Crumbling or cracked mortar between your bricks? We renew the joints that have failed and leave the sound original work in place.
Masonry restoration in Rancho Cucamonga usually means repointing, which some people call tuckpointing. We scrape the worn mortar out of the joints in a brick or block wall and fill them with fresh mortar so the wall keeps holding together and shedding water. The mortar is meant to wear out first, because it takes the weather so your bricks don't have to.
Most people call us when the mortar between their bricks starts going soft or sandy. That's normal wear, not a failing wall. Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well go past 100, so a wall can outlast its mortar and just need its joints renewed with the brick left right where it is.
The price mostly depends on how many joints have failed, because repointing is slow hand work done one joint at a time. The schedule mostly depends on whether the city wants a permit or a historic review for your kind of job. I'll look at the wall with you, and the written estimate I send gives you the figure for your own wall.
Here's how it goes from your first call to the finished wall, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
I ran a landscape supply yard for years, selling brick, block and stone to masons around here, and I've run this business in Rancho Cucamonga since 2023. I come out myself, look at the wall with you and answer your questions, because I'd rather stay a while longer than leave you guessing about your own house.
California's state licensing board requires a license from anyone who builds or alters a structure when the job needs a building permit, uses extra workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. We're licensed and insured, so you don't have to work out which side of that line your job falls on.
Once you say yes, we check what your city asks for on your kind of job, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and line up the inspections. I run the work on site with our crew, an experienced mason leads the brick and stone work, and we walk the finished wall with you before we leave.
We go over your wall joint by joint, mark the ones that have failed and leave the good original work alone, so you're paying for the joints that need it and keeping the ones still doing their job. Then we renew the marked joints, and when the wall needs cleaning, we start with gentle water before trying anything stronger, because you can always go a little harder but you can't take it back.
Old masonry often comes with other plans. If an old firebox is past saving or you'd like one where there isn't one, we do fireplace installation, and if a plain block wall or chimney needs a new face, stone veneer installation puts stone over sound masonry.
Once the joints are marked, the work itself is steady hand work, done one joint at a time.
We lay down tarps and cover plants, windows and paving near the wall, because clearing old mortar throws off dust and grit. It keeps the cleanup at the end simple.
We cut the marked joints back to an even depth of sound material, so the new mortar has something solid to grip. Leaving loose mortar behind would just mean the new joint lets go sooner.
We press fresh mortar into each joint in layers and shape the face to match the joints beside it. That way the repair reads as part of the wall instead of a patch.
Once the new joints have firmed up, we brush off loose mortar from the brick face. Then we pull the tarps and haul away the debris.
Send us a few photos of the crumbling or cracked joints and tell us where the wall is, or call (909) 360-4010. We reply within one business day, and I'll set a time to come out, look at the wall with you and send a free written estimate. There's no pressure and no obligation.
(909) 360-4010No, only the joints that have failed need work. Look for mortar that's eroded or crumbling, joints with gaps in them, hairline cracks in the mortar and cracks opening between the brick and the mortar. Original joints in good shape hold up better than repointed ones, so there's no reason to touch them.
New mortar should be about as strong as the original or weaker, because mortar that's harder than the brick can do damage to the brick that can't be repaired. Hard portland cement mortar lets less moisture through than soft brick does, so water gets trapped in the wall, and walls repaired that way have been badly damaged. Before any work starts, ask how the new mortar will be matched to the old, and I'll walk you through it for your wall.
Yes, when the cracks aren't widespread, run mainly through the mortar joints and stay the same width over time. Keep an eye on whether a crack is getting wider, because a steady crack points to this kind of joint repair. Tell me what you've seen when I come out to look.
It may, if your house is a historic landmark or a contributing resource. For those homes, the city's Historic Preservation Commission or Planning Director may grant a certificate of appropriateness, which is the city's sign-off for an alteration or restoration. If your home might have historic status, I'll ask you to confirm it with the city's planning office first, since they can tell you either way.
In Rancho Cucamonga, permit applications go in online through the city's Online Permit Center, and when your job needs a permit, we handle the application. On historic properties, the Planning Director may review requests to repair or replace worn materials with ones of the same kind, type and texture, including chimneys, fireplaces and fencing. A matching repair to an old chimney or garden wall is the kind of work that review covers.
We're based in Rancho Cucamonga and work across the cities around it, including Upland, Ontario, Fontana and Chino. Most of our calls come from homeowners with worn brick, a tired chimney or a yard wall that's seen better days. If your city isn't listed, ask us.
We keep long hours seven days a week, so call (909) 360-4010 when it suits you or send a note through our contact form.
If you have a question about your wall before you want an estimate, send it over and I'll give you a straight answer.
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