Brick repair in Redlands CA - fresh joints in a mortar that suits the wall
Mortar crumbling out of the joints? We find out why it failed, then repoint with a mix that suits your brick.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
How do you fix crumbling mortar between bricks?
Brick repair in Redlands, CA usually means repointing. We take the worn-out mortar from between the bricks and pack in new mortar, so the wall holds together and sheds water again.
Most people call when they can scrape mortar out of a joint with a key, or when a few bricks have worked loose near a downspout. The price mostly comes down to how many joints need new mortar, how high the work goes, how many bricks are cracked through and need swapping, and whether there's a water problem to fix first. The schedule depends on the weather and, if your house is a designated historic property, on city approval before we start. I walk the wall myself and send a written estimate that says what we'd do and what we'd use, so you get your own number instead of a guess.
How can you tell your brick needs repair?
Sandy, sunken mortar joints
If mortar comes out when you scrape it with a key, or sand is collecting along the bottom of the wall, the joints have worn out. Mortar that gives way to a key has quit its job, and every season you wait lets water get deeper behind the brick until the bricks themselves start to loosen.
Cracked or loose bricks
A brick that's split through or rocks when you push it usually means water or movement has been working on it for a while. The gap lets more water in and the bricks around it start to go too, so a few replacements turns into a whole section.
Worn patch under a downspout
When the joints are washed out in one spot under a gutter or downspout, the damage is coming from the water, not from age. Repointing there without fixing the leak means paying for the same joints twice.
How we do brick repair
I start with where the water comes from, because a leaking downspout or bad drainage has to be fixed before new mortar has a chance. Then I mark the joints that have actually failed, and I'd rather leave a sound old joint alone than cut it out to pad a bill. On soft old brick our crew takes the old mortar out by hand with chisels and a mash hammer, not a saw. It's slower, but national preservation guidance for historic masonry says hand removal usually poses the least threat to the brick and gives the best result, and that on thin joints like most brick walls have, a power saw almost always chips the brick edges and cuts too deep into the vertical joints. We'd rather go slow than spend the job replacing bricks we broke. After that we pack the joints with a new mix chosen for that brick, which the questions below explain, swap out any bricks that are cracked through, and clean up so your yard looks like we were never there.
Brick repair often sits next to other work around the house. If the driveway in front of that wall is cracked and settling, we also put in driveway pavers, and if the brick is holding back a slope that's pushing it out of line, retaining wall construction may be the real fix.
Spot repointing
This suits a wall where most of the mortar is still hard and only some joints have failed. We replace the bad joints and leave the good ones, which keeps the cost down and the old wall's look intact.
Full repointing
This suits a wall where the joints have worn out across the whole face. Doing it all at once gives you joints that match in color and wear at the same rate.
Brick replacement
This is for bricks that are split or crumbling through. We cut them out carefully and set in the closest match we can find in size and color, so the patch stands out as little as possible.
Get a written estimate for your brick repair
Expect a reply within 1 business day to set a time for me to come out. The quote on site is free, there's no obligation, and you get a written estimate of what we'd do and use.
(909) 488-7148- Based in
- Redlands, CA 92373
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about brick repair in Redlands
Here's how a brick repair job runs on your end, from the first call to the last walk along the finished wall.
Call or send a message
Call (909) 488-7148 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly where the damage is and how old the house is.
I look at the wall
I look at the wall, what's around it and where the water goes, then send you a written estimate. It spells out what we'd do and what we'd use, mortar mix included, so you know the cost before anyone picks up a chisel.
We handle permits and work
If the job needs a permit or city sign-off, we take care of the application before we start. Our crew does the repair and I'm on site with them while they work.
Walk the finished wall together
When the joints are done and the site is cleaned up, you and I walk the wall together. If something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to tell me.
Why Redlands homeowners call Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry for brick repair
I come out to see it
I look at your wall in person, and I'm on site with our crew while they work. The person who wrote your estimate is the one checking the joints as they go in.
