Masonry restoration in Lansing, MI - failing joints fixed, sound ones kept
Mortar crumbling or worn back from the brick? We repoint the joints that have failed and match the mortar so your wall holds up.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does masonry restoration actually fix on an old brick wall?
Masonry restoration in Lansing mostly comes down to repointing, where we rake the worn mortar out of the joints of a brick or stone wall and pack in new mortar so the wall keeps water out and the brick lasts. Some folks call it pointing or tuckpointing.
You've probably noticed sand on the steps under the wall, joints that look sunken, or a crack running through the mortar. Most of the time the mortar is simply worn out, but now and then a crack points to something moving underneath, and that's the first thing I look for. The price moves with how many joints have failed, how high the work goes and whether any bricks need our brick repair work too. The schedule mostly turns on whether your house needs a city permit or historic review first, and the estimate tells you what I'd fix first and what can wait.
How we do masonry restoration
We start by going along the wall and marking the joints that have actually failed, because we repoint what's failing and leave the good original joints in place since they're worth keeping. If a crack follows a line through brick and mortar, we find out what's moving before we fill anything. Then we rake the marked joints back to sound mortar without chipping the brick edges, mix a new mortar to match yours and pack it in layers so it fills the joint all the way back. Once it firms up, we tool each joint to the original shape and brush the face clean so the repair blends in instead of standing out.
Restoration often turns up other work. If an old chimney or firebox is part of your plans, we also do fireplace installation, and when a wall's face is past repointing or you want a new look on plain block, stone veneer installation covers it without tearing the wall down.
Repointing the failing joints
This suits most walls, where the wear shows up in patches like under a downspout, along the base or near the top of a chimney. You keep the most original mortar and pay for the least labor.
Repointing a whole wall face
This fits when most joints on one side have worn back or crumbled, which is common on older walls nobody has touched in a long time. Doing the whole face at once keeps the color and texture even across it.
Brick replacement with repointing
When some bricks have cracked or their faces have popped off, we cut them out and set matching ones as we repoint. It suits a wall that's mostly sound but has a few spots mortar alone won't fix.
Masonry restoration rules in Lansing
Lansing's Building Safety Office issues building permits, and the city wants one in place before construction or remodeling begins. Whether your repointing job counts is something I check with the city for your address before we start, and if you'd rather file yourself, you can print the application and send it to the contact on the city's Building Safety page or stop by the front office for help. If your house sits in a local historic district, the city requires an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for any exterior work, so we build that review into the plan from the start instead of finding out halfway through.
The city's design guidelines say every mortar joint needs repointing eventually and ask that the new mortar match the old in color, texture and strength. That's how we'd do it anyway, and it's the same approach we take on the older brick houses we see on jobs in East Lansing and Grand Ledge.
Why Lansing homeowners call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry for restoration
I look at every wall myself
I come out to look at the job and give the estimate, and I work on site alongside our crew while the job gets done. The person who told you what's wrong is the one making sure it gets fixed.
Licensed and fully insured masonry contractor
We're licensed and fully insured. In Michigan a contractor's license lists the trades they're qualified to practice, and masonry is one the state's maintenance and alteration license covers, so it's worth checking any mason with the state's licensing office.
We tell you what can wait
If a joint is tired but still sound, I'll say so and leave it off the estimate. I'd rather you spend your money on the part of the wall that's actually failing.
Full time masonry since 2023
I started with weekend jobs for neighbors, mostly rebuilding steps and pointing up old chimneys, and made it a full time business in 2023. A lot of the calls we get around Lansing are crumbling mortar on older brick, so this is everyday work for us.
A repair only lasts if it deals with the reason the mortar failed, so the first step is getting the wall looked at. Send us your details or call (517) 237-5922 to set that up.
Request a quoteGet a free on-site estimate for your mortar joints
We reply within one business day to set a time, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. Once you send the form, I'll get back to you, come out to look at the wall myself and walk you through what I'd fix first and what can wait.
What happens after you call about your brick in Lansing?
Call or send photos
Call (517) 237-5922 or use the form, and send a few photos of the joints that worry you if you can. Close shots of the worst spots plus one of the whole wall help most.
I look at the wall
I come out myself, check the joints up close and tell you what I see, what I'd fix first and what can wait. That all goes into an estimate you can take your time thinking over.
We sort out the paperwork
Once you say go, I check what your address needs with the city. If there's a permit or a historic review, we work through it with you before anyone picks up a trowel.
We repoint, clean, walk through
Our crew and I do the work, then clean up the dust and mortar smears. We look the wall over with you before we call it finished.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my mortar needs repointing?
Your mortar is due when it has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles when you rub it, has gaps or holes, or shows hairline cracks or cracks between the brick and the mortar. You can check for all of these from the ground before you call. If you're not sure, send me a few photos and I'll tell you what I see.
Does the whole wall need new mortar or just the bad joints?
Usually just the bad joints. Repointing is slow hand work, and sound original joints hold up better than repointed ones, so cutting out good mortar adds labor and takes away the strongest part of the wall. If most of the joints on one face have failed, then doing the whole face makes sense.
How long will new mortar joints last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself can last well over 100. That means you should plan on repointing more than once over a wall's life, and needing it again someday is normal, not a sign the last job failed.
What approvals do I need for masonry restoration in Lansing, including historic districts?
Building permits in Lansing come from the city's Building Safety Office and are needed before construction or remodeling begins, and any exterior work on a house in a local historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness application. I check what your job needs with the city before we start, and we work out any paperwork with you.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Lansing?
It depends on your wall, so there's no honest set price until I've seen it. What moves the number is how many joints have failed, how deep they've worn, how high the work goes and what it takes to reach it, whether bricks need replacing and whether a historic review is part of the job. Repointing only the failing joints costs less than redoing a whole face, and the estimate gives you the number for your wall.
What is the best way to match new mortar to old brick?
Use a mortar about as strong as the original or weaker, not harder, because a mortar that's too hard can damage the brick in ways that can't be repaired. On older houses lime mortar is often a good pick, since it's soft, porous and changes little in size as temperatures swing. It's fair to ask any mason how they compare the new mix to the old, and I'll walk you through how we do it.
Other masonry work that often goes with restoration
Fireplace installation
If the old firebox is cracked or you want a working fireplace where there isn't one, we build it with brick or stone that fits the rest of your house.
Stone veneer installation
When a foundation or plain block wall looks tired and repointing won't change that, a stone face gives it a finished look without rebuilding the wall behind it.
Lansing, MI
Get your mortar joints looked at
Call with your address, whether the house sits in a local historic district and what you've noticed in the joints, and I can tell you on that first call what I'll want to look at.