Crown Heights Repointing
Brick Pointing in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Failing mortar cut out and replaced on the facades, parapets and chimneys of Crown Heights row houses, mansions and pre war apartment buildings.
- Mortar matched to your building
- Parapets, chimneys and full facades
- Written price after a free visit
Why Do Crown Heights Buildings Need Repointing?
The mortar between bricks wears away with age, weather and leaks. Once joints crumble or open up, rain gets into the wall, freezes in winter and loosens the brick around it. Repointing cuts out the failing mortar and fills the joints again, keeping water out of the masonry.
Crown Heights has plenty of older brick. Many of the pre war elevator buildings along Eastern Parkway, Nostrand Avenue and the other avenues are brick, and the row houses on the side streets carry brick facades above their stoops. Mortar on buildings this age has often been patched more than once.
The roofline takes the worst of it. Parapets and chimneys stand exposed to rain from both sides, so their joints open first. Water in a parapet can travel down the wall, staining plaster and rotting wood inside long before you spot it outside.
- Crumbling or sandy mortar joints
- Open joints at parapets
- Chimneys with loose brick at the top
- Hairline cracks running along brick courses
- Old patches in mismatched cement mortar
- Stains and damp patches inside upper floors
A quick check from the sidewalk tells you a lot. Look up at the parapet and the top floor. Dark stains, missing mortar or bricks that sit out of line are all reasons to get a closer look.
Seeing Damp Spots Under the Roofline?
Send a photo of the facade or the parapet and we will tell you if the mortar is the cause.
The Method
How Is Brick Pointing Done on a Crown Heights Facade?
Crews grind or chisel out the failed mortar to a set depth, clean the joints, and pack in new mortar in layers. The final joint is tooled to match the profile of the original. Done correctly, the wall sheds water again and the brick is held firmly in place.
Mortar has to suit the building. Older brick is softer than modern brick, and a hard cement mortar can damage it. We match the mix to your walls, so the new joints wear at the same pace as the brick.
On low frontage the job can be done from a ladder. Taller apartment buildings need scaffold or a lift, which changes the schedule and the price. We look at the height and access before we write the estimate.
For a building of six stories or taller, note that Local Law 11 requires a facade inspection every five years. Pointing is often part of the work an inspection calls for, and we can carry it out once you have the report.
What Rules Apply to Facade Work in Crown Heights?
Work on scaffolds and building exteriors can require permits from the Department of Buildings, and taller buildings fall under the facade inspection program. Inside the Crown Heights North Historic District, facade work on landmarked buildings can need Landmarks approval. Confirm current requirements with the city before you start.
The historic district covers much of the area north of Eastern Parkway. The commission generally cares about the look of the facade, including the color and width of the mortar joints. A repointing job that copies the original is easier to approve than a change of style.
For the taller pre war buildings, keep your inspection reports handy. Managers and boards should not wait for a report to flag unsafe conditions. A loose brick or a leaning parapet can be dangerous to people on the sidewalk below and may need prompt attention.
When Is the Best Time to Repoint a Crown Heights Building?
Repointing works best in mild weather, in spring and fall, when mortar cures at a steady rate. Freezing temperatures and hard summer heat both cause trouble. Planning the job for those seasons, ahead of the next winter, keeps water from working into open joints again.
Owners of brownstones often wait until a leak shows up on an upper floor. By then the plaster is stained and the damage inside costs more than the pointing would have. A parapet checked in autumn is a lot cheaper than a ceiling repaired in March.
What Determines the Price of Repointing in Crown Heights?
The main factors are the wall area, the height of the building, the amount of bad mortar, and the access equipment needed. A parapet alone costs less than a full facade. We write a fixed price after a site visit so you can compare the job to any other quote.
Some owners repoint only what has failed, such as a chimney or the top few feet of the parapet. That can be a sensible first step. Others prefer to do the whole facade once, so it does not need scaffold again soon. We explain both and let you choose.
Why Us
Why Crown Heights Owners Hire Us for Pointing
Mortar matched to the brick
We test and match the mix so your old brick is not damaged.
Honest scope
We repoint what needs it and tell you what can wait.
Licensed, insured, 25+ years
A local contractor with written warranty terms.
Nearby
Brick Pointing Near Crown Heights
The same crews repoint buildings in the neighborhoods next door.
FAQ
Crown Heights Brick Pointing Questions
Look for mortar that is crumbling, recessed far from the brick face, or missing. Pushing a key into a joint and finding it soft is a bad sign. Damp spots or stains inside the walls also point to leaks through the masonry.
No. Pointing replaces the mortar between the bricks. If bricks themselves are cracked or spalled, they are cut out and replaced, which is masonry repair. We can do both on the same job.
Yes. Parapets and chimneys are often done alone since they weather fastest. We talk through the trade offs so you can decide whether to do the rest of the facade later.
For a low row house, a ladder or small platform may do. Taller buildings need scaffold or a lift. We decide what is needed at the visit and include it in the written price.
It depends on the wall area and access. A chimney can be a short job, and a full facade takes longer. We give you a schedule with the estimate.
Call (718) 468-8803. We are licensed and insured and give free written estimates on site.
Free on site estimate
Keep Water Out of Your Crown Heights Walls
A visit, a written price and mortar matched to your brick.
Contact
Request Your Crown Heights Pointing Quote
Tell us the address and which part of the building worries you. Photos of the joints, parapet or chimney help.
- 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.