Brooklyn Repointing Contractor
Brick Pointing in Brooklyn, NY
Open mortar joints cut out and refilled on row houses, parapets, chimneys and side walls from Bay Ridge to Greenpoint, with mortar chosen to suit your brick.
- Mortar matched to older Brooklyn brick
- Parapets, chimneys and rear walls
- Free visit with a written scope
What Does Brick Pointing Involve on a Brooklyn Row House?
On a Brooklyn row house, brick pointing means cutting the failing mortar out of the joints and packing in new mortar that suits the brick. The brick itself stays put. Most of the work happens at the parapet, the chimney, the rear wall and the side walls where rain hits hardest.
Brooklyn has miles of attached brick houses built a century or more ago. Many were laid in soft lime mortar that is now sandy and recessed. Water gets in through those gaps, freezes in winter and pushes the brick face apart.
If you only want to know whether your joints are past due, put a key or screwdriver to the mortar. Powder that falls away means it is time. Our main brick pointing page explains the signs in more detail.
Front, back and side walls
The street facade gets the attention, but the rear wall often takes more weather. Back walls on long row house lots face open yards and catch wind driven rain. Side walls on end of row buildings have no neighbor to shelter them.
Brownstone and Limestone
Can You Repoint a Brownstone in Brooklyn?
Partly. A brownstone front is sandstone, not brick, so it is repaired with stone patching and joint work rather than ordinary brick repointing. The rear and side walls of many brownstones are brick, and those do get repointed. A mason should look at each wall before quoting.
Limestone and brick fronts, common on Brooklyn blocks from Bay Ridge to Crown Heights, are handled by the material. The joint mortar for stone has to be softer than the stone, and a wrong mix can stain or chip the face.
We will tell you plainly which parts of your building need pointing and which need stone or brick repair. If the stone itself is failing, our Brooklyn masonry service covers that work.
Do Brooklyn Historic Districts Affect Repointing?
They can. Brooklyn has many designated historic districts, and work that changes the look of a facade, including mortar color, joint width and material, can need Landmarks Preservation Commission approval. Check with the LPC for your address before work starts, because the rules depend on the building and the type of work.
Historic districts in Brooklyn include Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights North, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Greenpoint, DUMBO and Prospect Park South. Many other blocks are not landmarked at all.
Where approval is needed, a sample panel and a clear written scope help. Outside a district, the job usually needs no landmark review. Confirm current rules with the city.
Why Do Parapets and Chimneys Fail First on Brooklyn Buildings?
Parapets and chimneys stand above the roof and get wet on every side. Their mortar wears out years before the wall below, and water that enters there runs down inside the brick. A stained ceiling on the top floor often traces back to open joints at the roof line.
Many Brooklyn row houses have a parapet along the front and rear roof edge, topped by coping or a metal cap. Where the coping joints open up, water goes straight into the wall core. Repointing the face alone leaves that leak in place, so we look at the top first.
Chimneys on older houses are often unused but still standing. Loose top courses can drop bricks toward the roof or the sidewalk. Those courses sometimes need to be relaid rather than just repointed.
Step by Step
How Does a Brooklyn Repointing Job Work?
A mason looks at the joints and brick, then you get a written scope. The crew sets up access, cuts out the old mortar to a sound depth, cleans the joints and packs new mortar in layers. The joints are tooled to match the wall and protected while they cure.
Inspect
The wall, parapet and chimney are checked for open joints, loose brick and old hard patches.
Scope in writing
You receive a price naming each wall area and the mortar type.
Access
Ladders, a lift or scaffolding go up, with sidewalk protection when work is overhead.
Cut out
Failing mortar is removed carefully so the brick edges stay intact.
Repoint
New mortar goes in, is shaped to match the wall and is kept from drying too fast.
Does Local Law 11 Apply to My Brooklyn Building?
Local Law 11, the Facade Inspection and Safety Program, applies to buildings taller than six stories, which in Brooklyn means larger apartment buildings and some commercial buildings, not most row houses. We do the repairs, not the inspection. Confirm your filing cycle and requirements with the Department of Buildings.
