Masonry restoration in Redlands CA - clean brick and new joints where the old ones failed
Crumbling joints, a white crust or grimy brick? We clean gently, fix what let the water in and repoint only the joints that wore out.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to restore an old brick wall?
Masonry restoration in Redlands, CA means cleaning brick, block or stone without wearing off its face and replacing the mortar that has worn out of the joints. At Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry we fix whatever let the water in first, so the new joints don't fail the same way.
Usually your joints are going soft or the wall has gone dull, and you want to know if it's a patch or a bigger job. The price depends on how much of the wall is worn, what's on the surface, how high we have to work and whether a leak needs fixing first. The schedule depends on that same repair and on the weather, since hot afternoons are hard on fresh mortar. If some bricks are cracked through, we can add brick repair to the same job. I walk the job, then send a written estimate that says what we'd do and what we'd use.
How do you know your brick or mortar needs restoration?
Mortar crumbling out of joints
If you can scrape sand out of a joint with a key, or the mortar sits back from the brick face, that joint has worn out, usually because water has been getting in for years. Leave it and water gets behind the brick, the bricks start to loosen, and a repointing job grows into rebuilding a section.
White powder on the brick
That white crust is salt the water carried out of the brick or mortar as the wall dried, so it tells you water is moving through somewhere it shouldn't. Scrub it off without finding the source and it comes back, while the water keeps working on the joints.
Brick faces flaking off
When the outer skin of a brick flakes or pops off, it's usually water trapped in the wall, sometimes helped along by an old hard patch or a harsh cleaning. The softer brick underneath soaks up water faster, so flaked bricks wear quickly and some may need replacing.
How we do masonry restoration on your wall
First I find out where the water is coming from and we fix that before anything else, because new mortar under a leaking downspout or a sprinkler aimed at the wall just washes out again. Then we clean with the gentlest method that works, starting with low pressure water, since blasting takes the face off the brick along with the dirt. Once the wall is clean we can see the joints properly. We cut out only the mortar that has failed, pack in new mortar and finish the joints so they match the rest of the wall.
Some walls lead to other work. A restored chimney breast can sit over a firebox that's past saving, and that's when fireplace installation makes more sense than more patching. A plain block wall next to freshly restored brick can get a new face with stone veneer installation, so the two don't look like strangers.
Repointing only the worn joints
This suits a wall where the damage is in one area, often under a downspout or along the base, and the rest of the joints are still hard. We leave the sound mortar alone, because good old mortar is still doing its job and replacing it only adds to your bill.
Full cleaning and repointing
This suits a wall where most joints have gone soft and the brick is dull with grime or old stains. We clean the whole face first so the new joints are matched to the clean brick, not to the dirt.
Get a written estimate for your masonry restoration
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come look at the wall. Then I send a free written estimate of what we'd do and use, with no obligation.
(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 us about masonry restoration in Redlands?
Here's how a restoration job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send a message
Call (909) 488-7148 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Our hours run into the evening on weekdays, so you don't have to take time off for it.
I check the wall and drainage
I look at the wall, what's around it and where the water goes, then send you a written estimate. It says what we'd do and what we'd use, including the mortar and the cleaning method, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
We handle approvals, then work
If the job needs a permit or the city's historic review, we take care of the application before we start. I'm on site with the crew while the work gets done.
Walk the finished wall together
When it's done, we walk the wall together so you can look over every joint we touched. Your yard should look like we were never there, minus the mess.
Why Redlands homeowners call Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry for restoration
I look at every job myself
I come out to look at your wall, and I'm on the job with our crew while the work gets done. The person who wrote your estimate is the one checking the joints, so nothing gets lost in between.
In business since 2021
I framed houses for years, then learned brick, block and stone next to an old mason who wouldn't let a bad joint slide, and I started this business in 2021. That training is why we look for the reason a wall failed before we touch the crack.
Licensed and insured for masonry
We're licensed and insured. Since the start of 2025, California has let an unlicensed worker take only jobs under $1,000, up from $500, and only when the work needs no permit and they hire no one to help, so ask anyone who'll work on your wall about their license.
Sound old joints stay put
I'd rather leave a good old joint alone than cut it out to pad the bill, so we replace the mortar that has failed and stop there. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Old brick puts up with a lot, but not a sandblaster or a mortar harder than it is. Send us a message or call, and I'll come look at the wall.
Masonry restoration, fireplaces and stone veneer in Redlands
If your house is a designated historic resource, Redlands requires a certificate of appropriateness for any exterior alteration. The certificate comes from the city's historic commission or its preservation officer. Whether cleaning and repointing on your house count as an alteration is up to the city, which has the final word on your lot. We'll tell you at the estimate if the job needs a permit or this review, and we handle the application with the city.
Most of the older brick we see around Redlands has worn soft where water hits it, under downspouts and beside sprinklers, and some has been patched over the years with gray mortar that's harder than the brick around it. We see the same thing on older houses in Loma Linda and Highland, and the fix starts the same way, with the water.
Questions about masonry restoration in Redlands
What is repointing and does my brick wall need it?
Repointing is removing the worn mortar from a wall's joints and replacing it with new mortar. If your joints are soft, sandy or sitting back from the brick face, the wall usually needs it, and we'll point out which sections at the estimate.
What is the best mortar for repointing an older brick wall in Redlands?
The best mortar for an older wall is one that lets moisture out. National guidance written for historic masonry buildings says mortar that keeps moisture in the wall leads to damage, and high lime mortars let moisture move out more easily than dense cement mortars. Ask any crew which mix they plan to use, and you'll find ours written on the estimate.
What is the best way to clean old brick without damaging it?
Start with water at very low pressure, even a garden hose, and go higher only as needed, which is how national guidance for historic masonry says water washing should begin. Grit blasting, grinders and sanding discs take off dirt or paint and usually some of the brick's surface too. That surface doesn't grow back, so ask how a crew plans to clean before any work begins.
Does my Redlands home need a certificate of appropriateness for masonry work?
It does if your house is a designated historic resource and the work alters the outside, as covered in the Redlands section above, and the city decides whether your job counts. For minor improvements that don't harm the exterior's architectural features, character or value, the city's preservation officer may approve the certificate. We bring it up at the estimate so it's settled before work starts.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Redlands?
Every wall gets its own price, because the cost depends on how much of it needs work and what caused the damage. Repointing only the worn joints costs less than redoing a whole wall, and fixing a leaking downspout first keeps you from paying for the same joints twice. Painted brick, tall walls and brick that's hard to match push the price up, and your written estimate spells out what we'd do and what we'd use.
How do I choose a contractor for repointing old brick?
Choose a crew with real experience at joint work, because the brick industry's guidance says tuckpointing should only be done by a qualified, experienced craftsman. Ask how they cut out the old mortar too, since power tools can damage the bricks around the joint.
Masonry work that often goes with restoration
Fireplace installation
A cracked firebox or a hearth that keeps shedding pieces is often past repair, and a new fireplace gives you a working one in brick or stone.
Stone veneer installation
Bare block, stucco or a wall too patched to clean up nicely can take a thin stone face that looks like solid stone without rebuilding the wall.
Service areas for masonry restoration around Redlands
Prestige Redlands Concrete and Masonry is based in Redlands, CA, and we take restoration work in the cities around it, from Yucaipa over to Riverside. The 12 cities below have their own pages, and they aren't the only places we work.
Redlands, CA
Send photos of your worn mortar joints
Photos of the joints, a note about any leaking downspout and whether your house is a designated historic resource let me plan the visit before I get there.