Tuckpointing in Cedar Rapids IA - mortar joints that keep water out of your brick
Mortar crumbling or wearing back from the brick? We cut out the failed joints and refill them so the wall sheds water again.
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Do the mortar joints on my brick house need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing in Cedar Rapids usually means repointing, where we cut out mortar joints that have cracked, crumbled or worn back and fill them with fresh mortar so your brick wall keeps water out again.
Worn joints are the usual way water gets into a brick wall, and refilling them is one of the most effective ways to stop it, so it's worth acting once you see sandy mortar at the foot of the wall or joints sunk back behind the brick face. The price mostly turns on how many joints have failed, how high up they are and how closely the new mortar has to match an older wall, while the schedule turns on the weather and how much of the wall needs work. When I come out, I'll write up which joints I'd redo and why, so you can see where the cost comes from before you decide anything.
How we handle tuckpointing on your house
I start by looking the wall over with you and pointing out the joints that have cracked, crumbled or pulled away from the brick, and we cut out and refill only those, because sound original joints are better left alone and it keeps the job smaller. Our crew removes the failed mortar to an even depth, taking care not to chip the brick edges, then cleans and dampens the joints so the new mortar bonds well. We mix a mortar that suits your wall, close in color and no harder than the old mortar, because mortar harder than the brick can crack the brick face beyond repair. We pack the joints full, shape them to match the joints around them and clean the brick before we leave.
If a few bricks are cracked through or loose, we take care of them as brick repair on the same job, since fresh joints around a broken brick won't do much good. And if the driveway beside the house is heaving or holding water near the wall, we also lay driveway pavers, so I can look at both during one visit.
Hiring for tuckpointing in Cedar Rapids
In Iowa, a contractor who earns at least $2,000 a year from construction has to register with the state Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, and the state counts repairs as construction, so the rule covers someone repointing your walls just as it covers someone building new. It doesn't reach you if you're working on your own home, so a Cedar Rapids homeowner can repoint their own brick without registering, but most contractors you'd pay for the work fall under it.
Much of the tuckpointing we do in Cedar Rapids is on older brick homes, where the joints have worn back under gutters, around downspouts and low on the wall where rain splashes up, while the brick itself is still sound. We see the same on older brick houses in Marion and Hiawatha, and the answer there is usually the same, so we refill the joints that have failed and leave the good ones as they are.
- 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'll set up a time for me to come out and look at your brick with you.
I look over your wall
I check the joints up close and ask what you've noticed, like sand at the base of the wall or damp spots inside. Then I write up which joints I'd redo and why, so you know what you'd be paying for.
We check with your city
Before work starts, we contact your city or county office to learn what they require for the job. We tell you what we found and who will take care of it.
We repoint and tidy up
I work alongside the same small crew on your wall, and we cover the fresh work at the end of each day. When we finish, we leave the site tidy.
Why Cedar Rapids homeowners call R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry for tuckpointing
The owner writes every estimate
I come out to look at each job myself and write the estimate, and the same small crew I work alongside does the repointing. What I point out on your wall is what our crew works on.
Honest word on what can wait
If a few cracks can wait, I'll tell you so, and I'll show you which joints are letting water in now. That way your money goes to the joints that actually need it.
Licensed and insured masonry crew
We're licensed and insured. That matters on repointing, where our crew spends much of the job on ladders right against your house.
Known for older brick homes
We've been in business since 2023, and careful mortar work on the older brick homes around Cedar Rapids is what we're best known for. I learned this trade beside an experienced mason after years of framing houses, so I know how a wall is put together behind the brick.
Good tuckpointing comes down to mortar that suits your brick and joints packed full, so if yours are wearing, request an estimate or call (319) 536-8125.
Request an estimateGet a free tuckpointing estimate for your brick walls
We reply within one business day to set up a time, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. I'll look over your joints, ask what you've noticed and write up which ones I'd redo and why.
- 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 tuckpointing in Cedar Rapids
How do I know if my brick house needs tuckpointing?
Your joints need repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles, has holes, or has cracked, including along the edge where it meets the brick. You can check for these yourself by walking around the house and looking closely at the lower rows of brick and the spots under gutters.
How long do mortar joints last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and what mortar was used, while the brick itself may well last past 100 years. So over the life of a brick house, you can expect to repoint the joints while the original brick stays in place.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Cedar Rapids?
Across the US, tuckpointing or repointing 100 square feet of brick usually costs about $500 to $2,500, and that's a national figure, not our price. The estimate I write after seeing your wall shows which joints I'd redo and why, and we stand behind the work with satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
What is the difference between tuckpointing and repointing?
Most people, us included, use tuckpointing to mean repointing, which is cutting out bad mortar and filling the joints with new. The word also names a decorative style, a flat joint colored close to the brick with a thin strip of mortar in another color run along it, so ask if you're not sure which a contractor means.
What is the best way to choose a tuckpointing contractor?
Ask to see repointing work they've done, or have them do a small sample on a hidden part of your wall, because an excellent mason or bricklayer isn't always a good repointer. It's also fair to ask how they'll match your old mortar and which tools they'll use to cut it out, since power tools can damage the brick around the joints.
Do I need my old mortar lab tested before tuckpointing?
Usually not, because a lab test of the original mortar adds cost and typically suits historic buildings that are required to closely match what's there. On most homes I look at the old mortar's color and hardness and mix to suit, and if your house is one where a test makes sense, I'll tell you so.
Related work while we're at your house
Brick repair
When a brick has cracked through, flaked apart or come loose, it has to be replaced before new mortar around it can do its job.
Driveway pavers
If the driveway beside your house is cracked or sinking, pavers laid over a packed base give you a surface that can be lifted and reset in sections.
Book your tuckpointing estimate in Cedar Rapids
Have a few photos of the worn joints and a rough size of the wall handy when you call (319) 536-8125 or send the form, and I can plan the visit around your wall.
Request an estimateCall (319) 536-8125