Need Home Masonry Repair Services in Chicagoland, Algonquin, or Somewhere Nearby? Our Tuckpointing Experts Can Help
In need of masonry or mortar repair services for your whole home? Here at Leonard & Sons Building Service, we are committed to satisfying our neighbors throughout Chicagoland and helping keep the houses of the northwest suburbs in great condition. That’s why our masonry restoration services extend beyond the fireplace and chimney – and into the entire home.
If you’re in Algonquin, McHenry, Dundee, Woodstock, or somewhere else close by, reach out today.
What Is Tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing, occasionally called repointing, refers to the process of removing deteriorated mortar from between the stone or brick by carefully grinding it out. Once the deteriorated mortar is removed, new mortar is mixed to match the old in strength, color, and consistency.
When the perfect mix is ready, the mortar is then very carefully packed into the mortar joints and smoothed over to ensure a stronger, more beautiful home and chimney appearance.
We’re masonry professionals with the ability to restore and refresh the mortar joints of your entire home and property – not just your chimney and fireplace. Whether you have water damage along the side of your brick home, the brick along the front of your house is cracking and spalling, or your mortar joints are receding and full of holes, our tuckpointing and whole home masonry repair work can help.
Can I Replace My Home & Chimney Bricks?
If you have missing or damage brickwork throughout your home or chimney, you may be concerned that a full rebuild will be in order to get things looking and functioning well again. Don’t worry quite yet, though – it’s very possible that our brick replacement services can get things back in tip-top shape without a full rebuild or overhaul.
To sum up, yes – it’s possible to replace certain bricks in a structure without tearing the whole thing down. That said, it’s not a job for an amateur. Whether it’s a single cracked brick or a larger section, the repair process involves carefully removing the damaged bricks, cleaning the area, and installing new ones – that match in color, size, and composition. Even a small mishap or mistake can result in a finished job that’s not only unsightly, but structurally unstable, as well.
Does your home contain damaged brick that’s discolored from water or riddled with cracks and vegetation? Our team has the skills and knowledge to safely remove the damaged brick and replace it with fresh bricks, carefully matching strength and color to the original brick. When we’re finished and the new bricks have been tuckpointed and cleaned, we’re sure you’ll be satisfied with the results.
And in order to ensure the longevity of your new masonry, ask us about applying our masonry waterproofing products from ChimneySaver. ChimneySaver breathable water repellent won’t leave a shine or change the look of your masonry, and it carries a 10-year protection against water damage and leaks.
How Often Does Tuckpointing Need to Be Done?
Well-installed modern mortar typically lasts 20 to 30 years, but there are things that speed up deterioration:
- Climate & Weather: Chicago and the surrounding suburbs experience dramatic freeze-thaw cycles throughout winter. Water seeps into tiny cracks in the mortar, freezes, expands, and physically breaks the joint apart from the inside. This happens repeatedly over the course of a single season, compounding damage year after year.
- Sun Exposure: South and west-facing walls take on significantly more UV radiation and heat. The expansion and contraction caused by daily temperature swings stresses the mortar constantly, wearing it down faster than shaded walls on the same building.
- Moisture & Drainage Issues: Homes with poor grading, clogged gutters, or inadequate flashing push water directly into masonry surfaces. Chronic moisture exposure dramatically shortens the life of mortar joints.
- Original Mortar Quality: Not all mortar is created equal. The quality of the original installation matters enormously. If a previous contractor used the wrong mortar mix, failed to properly clean the joints before application, or rushed the job, you may find yourself needing tuckpointing far sooner than normal.
- Building Age & Construction: Homes built before 1950 often used softer lime-based mortars that were intentionally designed to be sacrificial – meaning the mortar was meant to absorb movement and stress so the bricks themselves would not crack.
Is DIY Tuckpointing Possible?
We don’t recommend it – in many cases, an improper DIY tuckpointing job creates more damage than it prevents.
Tuckpointing tools are widely available at hardware stores, pre-mixed mortar products are sold everywhere, and video tutorials make the process look manageable. That said, DIY tuckpointing can lead to a wide range of issues.
Wrong mortar mix. Mortar comes in several different strength grades, and using the wrong one is a serious problem. A professional mason matches the new mortar strength to the existing masonry – something that requires experience and knowledge to assess correctly.
Improper joint preperation. Before fresh mortar can be applied, the old deteriorated mortar must be removed to a sufficient depth. Proper removal requires an angle grinder or oscillating tool used with care and control. Inexperienced use of these tools risks damaging the edges of the surrounding bricks, creating a cosmetic and structural problem that is difficult to reverse.
Poor color matching. Freshly applied mortar looks noticeably different from aged surrounding mortar. Professionals have experience blending mortar colors and understand how different mixes change appearance as they dry and weather.
Wrong technique and tooling. Properly packing mortar into a joint so that it fully bonds without air pockets requires practiced technique. The joint also needs to be tooled at the right moment during the curing process. Too early or too late and the joint surface will be compromised.
Lack of identifying underlying issues. A professional mason does not just fill the damaged joints – they assess why the joints failed in the first place. A DIY approach fixes the visible symptom without necessarily addressing the root cause, meaning the new mortar will fail in the same pattern and timeline as the old.
Why Does Mortar Break Down Faster Than the Brickwork?
Traditional masonry construction was deliberately engineered so that mortar would be the weaker, sacrificial component of the system. Builders and masons understood that all structures move – thermal expansion and contraction, minor ground settling, wind load, moisture cycling.
Rather than building a completely rigid system that would resist movement until something cracked catastrophically, they built a system with a weak link that could absorb that movement and be replaced periodically. The mortar is that weak link.
Long story short: Replacing mortar every few decades is manageable and relatively affordable. Replacing cracked or spalled bricks is costly and difficult, especially when matching historic brick that is no longer manufactured.
Protect Your Masonry With Us: Call Today
Whether you have a specific area of your home or chimney that needs tuckpointing repairs or your entire home could use a refresh, you can count on Leonard & Sons. Give us a call at 847-658-7659 or fill out a scheduling form to request an appointment with one of our local masonry specialists today.
Our masonry restoration services will get your system looking good and standing strong for year – trust Leonard & Sons every step of the way.