Masonry restoration in Cedar Rapids, IA - older brick walls that keep water out
Crumbling joints, flaking brick or a wall stained by a leaking downspout? We fix the water first, then restore the masonry so it holds.
Request an estimate
When does an older brick wall need restoring?
Masonry restoration in Cedar Rapids is the repair of an older brick or stone wall so it sheds water and holds together again. It usually means new mortar in the worn joints, new bricks where old ones have cracked or flaked, cleaning where it's needed and fixing whatever was soaking the wall.
Most homeowners call us after noticing sandy mortar on the ground, joints that have sunk back from the brick face or a dark stain under a downspout, and if the trouble is only in the joints, tuckpointing may be all your wall needs. The price depends on how much wall is involved, how deep the joints are worn, how many bricks need replacing and how high we have to work. The schedule depends on the size of the job and the weather, since mortar work wants mild, dry days. After I've seen the wall, the estimate tells you what I'd do, why I'd do it and what it will cost.
How we handle masonry restoration
We start with the gutters, downspouts and drainage, because water spilling onto a wall is usually what wore the mortar out, and new joints would wash out the same way. Then the crew and I rake out the worn mortar, replace cracked or flaking bricks and repoint with a mortar chosen to suit your brick. On soft, older brick that means a mortar that lets moisture through and wears before the brick does, since hard cement mortar on soft brick traps water and has badly damaged walls. When a wall needs cleaning, we start with the gentlest method that does the job, because grit blasting and grinders take some of the brick face off with the dirt, and a face scraped away doesn't come back.
Restoration often sits beside other masonry work on the same house. Once a chimney wall is sound again, some homeowners want a hearth inside, and we take on fireplace installation as its own job. If part of the house is bare concrete or block, such as an exposed foundation, stone veneer installation can give it a stone face that goes with the rest.
Masonry restoration in Cedar Rapids and what changes the job here
The state's contractor office tells owners to contact the city or county government for each project to learn what's required locally. Before each job we contact the Cedar Rapids or county office ourselves, then tell you what we found and who will handle it.
Most of the brick we restore around Cedar Rapids is on older houses, and the wear usually starts where a gutter overflows or a downspout empties right against the wall. Our winters make that worse. Once water gets into brick and freezes, the flaking face and the cracks inside keep growing until the wall is repaired, so I would rather fix a damaged section this season than watch it spread through another winter. We see the same older brick and the same tired downspouts on jobs in Marion and Hiawatha.
- Call (319) 536-8125
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
What happens when you call R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry in Cedar Rapids?
Call or send us a message
Thank you for getting in touch. We set a time that suits you for me to come out to the house.
I look the wall over
I check the joints, the brick and where the gutters and downspouts send their water, and I ask what you've noticed. Then I write up what I'd do, why, and what it will cost, so you can decide with the whole picture in front of you.
The crew and I do the work
The same small crew and I work your wall together, following the plan you agreed to. We cover the work at the end of each day and leave your site tidy.
Why Cedar Rapids homeowners call R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry for masonry restoration
I look at every wall myself
I come out to every job and write the estimate, and the same small crew I work beside does the repair. You deal with the person who made the plan from the first visit to the last joint.
Working in Cedar Rapids since 2023
I started this business here in 2023, after years framing houses and then learning masonry beside an experienced mason until I could run jobs on my own. That carpentry background helps when old brick meets trim or framing that needs a closer look.
Licensed and insured for wall work
We're licensed and insured. Restoration means ladders, scaffolding and loose brick around your house, and you shouldn't be the one carrying that risk.
If your joints are worn or a wall is letting water in, call (319) 536-8125 or send us a message and I'll come out to look.
Request an estimateBook a free look at your worn mortar joints
Thank you for reaching out. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out, look over the joints, the brick and the drainage around them, and write up what I'd do and why, with no obligation.
- Licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (319) 536-8125
- Location
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Questions about masonry restoration in Cedar Rapids
What is repointing on a brick house?
Repointing is removing worn mortar from the joints of a brick or stone wall and packing in new mortar. Good mortar is meant to wear away before the brick does, so redoing the joints protects the part of the wall that's hard to replace.
How do I know if my brick mortar needs repointing?
Look for mortar worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, mortar that crumbles, hairline cracks, gaps in the joints and cracked bricks. Those are reasons to have the wall looked at rather than proof it needs work, because a veneer or cavity wall, where the brick is an outer layer with space behind it, can handle the moisture from minor cracks. If yours can wait, I'll tell you so.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Cedar Rapids?
It depends on your wall, because a job can be a few feet of worn joints or a whole side of the house with damaged brick. Drainage repairs, cleaning and how high we work all add to it, while catching worn joints before the brick itself fails keeps it down. You get a written price with the estimate once I've seen the wall.
What is the best way to clean old brick without damaging it?
Plain water is generally the gentlest method, and historic preservation guidance calls it safe for removing dirt from every type of historic masonry. That same guidance keeps water cleaning out of cold weather and frost season, so in Cedar Rapids it's work for the warmer months.
Does a masonry contractor in Iowa have to be registered?
Yes, Iowa law requires construction contractors who earn at least $2,000 a year from construction to register with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. People who work only on their own property don't have to register, so a homeowner repointing their own wall falls outside that rule.
How long does mortar last on a brick house?
Masonry trade guidance puts mortar at roughly 25 to 50 years and brick at about 100 years or more. So even a sound brick wall needs its joints redone from time to time, and it makes sense to plan for that as regular upkeep.
Other masonry work for your house
Fireplace installation
A new wood-burning fireplace with a proper firebox and hearth gives the room a working focal point, set in masonry that suits your house.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone set over block, concrete or framed walls dresses up a plain foundation or a new addition, so it looks finished and fits the masonry around it.
Send photos of your worn mortar joints
Have photos of the joints, your home's age and any leaking gutters or downspouts ready when you call (319) 536-8125, so I can plan the visit around what your wall needs.
Request an estimateCall (319) 536-8125