Working in Redlands since 2021
I started this business in Redlands in 2021, after years framing houses and learning brick next to an old mason who wouldn't let a bad joint slide. Five years in, I still hold the crew to his standard.
Licensed and insured, paperwork shown
We're licensed and insured. I'm glad to show you the paperwork before we start, so you know who's covered on your property.
Sound joints stay where they are
If an old joint is still hard and tight, I leave it, because cutting out good mortar only pads the bill and puts the brick at risk. You pay to fix what failed.
On old brick, the mix and how the old mortar comes out decide whether a repair helps the wall or hurts it. Set up a visit and I'll tell you which joints need work and which can stay.
Brick repair and the work around it in Redlands
If your house is a designated historic resource in Redlands, the city requires a certificate of appropriateness, its historic sign-off, for any exterior alteration, and either the historic commission or the preservation officer issues it. Owners of nominated properties are also sent to apply for one when they come in for permits. The preservation officer may approve minor work directly when it leaves the outside features and character of the house unharmed, and whether your repointing counts as minor is that office's call. The city's design guidelines for these changes are read most strictly for landmarks and more broadly for conservation districts, which is one more reason the mix and hand removal matter on these houses. You can read the city's rules for historic alterations yourself. Tell me at the estimate whether your house is designated or nominated, and we'll handle the application with the office that issues it, though for questions about your own lot that office has the final word.
We see plenty of older brick with tired joints around here, and the south and west sides of a wall usually go first, which one masonry estimating guide puts down to sun and rain. I check those faces closest, and we find the same wear on jobs in Highland and Yucaipa.
Questions about brick repair in Redlands
What mortar is best for repairing old brick?
A mortar softer than the brick around it is usually best, because one masonry guide notes that mortar too hard for soft old brick makes the brick crack. National preservation guidance also warns that masonry cements generally have no lime and make high-strength mortar that can damage historic masonry, so ask any mason which mix they plan to use. We pick the mix to suit your brick and put it on the written estimate.
How long does repointing brick last?
One masonry estimating guide puts well-done tuckpointing with the right mortar at 25 to 50 years. The same guide says mortar that's too hard for the brick can start damaging it within 5 to 10 years, so the mix decides how long the repair holds.
How much does brick repair cost in Redlands?
The cost depends on how many joints need new mortar, how high the wall goes, how many bricks need replacing and whether a water problem has to be fixed first. One national cost guide says emergency work in winter or during extreme heat waves will likely cost more. I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate after I see the wall.
When is the best time of year to repoint brick?
Spring or fall, according to one national guide, because that's ideal curing weather for mortar. It describes that as daytime temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 24 to 72 hours, so we keep an eye on the forecast when we schedule.
What causes white powder on a brick wall?
The white powder is efflorescence, the salt bloom left behind as water dries out of the wall. On a new wall it tends to show up shortly after construction while the wall dries, but if it keeps coming back after that, water is likely getting into the wall and staying there. I look for where it's coming in before we touch the joints.
Is there a California contractor license for brick masonry?
Yes. California's contractor licensing board has a masonry class that covers brick and other masonry for walls and fences, laid with or without mortar. It's worth asking any mason which license they work under before you hire them.
Other work that often goes with brick repair
Driveway pavers
A cracked, sinking driveway beside fresh brickwork drags the whole front of the house down, and pavers can be lifted and reset later instead of torn out.
Retaining wall construction
When soil behind a garden wall keeps pushing the brick out of line, a retaining wall built on a solid base takes the load instead.
Brick repair in Redlands and nearby cities
Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry is based in Redlands, CA, and we repair brick in the cities around it, including Loma Linda and Mentone. The 12 cities below each have their own page, and they aren't the only places we work.
Redlands, CA
Send photos of your worn brick joints
A few photos of the damaged joints, plus whether your house is a designated or nominated historic property, let me show up already knowing what to look at.