Tuckpointing in Lansing MI - new mortar joints that match your old brick
Mortar crumbling or worn back from the brick? We fix the bad joints with a mix that matches yours, so the wall stays tight.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Does my brick need tuckpointing, or can it wait?
Tuckpointing is what most Lansing homeowners call repointing. We clean out the worn or crumbling mortar between your bricks and pack in new mortar matched to the old, so water stays out of the wall and the brick around it isn't harmed.
Most calls start with sand on the porch steps or a joint you can scratch out with a key. Mortar is meant to wear out long before the brick does, so a few soft joints on an older house don't mean the wall is failing. The price mostly moves with how much of the wall has gone bad and how hard it is to reach. The schedule turns on the size of the job and, if your house sits in a historic district, the city's review. The estimate lays out which joints I'd fix now, which can wait and what the work costs.
How we handle tuckpointing on your brick
I start by asking what you want, because tuckpointing means different things to different people. Some folks just want the bad joints fixed, and some want that crisp, thin line look on top. Then I walk the wall and mark the joints that have actually failed, and we rake out the old mortar in those joints back to solid material without chewing up the brick edges. We mix the new mortar to match the old one in color and strength. On an older house the age tells me a lot, since mortar with portland cement wasn't used in brickwork until after the turn of the twentieth century. We pack the joints, tool them to match the ones around them and clean the brick before we leave.
Sometimes the joints aren't the whole story. If bricks are cracked, loose or have lost their face, we fix those with brick repair alongside the mortar work. If you're also thinking about the ground in front of the house, we lay driveway pavers too, so one call can cover the front of the house.
Repointing the failing joints
This suits most homes, where some joints have worn back or cracked and the rest are still sound. We redo only the bad ones and match them to the joints around them, so the repair blends in.
Traditional thin-line tuckpointing
This is the older style, where the joint is colored to match the brick and a thin strip of contrasting mortar runs down the middle so the joint looks very thin. It suits houses that already have that look or owners bringing it back, and it takes more handwork than a plain repair.
Repointing most of a wall
When most of the joints on a wall or chimney have failed, it makes sense to repoint the whole face at once. I'll only suggest it when the joints show it's needed, because sound original mortar is worth keeping.
Tuckpointing on Lansing's older brick homes
If your house is in one of Lansing's historic districts, the city's Historic District Commission decides whether the work you're planning is appropriate. It goes by the city's design guidelines along with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and mortar color and joint style are the kind of thing that review looks at. I check whether your address is in a district before we start, and if it is, we work through the review with you before anyone picks up a trowel.
Around Lansing we see a lot of older brick houses where the joints have worn back on the chimney, the porch piers and the side that takes the most weather. We see the same brick on jobs in East Lansing and Holt, and we work across the cities around Lansing and plenty of others nearby, so call and ask if yours isn't listed.
Why Lansing homeowners call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry for tuckpointing
The owner prices and works it
I come out to look at your wall and give the estimate myself, the way I have since we went full time in 2023, and I work on site alongside our crew while the job gets done. The person who told you what your joints need is there making sure they get it.
Repointing hands on your wall
The person working on your wall has done plenty of repointing, not just new brick, and those aren't the same skill. Ask any mason you're considering about their past repointing work, and ask us too.
Only the joints that need it
Sound original joints hold up better than repointed ones, and repointing takes a lot of hand labor, so we only redo the joints that have failed. If your wall can wait a few years, I'll tell you that instead of selling you the work.
Licensed, insured and easy to check
We're licensed and fully insured. Michigan's maintenance and alteration contractor license covers masonry and lists the trades each holder is qualified to practice, so it's worth checking that masonry is on any mason's license.
If you've got joints that worry you, I'd rather look and tell you straight what they need. Send us a note or a few photos and I'll set up a time to come out.
Request a quoteGet a free on-site tuckpointing estimate
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free with no obligation. After you send the form, I'll get back to you, set a time to look at your brick in person and give you an estimate you can take your time with. Satisfaction guaranteed.
What happens after you call about tuckpointing in Lansing?
Call or send a few photos
Call (517) 237-5922 or send a few photos of the joints through the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Photos taken from a few feet back help me see how much of the wall is involved.
I look at the wall
I look at the joints and the brick myself and tell you what I'd fix first and what can wait. You get that as an estimate with the mortar plan and the price, so you know the cost before anything starts.
We handle paperwork and work
Once you say go, we sort out any paperwork, including a historic district review if your house needs one, and then our crew gets to work on the joints. You'll know the start date before we show up.
Clean up and walk it together
We clean the brick and the ground below it before we call it done. Then I walk the wall with you so you can see every joint we touched.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my brick needs tuckpointing?
Masonry guidance says a joint needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 in. from the brick face, crumbles, has holes in it, or shows hairline cracks or cracks between the brick and the mortar. If only a few joints look like that, only those need work. I'll go over the wall with you and point out which ones fail that test.
Can new mortar harm my brick?
Yes, if it's stronger than the mortar already in the wall. Masonry guidance says new mortar should be about as strong as the original or weaker, because a harder mix takes the load in that thin strip and can spall the brick, which means the face breaks off for good. That's why we match the mix to your old mortar instead of using whatever's in the bag.
How long does tuckpointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves may well last over 100. Weather, acids in rain, settling and freeze and thaw cycles wear joints down over time, so plan on repointing from time to time over the life of a brick wall.
Does a Lansing historic district change my tuckpointing project?
It can, because the Historic District Commission decides whether the work is appropriate, as covered above. A historic house is also the kind of job where lab testing of the old mortar typically makes sense, since the repair has to closely match what's already there.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Lansing?
The cost comes down to how many joints have failed, how deep they're worn, how high the wall goes and which finish you want. The thin-line style takes more handwork than a plain matched repair, and lab testing of the old mortar adds cost, though it's usually only worth it on historic work. The estimate gives you the number for your wall.
What is the best way to remove old mortar for tuckpointing?
Masonry guidance says hand tools like a hammer and chisel suit small areas, while grinders and power saws work faster on large walls but can damage the brick around the joint. The right choice depends on how much of your wall needs work, and I'll tell you which way we'd go and why when I look at it.
Other work that often goes with tuckpointing
Brick repair
When the brick itself is cracked, loose or has lost its face, new mortar alone won't fix it, so those bricks get cut out and replaced with ones that match your wall.
Driveway pavers
If the drive in front of your brick house is cracked or heaving, pavers give you a surface that can be lifted and reset in sections instead of torn out whole.
Lansing, MI
Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (517) 237-5922 or use the form with a few photos, the year your house was built and whether it's in a historic district, so the first visit gets straight to an answer.