Cypress Hills Brick Repointing
Brick Pointing in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Crumbling mortar replaced on the older brick houses, chimneys and small apartment buildings of Cypress Hills.
- Mortar matched to the age of the brick
- Chimneys, parapets and full walls
- Written price after a free visit
What Is Brick Pointing, and Why Do Cypress Hills Houses Need It?
Pointing means cutting out worn mortar between bricks and filling the joints with fresh mortar. Cypress Hills has many older brick houses, and their joints have weathered for decades. Once mortar crumbles, rain enters the wall, freezes and pushes bricks loose, so repointing protects the wall.
The neighborhood mixes wood frame houses with brick row houses, two family homes and small apartment buildings. The brick buildings are the ones that need pointing. Their mortar is exposed to the same weather as everything else in northeast Brooklyn, and much of it has never been redone.
Hills add to the exposure. Blocks near Highland Park catch wind and driving rain, and walls facing the weather age faster than sheltered ones. You can often see the difference between a protected side wall and a front that has taken the brunt.
Where Do Brick Houses Leak First?
Chimneys and parapets fail first, since rain hits them from all sides. Next come window sills and the joints under them, then the walls facing the prevailing weather. If you see stains inside near the top floor, crumbling joints at the roofline are a likely cause.
A chimney that has lost mortar at the crown can shed loose bricks onto the roof or the yard. That is a safety problem. Repointing the top few feet is a common job on its own.
Signs to check from the yard
Stand back from the house and look up. Missing mortar, leaning chimney tops, bricks that have shifted out of line and white powder on the wall all show that water is at work.
How Do We Repoint a Brick Wall in Cypress Hills?
The old mortar is ground or chiseled out to a set depth, the joints are cleaned, and new mortar is packed in layers and tooled to match the original profile. The mix is chosen for the age of the brick, so the joints wear at the same pace as the wall.
| What we see | What we do |
|---|---|
| Sandy, crumbling joints | Cut out and repoint the affected wall |
| Loose chimney top | Reset bricks and repoint the stack |
| Open parapet joints | Repoint and check the coping |
| Cracked brick | Replace the brick and repoint around it |
| Hard cement patches | Remove them and use a mortar suited to the brick |
Mortar has to be softer than the brick around it. Hard, modern cement in an old wall can chip the brick faces and trap moisture. We match the mix so the wall breathes and sheds water the way it was meant to.
Bricks Loose at the Chimney or Roofline?
Send a picture from the yard or street. We will tell you if it is mortar and how urgent it looks.
What Does Brick Pointing Cost in Cypress Hills, and Do You Need a Permit?
Cost depends on the wall area, the building height, how much mortar is bad and the equipment needed. A chimney is much smaller than a full facade. Work from scaffolds or lifts on taller buildings may need Department of Buildings permits. We write the price after a site visit.
Small apartment buildings above six stories fall under the facade inspection rules known as Local Law 11, which call for inspections every five years. Most Cypress Hills buildings are lower, but check the height of yours. Check current requirements with the city before you schedule.
Since we could not confirm a landmark district here, owners usually have more freedom in choosing mortar color and joint style than they would in a district. We still recommend matching what is already on the wall, so the repair blends in.
Timing matters. Spring and fall give mortar the best conditions to cure, and fixing a chimney before winter beats fixing a ceiling after a leak.
Is It Better to Repoint the Whole House or Just the Bad Spots?
Repoint only the failed areas if the rest of the wall is sound. If joints are weathered across the whole facade, doing it all at once avoids paying for scaffold or access twice. We look at the whole wall, then show you both options and the trade offs.
Spot repointing is sensible for a chimney, a parapet or one weathered wall. A patchwork of small repairs over many years can be less durable and less attractive than one full job.
Can a Sealer or Coating Replace Repointing?
No. A coating over failing mortar hides the problem and can trap moisture inside the wall. Water that enters through open joints has to be stopped by sound mortar. Sealers can have a role after repointing, but they never replace it on a wall with crumbling joints.
Owners sometimes get offers to spray a coating on a brick house. Ask what happens to the joints underneath. If the answer is nothing, the wall will keep deteriorating out of sight, and the coating may peel within a few winters.
We would rather fix the joints once, properly. A wall with fresh mortar sheds water, holds its bricks and needs little attention for many years.
The Process
How a Cypress Hills Pointing Job Proceeds
Inspect the walls
We check joints, bricks, chimneys and parapets and take photos.
Written scope and price
You see what will be repointed and what will not.
Set up access
Ladders, scaffold or a lift go in, and the area below is protected.
Cut and repoint
Old mortar is removed and new mortar is packed and tooled.
Clean and check
The wall is cleaned and we walk it with you at the end.
Nearby
Brick Pointing Near Cypress Hills
We repoint buildings across the neighborhoods around Cypress Hills.
FAQ
Cypress Hills Brick Pointing Questions
Look for crumbling or missing mortar, loose bricks and damp stains inside. A key pushed lightly into a joint that sinks in shows mortar has gone soft.
No. Pointing is for brick and stone. If your house has a brick chimney or a brick foundation wall, those parts may need it.
We can repoint and reset bricks at the top of a chimney. If the stack is leaning badly, it may need to be rebuilt, and we will tell you so.
It looks lighter at first and weathers over time. We match color and joint style as closely as we can.
A chimney can be a short job, and a full wall takes longer. We give a schedule with the written estimate.
Call (718) 468-8803. The visit and the written estimate are free.
Contact
Request Your Cypress Hills Pointing Quote
Tell us the address and where the mortar looks bad. Photos of the chimney, parapet or wall help us prepare.
- 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.