Tuckpointing in Henderson NV - tight mortar joints that keep water out of the wall
Mortar crumbling or cracking between your bricks or blocks? We find out why, then cut out the bad joints and fill them solid.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Do the cracked mortar joints on your wall need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing, also called repointing, means cutting the old, failing mortar out of the joints in a brick or block wall and packing in fresh mortar. We do it on house walls, fireplaces and yard walls around Henderson, NV, so the joints are full and solid again.
Maybe you've noticed sand piling up at the foot of a yard wall, or a line of cracked mortar running across the side of the house. Before we touch it, I want to know why it cracked, because new mortar fixes worn and cracked joints but won't hold a wall that's still moving. The price comes down mostly to how many joints need cutting out, how deep the damage goes and how hard the wall is to reach, while the schedule turns on whether a permit or a design professional's review is part of the job. You'll get your own figure in the written estimate I leave you.
How can you tell if your mortar joints are failing?
Mortar sitting back from the brick
When the mortar has worn back into the joint so the brick edges stand out, that's usually old mortar wearing away rather than a problem with the wall. Left alone, water sits in those recesses and the joints keep eroding, so there's more to cut out later.
Crumbling or sandy joints
If you can scrape mortar out with a key, or it sheds sand when you brush it, the mortar has given up. Once enough of it goes, the bricks or blocks start to loosen and it turns into a bigger repair than repointing.
Thin cracks along the joints
Hairline cracks in the mortar, or a gap where the mortar has pulled away from the brick, are often where water first gets in. I'll ask whether the crack changes through the year, because that tells me if it's still moving.
Stair-step cracks in block
A crack that zigzags up through the joints of a block wall, especially one that's getting wider, can mean the footing underneath has shifted. That one gets a closer look before anyone fills it, since new mortar won't fix a wall that's settling.
How we handle tuckpointing on your wall
First I figure out why the joints failed, because a crack from settling, a crack that opens and closes with the seasons and mortar that's simply worn out each get a different fix. If it looks like settling, I'll tell you straight and we'll get a design professional's eyes on it before any mortar goes in. When it's a mortar job, our crew cuts the old mortar out down to sound material, brushes and dampens the joints, packs fresh mortar in firm layers and tools each joint to match the rest of the wall. My old boss used to say a joint you can't trust is worse than no joint at all, so we never skim new mortar over loose stuff. On hot days we keep the fresh joints damp so they cure instead of drying out, and we clean the smears off the face before we leave.
Sometimes the joints aren't the whole story. If bricks are cracked, flaking or loose, we take care of that as brick repair on the same visit. And if the wall runs beside a drive where the pavers have sunk or shifted, we can look at your driveway pavers while we're set up.
Get a written tuckpointing estimate for your wall
Send a few photos of the cracks, tell us if it's brick or block and whether the cracks change with the seasons. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
- team@hendersonconcreteandmasonry.com
- Based in
- Henderson, NV 89015
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call us about tuckpointing in Henderson?
Here's how a tuckpointing job runs from your first call to the last clean joint, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send us photos
Call (702) 832-0706 or use the form, and we'll set a time that suits you. Photos of the cracks help me come out with the right questions.
I look the wall over
I come out myself, walk the wall with you and ask what you've noticed, like when the cracks showed up and whether they change. You get a written estimate with the price set out, so you know the cost before anything starts.
Our crew does the work
Once you say go, we take care of any permit the job needs and our own crew does the repointing. I check the joints along the way, not just at the end.
We walk the finished wall
Before we pack up, I walk the finished wall with you so you can see every joint we touched. The brick faces are cleaned and the yard is swept.
Why Henderson homeowners call Artisan Henderson Concrete and Masonry for tuckpointing
On a cracked wall, knowing the cause comes before picking up the trowel. Send us a few photos or call (702) 832-0706, and I'll come take a look.
I come out to every job
I look at every wall and write every estimate myself, and I check our crew's joints while the work is going on. You're talking to the person who answers for the work from start to finish.
Taught by a stubborn old mason
I spent years on an old school boss's crews before starting this business in 2021, and he'd make me tear out a whole course if the joints weren't right. That's still how we judge a joint before we call it done.
Licensed and insured for your wall
We're licensed and insured. Nevada lets some repairs under $1,000 in labor and materials go without a contractor's license, but not work that needs a building permit or belongs to a larger project worth $500 or more, so it's fair to ask anyone you hire.
Tuckpointing and wall repair around Henderson
The City of Henderson's Building and Fire Safety Department issues building permits in the city and inspects work against the building codes. Whether your repointing job needs a permit isn't something I'll guess at, and the rules differ between the cities and the county, so we check with the office that covers your address before we start. When one's needed, we apply for it, set up the inspections and meet the inspector.
Most of what we repoint here is block yard walls and brick on house fronts, fireplaces and planters, and we see the same kinds of walls on jobs in Paradise and Enterprise. Valley soils are part of the background too. Research on the Las Vegas Valley noted that expansive soils had been documented here for many years, though how far they reached wasn't well known at the time.
Questions about tuckpointing in Henderson
How do I know my brick wall needs repointing?
Your brick wall likely needs repointing if the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbles, has gaps, shows hairline cracks or has pulled away from the brick. Brick industry guidance lists those as the signs, and you can check by walking slowly along the wall and looking closely at the joints. It's also fair to ask any mason what caused the damage, since the same guidance calls for fixing the cause as well as the joints.
Can a cracked block wall just be repointed?
Yes, if the cracking is limited, sits mainly in the mortar joints and isn't getting wider, because that's the kind of damage repointing is meant for. Cracks from uneven support under the wall's footing are a different matter, and the block industry encourages getting a qualified design professional's advice on the fix. When I see signs of that, we plan that step in before any mortar work.
What causes masonry cracks that open and close with the seasons?
Seasonal heat and moisture make masonry move, so those cracks often get wider in cold weather and narrower in hot weather. A crack that's still moving usually gets a flexible sealant, while one that has stopped may be pointed. Watching it over time tells you which one you have.
How long does new mortar last after tuckpointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and the mortar used. That makes repointing a long-term repair, though joints that face harsher exposure may need it sooner.
What mortar should be used to repoint old brick?
The new mortar should be similar to or weaker in strength than the original, according to brick industry guidance, to prevent brick damage that can't be repaired. That's why we look at what's already in your wall before we mix anything.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Henderson?
The cost of tuckpointing in Henderson comes down to how many joints need cutting out, how deep the damage goes and how easy the wall is to reach. Brick versus block, matching an older mortar and any design professional's review for settling cracks also move the price. I write it all down in your estimate after seeing the wall, so there's no guessing.
Other work that often comes up with tuckpointing
Brick repair
When bricks themselves have cracked, flaked or worked loose, new mortar alone won't fix it, and we replace or reset the damaged ones to match the wall.
Driveway pavers
If your drive has sunk, rutted or shifted pavers, or you're ready to replace tired concrete, we lay a paver driveway on a properly packed base.
Service areas for tuckpointing around Henderson
Artisan Henderson Concrete and Masonry is based in Henderson, NV, and works in the cities around it. Ten cities have their own page here, including Spring Valley and Summerlin South, and we take tuckpointing calls from other cities nearby too.
Henderson, NV
Get your cracked wall looked at
Mark the ends of a crack with a pencil today, and by the time I come out we'll both know if it's still moving.