Masonry restoration in Tyler TX - repairs that match the brick your house already has
Mortar crumbling out of the joints or bricks cracking? We renew the joints with mortar that suits your brick and blends with the old work.
The owner writes your estimate
I come out myself to look at your walls and write the estimate, so the person pricing the job is the one who knows the work. A lead mason then runs our crew on site.
In business since 2013
We've been at this since 2013, and before that I spent years running crews and jobs for another masonry owner. Brick and mortar repairs that blend in with the old work are what we're best known for.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and insured, and our promise is a simple one. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. When you're ready, call (903) 525-6451 and tell us what you're seeing on your walls, and we'll set up a time for me to come look.
Repointing worn mortar on Tyler homes
Masonry restoration at C&M Tyler Concrete and Masonry mostly means repointing, which is cutting the worn mortar out of the joints and packing in new mortar. It's for Tyler, TX homeowners whose brick or stone is still good but whose joints are crumbling or cracked.
Mortar usually lasts about 25 to 50 years, while brick lasts 100 years or more, so on an older house the joints wear out long before the brick does. That's normal, and it's the whole reason repointing exists. You renew the joints during the life of the house and keep the brick right where it is. I'd rather tell you a wall can wait than sell you work it doesn't need.
Price mostly turns on how much wall needs new joints, how far the mortar has worn back, how high or hard to reach the work is, and whether any bricks need replacing. Schedule turns on whether a historic review has to clear first and when you approve the mortar sample. Tyler's Permits and Building Inspections office handles building permits, and we check with the city on each job and file one when it's needed. Your estimate is where you get your own number.
How we restore brick, stone and mortar joints
Testing the mortar color first
Restoration is about keeping the look of the old wall, so before we repoint a whole side, we test the new mortar color in a spot nobody sees. You can look at that sample and tell us if it sits right beside the old joints, because a patch that stands out is what people notice from the street. Stone gets the same care, and where a stone front has come loose past saving, stone veneer installation can be a better fix than patching it piece by piece.
Historic homes and what the city wants
If your home is historic, we help you sort out what the city wants before any work starts. Tyler's rule treats the kind, color and basic texture of every exterior material as an architectural feature of a historic building, so mortar in the wrong shade or finish isn't a small detail there. That's one more reason the test patch comes first. The Texas Historical Commission also gives owners of historic properties guidance, designated or not, so the work doesn't cost the building its integrity.
Sound joints before any cleaning
Cleaning brick should wait until the joints are sound and the wall is watertight, because water can seep through open joints to the inside, rusting the metal anchors that tie brick to the house and staining and ruining plaster. So the mortar work comes first, then any cleaning. The same order holds on an old chimney face or fireplace. When a firebox or surround is too far gone to restore, I'll tell you, and fireplace installation may serve you better than patching it again.
Get a restoration estimate for your Tyler brick
We get back to you within one business day, and I come out for a free estimate on site with no pressure to book. Photos of worn joints help, as does knowing if your home is historic.
(903) 525-6451How a restoration job goes, step by step
Call and set up a visit
Call (903) 525-6451 or send a message, and we'll set a time for me to come out. I look over the joints and the brick, then write an estimate that spells out what needs doing now and what can wait.
We handle the city side
If you say yes, we check with the city, file any permit the job needs and keep that paperwork moving. On a historic home, we sort out the city's approval with you before anyone touches the wall.
Our crew works, I walk it
A lead mason runs our crew on site and keeps you posted as the old joints come out and the new ones go in. When it's done, I walk the finished job with you so you can see how it sits beside the old work.
Questions about repointing in Tyler
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick likely needs repointing if the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, is crumbling, or shows hairline cracks or gaps, which is the line one masonry trade council draws. Bricks cracked along with the joints are another sign. Walk around the house, check for each one and send us photos of what you find.
What kind of mortar is right for old brick?
The right mortar is weaker than your brick, because that protects the brick. A harder mix puts stress on the face of the wall, which cracks the brick and makes its face flake off, and it pushes moisture out through the brick instead of the joints, speeding its decay. Ask any crew how its mortar compares with your brick.
Is power washing safe for old brick walls?
Power washing can easily damage brick, because water at high pressure is very abrasive. It can etch some types of brick, along with marble and other soft stones, and the damage doesn't come back out. If your wall looks dirty, have someone look at the brick and the joints before a pressure washer goes anywhere near it.
Does my Tyler home need a Certificate of Appropriateness?
Yes, if it's a designated historic landmark or in a local historic district and the work restores or changes the outside. Buildings 50 years or older are covered too when federal funding is involved. You apply for the certificate before a building permit, and you can check for a National Historic District on the city's Property Search Viewer.