Masonry restoration in Pittsburg CA - solid joints that fit the look of your house
Crumbling mortar, gaps around the bricks or hairline cracks in the joints? We repoint and clean your masonry so the wall stays sound.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Does your brick or stone need restoring, and what does it take?
Masonry restoration in Pittsburg, CA usually comes down to repointing. We take out the worn mortar between your bricks or stones and replace it with new mortar, so the joints hold the wall together and keep water out again.
Most people call us after they notice sandy mortar along the base of a wall, gaps around the bricks on a chimney or joints that look deeper than they used to. The price moves with how much wall needs new joints, how far the old mortar has worn, how easy the wall is to reach and whether a leaking downspout has to be fixed first. The schedule turns on that same size, plus anything the city asks for before we start. If the trouble is mostly up top, our chimney repair page covers that side of it, and either way I'll write up the figure for your own wall at the estimate.
How can you tell your mortar joints are wearing out?
Mortar sitting back from brick
Run a finger along a joint. If the mortar has sunk back from the face of the brick, rain has been wearing it down for a while. The deeper it goes, the more mortar has to come out before new can go in, so catching it early keeps the job smaller.
Mortar crumbling into sand
Mortar that rubs off as grit or leaves little holes in the joint has lost its strength. Once that happens, water can get behind it and start working on the brick itself, and that turns a mortar job into a bigger repair.
Cracks in or beside joints
Fine cracks across the mortar, or a crack opening between the brick and the mortar, let water into the wall. Left alone, they usually widen and let more in, so take a close look and snap a photo for us if you find one.
How we handle masonry restoration
We start with the water. If a downspout or drain is soaking the wall, new mortar will wash out the same way the old did, so we get that fixed before any mortar goes in. Next we clean the brick or stone gently and skip high-pressure washing, because water blasted at the wall can etch soft stone and some kinds of brick and wear the face off. Then we rake the worn mortar out of the joints down to firm material, mix new mortar to suit your brick and the old mortar, pack it in and shape the joints to match the rest of the wall. We finish by cleaning stray mortar off the face and picking up around the work.
Restoration often sits right next to other jobs. If the fireplace inside is past saving, or you want one where there wasn't one, we do fireplace installation. When a plain block or concrete wall needs a new face instead of new joints, stone veneer installation is usually the better fit.
Repointing the worn sections
This suits a wall where the damage sits in one place, like under a downspout or along the base, and the rest of the joints are still firm. We repoint just those areas and shape the new joints so they sit in with the old ones.
Repointing a whole wall or chimney
This suits masonry where most of the joints show wear, because patching soft spots one at a time tends to look spotty and brings us back sooner. Doing the full face at once gives you joints that wear evenly from here on.
Get a free repointing estimate for your wall
Send the form with what you see in the joints, and photos if you can. We reply within one business day, and I come out to look at the wall and write a free estimate, with no obligation.
(925) 318-8090- Based in
- Pittsburg, CA 94565
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call about masonry restoration in Pittsburg?
From the first call to the final walk-through, here's how a restoration job runs and what you'll have in hand before you decide anything.
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Call or send a message
Call (925) 318-8090 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing in the joints. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
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I look at it with you
I check the joints, the drainage near the wall and how far the wear goes, and I answer your questions right there. You get a written estimate in plain terms that says what we'll do and what it costs, so the price isn't a guess.
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We do the work, then walk it
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit paperwork, and then our crew and I do the repointing. When we're done, I walk the finished wall with you so you can see every joint before we pack up.
Why Pittsburg homeowners call A&K Pittsburg Concrete and Masonry for restoration
On a restoration job, the right mortar and a dry wall matter more than speed. Ask for an estimate and tell us what you see in the joints, or call (925) 318-8090.
I come out to every job
I look at every job myself, and the work is done by me and our crew. The person who explained your wall at the estimate is the same one working on it.
Mortar repair is our main work
We've been in business since 2017, and brick and mortar repair is what we're best known for. Worn joints and tired chimneys make up most of our calls, so this is everyday work for us.
Licensed and insured in California
We're licensed and insured. California's masonry contractor license covers brick, block and stone work along with the cleaning, caulking and clear waterproofing that goes with it, so it's a fair question for any mason you're weighing.
Repointing and masonry repair in Pittsburg, CA
Two things get settled before work starts in Pittsburg. The city's Building Division handles construction permits from intake to final inspection, and its online OpenCounter tool is only general guidance, because city staff make the final decisions on permits, fees and zoning. So we check with the city whether your job needs a permit before we start, and when it does, we pull it and handle the paperwork. Pittsburg also requires everyone doing business in the city to hold a current city business license, subcontractors and crews from other cities included, so it's worth asking about with anyone you hire.
Most of what we restore around Pittsburg is brick on chimneys, garden walls and the fronts of homes, and the wear usually starts where water collects, near downspouts and along the base. We see the same kinds of walls on jobs in Antioch and Concord.
Questions about masonry restoration in Pittsburg
How do I know when my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbles, has holes in it or shows hairline cracks, or when cracks open between the brick and the mortar. Walk along your walls and note where you see these, because that tells us a lot before we even come out.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Pittsburg, CA?
Brick repointing across the US usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet of wall, and that's the going rate for the work, not a quote from us. Where your job lands depends on how deep the joints are worn, how high and reachable the wall is and whether drainage needs fixing first. I'll give you the number for your wall at the estimate.
Can new mortar damage old brick?
Yes, new mortar that's harder than the brick or the old mortar can put serious stress on the wall as it heats and cools, and the bricks or stones can take the damage instead of the joints. That's why it's worth asking any mason how their mortar compares with what's in your wall, and I'll go over ours with you at the estimate.
How long does repointing last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100. Over the life of a brick house, you can plan on repointing more than once and keeping the same brick.
How do I find a good mason for repointing in Pittsburg?
Ask to see past repointing work, because an excellent bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. Ask too how they'll clean the wall and which mortar they plan to use, and expect a straight answer on both.
Who handles the permit for masonry work in Pittsburg?
We do, whenever your job needs one. The city makes that call, so we check with the Building Division first, as covered above, and take care of the paperwork if a permit is required.
Related masonry services for older walls
When the firebox or surround is too far gone to repoint, a new fireplace built to match the room may serve you better than another patch.
If you'd like the look of natural stone on a plain block or concrete wall, veneer adds that face without building a whole new wall behind it.
Areas we serve for masonry restoration
A&K Pittsburg Concrete and Masonry is based in Pittsburg, CA, and we restore brick and stone in Pittsburg and the cities around it. The 12 areas below each have their own page, including Antioch and Concord.
Send us photos of your mortar joints
A few clear shots of the worst joints and any downspout near them let me show up to the estimate already knowing what to look at.
Pittsburg, CA