If an inspector lists defects on a tall building, open joints, loose brick and parapet problems are often part of the repair list. A one, two or three family house is generally outside the program.
Pricing
What Affects Brick Pointing Cost in Brooklyn?
Cost depends on the wall area, how high the work is, the access needed, the mortar match and the condition of the brick. A low rear wall in Bensonhurst and a four story front in Park Slope are different jobs, so we price each one in writing after a free look.
Wall area and joint depth
More square feet and deeper cutting mean more labor.
Height and access
Upper floors may need a lift, scaffold or sidewalk protection.
Mortar matching
Lime mixes and color samples take extra time on older brick.
Brick condition
Spalled or loose brick found during work may need replacing.
Every Brooklyn repointing job gets a written price after a free look at the wall.
Request Your QuoteNeighborhoods
Brooklyn Neighborhoods We Repoint In
Pick your neighborhood to see the kinds of brick buildings and walls we see there.
- Bath Beach
- Bay Ridge
- Bedford-Stuyvesant
- Bensonhurst
- Bergen Beach
- Boerum Hill
- Borough Park
- Brighton Beach
- Brooklyn Heights
- Brownsville
- Bushwick
- Canarsie
- Carroll Gardens
- Clinton Hill
- Cobble Hill
- Coney Island
- Crown Heights
- Cypress Hills
- Ditmas Park
- Downtown Brooklyn
- DUMBO
- Dyker Heights
- East Flatbush
- East New York
- Farragut
- Flatbush
- Flatlands
- Fort Greene
- Fort Hamilton
- Gerritsen Beach
- Gowanus
- Gravesend
- Greenpoint
- Greenwood Heights
- Homecrest
- Kensington
- Manhattan Beach
- Marine Park
- Midwood
- Mill Basin
- Ocean Hill
- Ocean Parkway
- Park Slope
- Prospect Heights
- Prospect Lefferts Gardens
- Prospect Park South
- Red Hook
- Seagate
- Sheepshead Bay
- South Slope
- Spring Creek
- Sunset Park
- Vinegar Hill
- Weeksville
- Williamsburg
- Windsor Terrace
- Wingate
No neighborhood matches that name. Call (718) 468-8803 and we will tell you if we cover your block.
Other Boroughs
Brick Pointing Outside Brooklyn
Owners with buildings in several boroughs can read about the citywide brick pointing service or see the process on our brick pointing overview.
Mortar chosen for the wall
Older Brooklyn brick and newer hard brick get different mixes, and you will know which one is going in.
Licensed and insured
Construction, injury and workers compensation insurance on every job, including work at height.
25+ years in NYC
More than 25 years of work on New York row houses and apartment buildings.
FAQ
Brooklyn Brick Pointing Questions
There is no fixed schedule. Parapets and chimneys wear out sooner than the wall below. Check the joints every few years and after any leak, and do the roof line first.
Often it is, even when the front is sandstone. A mason can confirm on site. The brick sections can be repointed, while the stone front is handled as stone work.
Yes. Owners often start with the front or the parapet. New joints will look fresher than old ones for a while, so we can do a sample area for you to judge.
It will if the water comes through the joints or parapet. Damp can also come from the roof, flashing or windows, so we trace the source before recommending work.
Park Slope has a designated historic district. Changes to mortar color, joints or materials on a facade there may need LPC approval. Check with the LPC for your address.
Yes. We cover every neighborhood listed on this page. Call (718) 468-8803 or send the form for a free visit.
Free on site estimate
Get Your Brooklyn Walls Looked At
Tell us where the joints are open or where water shows up inside. We will set up a free visit and a written scope.
Contact
Request a Brooklyn Repointing Estimate
Share your address and a photo of the wall, parapet or chimney if you have one. We will call to set up a free look on site.
- Call us(718) 468-8803
- HoursMon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Free on site estimate with a written price
- Licensed and insured, 25+ years in business
- We handle DOT sidewalk permits
- Serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx
Get Your Free Estimate
Takes about a minute. No cost and no obligation.