Brick pointing in Torrance, CA - matched mortar that keeps water out of the wall
Crumbling, sandy or missing mortar between your bricks? We replace the bad joints with mortar matched to your brick so the wall holds up.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does brick pointing involve, and does my wall need it?
Brick pointing in Torrance, also called repointing, means clearing the worn mortar out of the joints of your brick wall and packing in new mortar. It's one of the most effective and permanent ways to cut down on water getting into brickwork, and water is what does the slow damage.
Most calls start with sand on the patio below a wall, or a joint you can rake out with a key. That's the mortar wearing out ahead of the brick, which is how it's supposed to go, and if the bricks themselves are cracked or flaking, we handle the brick repair alongside it. What moves the price is how many joints are actually failing, how much wall that adds up to, how high it goes and whether your brick is soft enough that the joints have to be cleared by hand. The schedule turns mostly on the size of the wall and whether a permit step comes up for your address, and the written estimate tells you which joints we'd do and how.
How we do brick pointing on your house
I start by walking the wall and marking the joints that are failing, then I look at the old mortar to see how soft it is and what went into it. We match the new mortar to the old instead of reaching for the hardest mix, because mortar stronger than the original takes the load and can break the face off soft brick, and that damage can't be repaired. On older homes we clear the joints by hand with chisels where a grinder would chew up the edges of the brick. It's slower and costs more in labor, and I'd rather spend that than replace brick somebody sawed into. Then we pack the joints, tool them to match the ones around them and clean up the dust before we leave.
Loose joints are sometimes a sign of something bigger. When cracks step up the wall or run through the bricks themselves, the house may be moving, and that's a foundation repair question to settle first, or the new mortar just cracks along the same line. Chimneys lose mortar faster than most walls because they stand out in the open on every side, and if the crown or flashing is part of the problem, we fold the joints into a chimney repair so it's one job.
Repointing just the bad joints
This suits a wall where the damage is in patches, like under a downspout or along the bottom few rows. Sound original joints are better than new ones, so we leave them alone and you only pay for the joints that need the work.
Repointing the whole wall
This suits a wall where most of the joints are eroded, crumbling or cracked. Chasing them one at a time stops making sense at that point, and the wall reads more even when it's all done in one go.
Brick pointing in Torrance: permits and what we see here
The City of Torrance takes all plan reviews and permit submittals electronically, so there's no counter to stand in line at. Whether a repointing job at your address needs a permit isn't something I'll guess at, so we check with the city. If it does need one, we handle the application and tell you what we learn before any work starts.
The city itself says Torrance lies in an area prone to high seismic activity because of nearby earthquake faults, so when I look at brick here I separate cracks that follow the joints from cracks that cut through the brick, since the second kind usually means something moved. We're based in Torrance and work in many of the cities around it, and we see the same mix of older brick homes, garden walls and chimneys on jobs in Redondo Beach and Lomita.
Why Torrance homeowners call AJ Torrance Concrete and Masonry for brick pointing
I look at your wall myself
I come out for the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work with a lead mason running the site while I stop by to check on it. The person who sized up your joints is the one answering for how they turn out.
Supply yard first, mason since 2013
I sold brick, block and stone for years before I laid any, and in 2013 I started this business in Torrance. I heard plenty about bad mortar jobs at that counter, and a lot of them started with the hardest mix on the truck.
Licensed and insured on your job
We're licensed and insured. Repointing puts ladders and sometimes scaffolding up against your house, and that's no place for someone working on a handshake.
On a brick wall, the mortar that goes in matters more than how fast it goes in. Ask for an estimate or call (424) 318-3093, and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for your brick pointing
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation. After I look at the wall, you get it in writing with the scope spelled out.
What happens after you call about brick pointing in Torrance?
Call or send a request
You call (424) 318-3093 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Let us know if it's a chimney or a tall wall so I bring the right ladder.
I look at the wall
I go over the joints with you, tell you what I see and what can wait, then send a written estimate with the scope spelled out. It lists which joints we'd repoint and how we'd clear them, so you can compare it line for line with anyone else's.
We handle permits and the work
If your job needs a permit, we take care of the steps with the office that covers your address before anything starts. Then our crew does the work with a lead mason running the site.
I check it before we're done
I look the joints over myself before we call the job finished. If something doesn't sit right with you, tell me while I'm standing there.
Frequently asked questions
How much does brick repointing cost in Torrance?
Across the US, brick repointing usually costs about $3 to $25 per square foot, and that's the national going rate, not our price. Walls taller than 8 feet that need scaffolding cost more per square foot than lower ones. Your written estimate puts a real figure on your wall.
How do I know if my brick mortar needs repointing?
Your joints need repointing if the mortar has worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the face, or it's crumbling, has gaps, shows hairline cracks or has pulled away from the brick. Any one of those lets water in. I'll point out which joints those are when I come out.
How long does brick repointing last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and what mortar went in, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. So the joints are the part you plan to redo over the life of a wall, not the brick.
Can a handyman repoint a small brick wall without a license in California?
Only on a small job, and only under two conditions. The state's minor work exemption went from $500 to $1,000, so an unlicensed person can take on work under $1,000, but only when the job needs no permit and they don't employ anyone on it. A helper on site or a permit on the job means they need a license, whatever the size.
Will the new mortar match the color of my old mortar?
It can get close, but sand color and cement type both change the color of new mortar, so a match takes some work. One masonry trade group advises trying a sample in a spot nobody looks at before doing the whole wall, and that's a fair thing to ask any crew for.
What causes white powder on brick after repointing?
That's usually efflorescence, a surface deposit that sometimes shows up in the first few months and usually weathers away on its own. If it hangs around, the usual advice is to brush it dry and then wet with a stiff natural or nylon brush. Muriatic acid is generally ineffective on it, so skip it.
Other work that often comes up with repointing
Foundation repair
Worth a look if doors have started sticking or floors slope toward a cracked brick wall, because a house that's still moving will open up fresh mortar joints all over again.
Chimney repair
Call about this when a chimney has loose bricks near the top, a cracked crown or water stains by the fireplace, since the mortar is usually only one piece of the fix.
Torrance, CA
Send us photos of your worn joints
Call (424) 318-3093 or use the form with a few photos, a rough size of the wall and how tall it is, so I show up already knowing what we're looking at.