Brick repair in Las Cruces, NM - sound joints and brick faces left whole
Crumbling mortar, cracks stepping up the wall or a damp spot inside? We find what's causing it, then fix only what needs fixing.
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When does a brick wall need repair, and what will it take?
Brick repair in Las Cruces mostly means repointing, also called pointing or tuckpointing, where we take the worn mortar out from between your bricks and replace it with new, and swap out any brick that's cracked through, so the wall keeps holding together and shedding water.
Most people call us after noticing mortar that turns to sand under a thumb, a crack climbing the wall like stairs, or a damp spot inside that wasn't there before. If only the joints have worn, brick pointing may be all your wall needs. The price mostly follows how much wall needs work, how deep the joints have worn and how many bricks have to come out, and the schedule follows the weather mortar needs to cure and any permit review your job needs. The estimate puts all of that in writing for your wall.
How we handle brick repair
Not every crack needs fixing right away, and I'll tell you if yours can wait. If water is getting inside, we line up the cracks outside with the leak inside before we decide what to do, so we're not opening up sound joints for a leak that's coming from somewhere else. Once we know what we're fixing, we rake the failed mortar out, cut out and replace any brick that's broken through, pack the joints with mortar matched to your old joints, tool them so they look like the rest of the wall, and clean the brick face and the ground before we leave.
Brick work often sits next to other jobs around the house. If the front of the house is getting attention anyway, we can lay driveway pavers on a packed base at the same time, and if a garden wall keeps cracking because the yard behind it is pushing, retaining wall construction is usually the real fix, not another round of patching.
Brick repair in Las Cruces: permits and older homes
Under New Mexico's residential code, the building official issues permits to repair buildings, and the list of work that's exempt names things like fences and painting but not brick repair, so I won't tell you your job skips a permit until we've checked. In the city, most projects go through an application review before a permit is issued, and applications are filed through the City of Las Cruces permit Citizen Portal. When a job needs a permit, we find out which office handles your address, take care of the application and set up the inspections. If your house is on the Las Cruces Register of Cultural Properties, the city's Historic Preservation Committee also reviews the design, so check with the city's historic preservation office before any work starts.
Las Cruces has more than 1,000 buildings recognized as historic, most of them downtown or in the Mesquite, Alameda-Depot and Mesilla Park historic districts. Preservation guidance says hand chisels are slow but usually the least risky way to get old mortar out, while power grinders, the common method, can ruin soft brick in unskilled hands, and careful repair on older brick is what we're best known for. We're based in Las Cruces and work across the cities around it on both sides of the state line, with the same careful approach 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 tell us what you're seeing on the wall. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the wall myself
I come out, look at the brick and the joints and work out what's causing the trouble before I talk about fixing it. You get a written estimate that says what I found, what we'd do and what it costs, and you can take your time with it.
We do the work, then walk it
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit paperwork, and when the city has to review an application, that review comes before we start. Then we do the work and walk the finished wall with you.
Why Las Cruces homeowners call D&R Las Cruces Concrete & Masonry for brick repair
I look at every wall myself
I come out to look at every job myself, and the work is done by me and our crew. The person who worked out why your joints failed is the one standing at the wall when the repair goes in.
Licensed in New Mexico, fully insured
New Mexico's Construction Industries Division requires a license for anyone offering construction contracting, and we're licensed and fully insured. You're not carrying that risk yourself while our crew is working on your house.
Careful work since 2013
I learned masonry from my father, started this business in 2013 and still work the way he did, slow enough to get it right. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
If you'd like me to take a look at your wall, send us a request or call (575) 222-9031 and we'll find a time that works.
Request an estimateGet a written estimate for your brick repair
We respond within 1 business day to set a time, and I come out myself to look at the brick, find what's behind the trouble and write up a free estimate at your property. No pressure, 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 repair in Las Cruces
How do I know if the mortar on my brick house needs repointing?
It's usually time when the mortar has worn back more than ¼ inch from the brick face, crumbles when you rub it, shows hairline cracks or gaps, or cracks right along with the bricks. Masonry trade guidance says someone who knows masonry should look at the wall first, so treat those signs as the cue to book an inspection.
Can small cracks in brick mortar wait to be fixed?
Often they can, because brick veneer and cavity walls can handle a little extra moisture. Repair makes sense when cracks outside line up with water coming in and other causes have been ruled out. Water through cracks is more of a problem on barrier or mass walls, the kind built solid without a gap behind the brick, so it's worth asking what kind of wall your house has.
What kind of mortar should be used to repair old brick?
The new mortar should be equal to or weaker than the original, because a stronger mix can break off the face of the brick around it. That damage can't be undone, so ask any contractor how they'll match the new mortar to your old joints before the work starts.
What is the best time of year to repoint brick?
One cost guide recommends spring or fall, which it calls ideal curing weather for mortar, meaning daytime temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees for at least 24 to 72 hours. If your wall can wait, I'll tell you, and that gives us room to plan around the weather.
How much does brick repair cost in Las Cruces?
There isn't one price, because it comes down to how much of your wall needs work, how far gone the joints are, how many bricks need replacing and how easy the wall is to reach. Some of that I only know once the old mortar starts coming out, and the same cost guide says emergency work in winter or during an extreme heat wave will likely cost more. The written estimate gives you the figure for your wall.
How long does mortar last compared to brick?
Roughly 25 to 50 years for mortar and around 100 years or more for brick, going by one masonry trade group's figures. That gap means most brick houses need their joints redone long before the brick wears out, so repointing is usually normal upkeep.
Other work around your house
Driveway pavers
A paver driveway laid on a well-packed, drained base gives the front of the house a new approach that sits level, because the work underneath gets done first.
Retaining wall construction
When soil behind a yard wall keeps pushing it out of line, a retaining wall with a proper footing and drainage takes the load that patching can't.
Have us look at your brick wall
Snap a few photos of the cracks, the worn joints and any spot where water shows up inside, since lining those up is the first thing I do when I come out.
Request an estimateCall (575) 222-9031