How to Tell If Your Brick or Stone Needs Repointing

Warning signs to look for

• Mortar joints that are recessed, crumbling, or that you can scratch out with a key or screwdriver.
• Gaps, cracks or missing chunks of mortar between bricks or stones.
• White, chalky staining (efflorescence) on the masonry, which means water is moving through it.
• Spalling, where the face of the brick flakes or pops off.
• Damp spots or musty smells on the inside of an exterior masonry wall.

Why you should not wait

Once joints fail, water gets behind the masonry. In a Massachusetts winter that water freezes, expands, and pries the wall apart from the inside. What starts as a cosmetic issue becomes structural, and the cost and scope of the repair grow every season.

Repointing early can add decades of life to a wall, chimney, or foundation. Waiting often turns a repointing job into a rebuild.

Matching matters

Good repointing is invisible. The new mortar should match the original in color, texture and, importantly, hardness. Using a mortar that is too hard on an older home can actually damage the brick. This is where experience matters, and it is why we tint and test mortar to blend with what is already there.

Frequently Asked Questions