Brick pointing in Las Cruces NM - mortar joints that bond and stay put
Crumbling, sandy or cracked mortar lets water into your brick. We cut out the worn joints and repoint them so the new mortar holds.
Request an estimate
When do brick joints need repointing, and what does the job involve?
Brick pointing, which most masons also call repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out of your brick joints and packing in fresh mortar. In Las Cruces we do it on house walls, garden walls and chimneys so the joints are solid again and the brick stays tight.
Usually you notice it first as sand on the ground under a wall, joints that have sunk back from the face of the brick, or a thin crack running along the mortar. The price mostly comes down to how much wall needs new joints and how hard the old mortar is to get out. The schedule turns on the size of the job, the weather on the days the fresh mortar needs to set, and whether your house needs a permit or historic review first. I'll put your own numbers in a written estimate once I've seen the wall.
How we handle brick pointing
I start by working out why the joints failed, because a wall that's simply worn from age needs different work than one that's cracking for a reason. Then we cut the old mortar out deep enough for the new mortar to grab, since a shallow skim over old joints tends to pop back out. We mix a mortar suited to your brick, pack the joints, tool them to match the rest of the wall and brush the faces clean. After that we keep the fresh joints from drying too fast, because one repair-mortar maker's guide warns that high heat, low humidity, direct sun or strong wind can dry cement-based mortar too quickly and leave permanent damage.
Pointing is often one part of a bigger fix. Chimneys take the worst of the weather, so worn joints up top often come with a cracked concrete cap or loose brick, and we handle that as chimney repair at the same time when it makes sense. If the real trouble is the wall moving, I'll tell you, because new mortar won't fix that, and the cracks will keep coming back until the house is steadied underneath with foundation repair.
Brick pointing on Las Cruces homes and historic properties
The City of Las Cruces issues permits for most building projects after it reviews an application, which goes in through the city's online Citizen Portal, and whether pointing on your house needs one isn't something I'll guess at. We find out which office handles your address, and if a permit is needed we take care of the application and set up the inspections. If your home is on the Las Cruces Register of Cultural Properties, city preservation rules apply too, including design review by the Historic Preservation Committee, and most of those buildings sit downtown or in the Mesquite, Alameda-Depot and Mesilla Park historic districts. On a house that old, ask any crew how deep it plans to cut the joints, because that depth is what lets the new mortar bond and stay in.
Most of what we see is older brick, on house walls, garden walls and chimneys where the joints have worn back or an earlier patch was done in hard gray mortar over softer old joints. We're based in Las Cruces and work across the cities around it on both sides of the state line, and we do the same pointing work on jobs in Chaparral and Anthony.
- Call (575) 222-9031
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Las Cruces, NM 88001
What happens when you call D&R Las Cruces Concrete & Masonry in Las Cruces?
Call or send a request
Call (575) 222-9031 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the wall. It helps to tell us where on the house the worn joints are and how high up they go.
I look at the wall myself
I check the joints and the brick and work out what's causing the trouble before anything else. You get a written estimate that says what we'll do, what mortar we plan to use and what it costs, so the price is settled before we start.
We handle permits and the work
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork and inspections first. Then our crew cuts out the old joints, repoints them and protects the fresh mortar while it sets.
We walk the finished wall
Once the joints have set and the brick is cleaned, we walk the wall with you. If anything doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
Why Las Cruces homeowners call D&R Las Cruces Concrete & Masonry for brick pointing
I look at every job myself
The person who finds the cause of your crumbling joints is the same one working that wall with our crew. Nothing gets lost between what you were told at the estimate and what gets done.
In business since 2013
I learned masonry on my father's jobs, mixing mortar long before he let me lay a course, and started this business in 2013. We still work at his pace, slow enough to get the joints right.
Licensed and fully insured
New Mexico requires a license for anyone who does or offers construction contracting, and the state's Construction Industries Division enforces that rule and keeps an office here in Las Cruces. We're licensed and fully insured, so you aren't taking a chance on who's working on your house.
On a pointing job, what counts is the depth and the mortar you can't see once the wall is clean. If you'd like me to take a look, send us a request or call (575) 222-9031.
Request an estimateGet a free on-site estimate for your worn brick joints
We reply to every request within one business day to set a time, then I come out myself, look at the joints and find what's behind the damage. You get a free written estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Phone
- (575) 222-9031
- Location
- Las Cruces, NM 88001
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about brick pointing in Las Cruces
How do I know if my brick joints need repointing?
Your joints need repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face of the brick, crumbles, has holes, or shows hairline cracks or cracks between the brick and the mortar. If you see any of those on your walls, it's a good time to have someone look before water works in behind the brick.
How long does new mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. How long yours hold up depends on how exposed the wall is and what mortar was used, so it makes sense to plan on repointing as upkeep more than once over a wall's life.
Is a stronger mortar better for my brick?
No, the new mortar should be similar to the original in strength or weaker, because a harder mortar can damage the brick in ways that can't be repaired. Ask any crew what mortar it plans to use, and I'll tell you what we'd use on your wall and why.
How much does brick pointing cost in Las Cruces?
Brick pointing is priced by the job after an on-site look, and the biggest pieces are how much wall needs new joints and how much work it takes to get the old mortar out cleanly. Working up high, matching the color of your old mortar and replacing broken brick all add to it, while a short run of garden wall at ground level costs far less than a full house wall.
What is the best way to remove old mortar without damaging the brick?
Hand tools are the gentler way, because power tools take mortar out faster but can damage the bricks right beside the joint. Ask which method a crew plans to use, and on soft or older brick I'd rather go slower and keep the edges whole.
Can repointing fix cracks in my brick wall?
Only when the cracks come from worn mortar, because mortar industry guidance says repointing is the wrong fix when corroded wall ties, active settlement or sulfate attack is behind the damage. Wall ties are the metal strips that hold brick to the house, and sulfate attack is a chemical breakdown inside the mortar, so those causes get found and dealt with before any new joints go in.
Other work that often comes with pointing
Chimney repair
If the mortar is failing at the top of your chimney, the concrete cap, flashing or loose brick up there may need work before water gets down inside.
Foundation repair
When cracks step up a wall or keep reopening after a patch, the house may be settling, and that needs fixing underneath before any new mortar will last.
Get your worn brick joints looked at
Have a few photos of the worn joints ready when you call, and tell us if your home is on the city's historic register so we can plan for design review.
Request an estimateCall (575) 222-9031