plan the work around your house and your week, so you know who's coming, what we'll do to the wall and what it'll look like before we start.
You call or write
Call (256) 289-8018, email or send the form with photos of the joints, and we set a time for me to come out.
I look it over
I walk the wall with you, tell you what I see and what I'd do, and answer your questions on the spot.
Price in writing
You get the scope and price in a written contract, and you sign it before anything gets filed with the city or county.
We do the masonry
Once you say go, we check what the city or county office asks for, line up materials and do the pointing ourselves.
Walk-through
When the joints are finished and the wall is cleaned down, we walk the job with you, section by section.
Why Madison homeowners call Advanced Madison Concrete and Masonry for brick pointing
I learned on a crew where any course that wasn't right got torn out and laid again, and that's how we point brick. If a smaller fix will do the job, I'll tell you.
The owner looks at your wall
I come out to see the job myself and work alongside our masons, so whoever quoted your wall is on it.
Mortar work on older homes
Mortar work and brick repair on older homes is what we're best known for, and it's the work I was trained on.
Running our own jobs since 2023
I started this business in 2023 so I could run every job the way I was trained, with my name on it.
Licensed and fully insured
Ask for proof before you sign. Then call (256) 289-8018 or use our estimate form to set up a visit.
Brick pointing in Madison and the cities around it
The City of Madison asks for permits on most alterations, but its list names jobs like new roofs, vinyl siding and windows, not repointing, so whether your wall needs one isn't settled. We find out what the city asks for on your job, and if a permit is needed we handle the paperwork, including the parcel number the permit portal wants.
In the Madison Station historic district, ask the city whether your job needs the historic preservation commission's sign-off, since applications go to the Planning Department by the last Wednesday of the month before its meeting. We work across Madison, Huntsville, Decatur, Athens and nearby cities, mostly on older brick whose first mortar has worn out.
Worn joints on your brick house? Call and we'll come take a look.
(256) 289-8018Brick pointing questions we hear
How do I tell if my brick joints need repointing?
Your joints need repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbles, has holes in it or shows cracks. You can check for these yourself before you call, and photos of what you find help me at the estimate.
How much does brick pointing cost in Madison, AL?
Professional brick repointing across the US usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall. That's a national range for the work, not our price, and where your wall falls depends on the joint depth, height and color match covered above. You get the figure for your own wall in writing after I look at it.
How long does mortar last compared to brick?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. A brick house outlives its mortar, so repointing is normal upkeep and not a sign the house was built badly.
How do I choose a mason for brick repointing?
Ask to see past repointing jobs, because a good bricklayer isn't always good at pointing, or have the mason do a small test on a part of the wall that's hard to see. In Alabama, anyone repairing or improving a home on a job over $10,000 in labor and materials counts as a residential home builder under the state Home Builders Licensure Board. That builder has to tell you in writing, before work starts, whether it carries liability insurance.
Does new mortar have to match the old mortar?
Yes, new mortar should be close to the old mortar in strength or a bit weaker, because stronger mortar can do damage to the brick that can't be repaired. We match ours to the old in strength and color, and it's worth asking any mason how they'll do the same.
Should old mortar be cut out with a power saw before repointing?
Not on thin joints, according to National Park Service guidance for historic buildings, which says power saws there almost always chip brick edges and overcut the vertical joints. Most brick walls have thin joints, so ask any mason how they plan to clear yours. The same guidance notes that repointing is slow, noisy work and scaffolding may stay on the wall for a while.
Get a brick pointing estimate in Madison
Pointing joints while the brick behind them is still sound keeps the job to mortar, so call (256) 289-8018 or email quotes@madisonconcreteandmasonry.com.