Brick repointing in Philadelphia and Delaware County

A mason cuts or grinds the old mortar back to sound material, usually three quarters of an inch deep, brushes and wets the joint, then packs new mortar in and tools it to match the original profile. The mortar has to be softer than the brick. On a Philadelphia rowhome built before about 1930 that means a lime-rich mix, not the hard grey Portland cement a general contractor reaches for, because cement is stronger than the brick around it and pushes the brick faces off instead of giving way.

• Mortar you can rake out with a screwdriver or a key
• Sand or grit collecting on the sill or the sidewalk below a wall
• Open gaps where the joint has washed out completely
• White powdery marks on the brick, which is salt carried out by water moving through the wall
• Damp patches or stains on the inside of an exterior wall
• A hard grey patch from an old repair that has cracked away from the brick

Any number given over the phone without seeing the wall is a guess. These are the things that change the price, and the questions Mortarook asks you so that the masons who see your project can quote it properly.

• Photographs of the joints close up, and of the whole wall from across the street
• Which elevations need work, and how high the highest joint is
• Roughly how many square feet of wall are involved
• Whether anyone has pointed it before, and with what
• Whether water is already getting inside

Repointing is routinely quoted by roofers, handymen and general remodelers who use a cement mix because it is what they have on the truck. On soft historic brick that is not a cheaper version of the same job, it is the thing that spalls the brick faces off within a few winters. Mortarook only lists masonry contractors.

You describe the job once: the service, your ZIP code, a few words about what you are seeing, and photographs if you have them. Mortarook writes your description back in trade language so you can check it, then matches you with a maximum of three local masonry contractors whose registered services, service area and project size fit.

Every contractor listed as a Verified Pro has had their Pennsylvania home improvement contractor registration checked against the Attorney General’s public registry, and has a certificate of insurance on file with us. Your phone number and street address are seen only by the pros who accept your project. We do not sell your information and there is never a fourth contractor.

These are the towns and neighborhoods in our service area whose housing stock generates this work most often.

• Brick repointing in Media→
• Brick repointing in Drexel Hill→
• Brick repointing in Havertown→
• Brick repointing in Springfield→
• Brick repointing in Ridley Park→
• Brick repointing in Swarthmore→
• Brick repointing in Upper Darby→
• Brick repointing in Lansdowne→
• Brick repointing in Broomall→
• Brick repointing in Fishtown→
• Brick repointing in South Philadelphia→
• Brick repointing in Manayunk→