What goes wrong with masonry
Mortar joint deterioration
Mortar is softer than brick by design, so it can absorb stress and moisture. Over 30 to 50 years (sometimes much less on poorly built walls), mortar joints crack, recede, and eventually fall out. Water then has a direct path into the wall.
Spalling brick
When water gets into brick and freezes, the face pops off. Spalled brick is a moisture problem, not a brick problem. Replace the brick, but fix what's letting water in.
Efflorescence
The white salt deposits on brick walls indicate moisture moving through the masonry and depositing minerals on the surface. Cosmetic on its own, but a signal that water is getting into the wall.
Cracking patterns
- Step cracks following mortar joints often mean settlement.
- Vertical cracks through brick often mean structural movement or thermal stress.
- Horizontal cracks near floor lines often mean lintel or shelf angle failure.
Lintel and shelf angle issues
Steel lintels above windows and doors rust over decades. Expanding rust pushes brick out. Visible rust staining or bulging brick above an opening is a structural concern, not cosmetic.
Tuckpointing the right way
Proper tuckpointing means removing failed mortar to a depth of about three quarters of an inch (or to sound mortar), then refilling with new mortar that matches the original in strength, color, and joint profile. Mortar that is too hard will cause future brick spalling. Mortar that is too soft will fail again quickly. Matching matters.
- Grinding or chiseling out failed mortar to proper depth.
- Cleaning joints of dust and debris.
- Wetting the wall before repointing so the new mortar cures properly.
- Packing new mortar in lifts, then tooling the joint to match the existing profile.
- Curing under controlled moisture for the first few days.
What it costs
- Spot tuckpointing on small areas: $8 to $20 per square foot of wall area, depending on access.
- Full elevation tuckpointing on a typical commercial building: $15 to $35 per square foot.
- Brick replacement: $15 to $40 per brick installed, depending on match difficulty.
- Lintel replacement: $1,500 to $5,000 per opening, more for large or load-bearing units.
When to repair, when to monitor
- Hairline mortar cracks with no displacement: monitor.
- Recessed mortar joints, visible loss of material, or active staining: repair.
- Spalled brick, bulging walls, or cracking through brick: get a closer look quickly.
- Cracks that grow between inspections: structural assessment.
Why catching it early matters
A small area of failed mortar might cost $1,500 to repair. The same wall ignored for 10 more years often turns into $20,000 of work because the brick itself has now failed from water intrusion. Masonry rewards early attention more than almost any other building system.
Cleaning and sealing
After repair, gentle masonry cleaning removes stains and efflorescence. Penetrating breathable sealers can help reduce future water intrusion on exposed elevations, but never apply a film-forming sealer that traps moisture inside the wall. The wrong sealer is worse than no sealer.