Repointing by the Bay
Brick Pointing in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Failing mortar joints, loose parapet bricks and leaking chimneys repaired on apartment buildings, co ops and brick homes near the water.
- Joints cut out and repacked by hand
- Parapets, chimneys and street walls
- Written price after a free site visit
Brick Near the Bay
Why Does Brick Wear Faster Near Sheepshead Bay?
Brick facades near Sheepshead Bay take wind, rain and salty air off the water, then freeze in winter. Mortar is the softest part of a wall, so it erodes first. Once joints open, water reaches the bricks behind them and the damage spreads quickly.
The housing here is mixed. Along Emmons Avenue and around Sheepshead Bay Road you find apartment buildings, co ops and newer condos. Further inland the streets are lined with detached and semi detached houses, many with brick fronts, brick chimneys and low brick walls at the property line.
Every one of those surfaces has mortar joints, and every joint has a life span. Sandy grit or crumbling powder in the joint tells you it is near the end. A gap you can slide a key into means water is already getting in.
Buildings that face the bay or sit at the ends of open blocks get the hardest weather. Wind driven rain pushes water into joints that stay dry on a sheltered side street. That is why we often see one elevation of a building in far worse shape than the other three.
Do My Parapet and Chimney Need Repointing?
If you see missing mortar, loose bricks, white staining or stains running down the wall below the roofline, yes, it is worth a look. Parapets and chimneys stand in the open and get wet from both sides, so their joints fail before the joints on the main wall do.
A parapet is the short wall that rises above the roof edge on many Sheepshead Bay apartment buildings. It has no roof over it and no heated building behind it, so rain and frost hit it directly. A loose brick up there can fall to the sidewalk, which is why we treat parapet work as a safety item and not a cosmetic one.
Chimneys on the older houses have a similar problem. The joints crack, water runs down the flue and stains the ceiling below. Repointing the stack and checking the crown often stops the leak. If a chimney leans or the bricks have shifted, it may need to be rebuilt, and we will tell you that at the visit.
What repointing involves
- Grinding or chiseling out loose mortar to a proper depth
- Cleaning dust from the joints so new mortar bonds
- Packing fresh mortar in layers and tooling each joint
- Replacing or resetting bricks that are cracked or loose
Does a Sheepshead Bay Building Need Facade Inspection Work?
Buildings taller than six stories fall under Local Law 11, the Facade Inspection and Safety Program, which calls for inspections every five years. Some larger Sheepshead Bay apartment buildings and condos are tall enough to be covered. Confirm your building's status with the city or your engineer.
Repointing is one of the most common repairs that follow an inspection report. If an engineer flags open joints or loose brick, we can carry out that work and give you photos for your file. We do not replace the inspection itself. That is done by a qualified professional.
Smaller buildings and private homes are not covered by that program, but the same weather hits them. A two family house near Avenue U gets rained on just as hard as a tower on the water. An owner who repoints on a schedule spends less than one who waits for a leak.
When to schedule the work
Mortar needs mild, dry weather to cure well, so spring and fall are the best windows on the bay. Do not wait for a cold snap. Water that sits in an open joint in January will freeze, expand and push the brick face off. Booking a visit in late summer lets you plan around the weather and not around an emergency.
If you manage a building, ask us to walk the roofline and street wall together. Fixing the parapet and the joints below it in one setup saves you from paying for access twice.
Seeing loose mortar or stains on your wall? Have someone look before the next storm.
Book an Inspection Call Now
Pricing
What Decides the Cost of Brick Pointing in Sheepshead Bay?
Wall area
A single chimney and a full street facade are very different jobs, and the price follows the square footage of joints.
Height and access
Work above the first floors may need a scaffold or a lift, which changes how we set up and how long we stay.
Mortar matching
Older brick often needs a softer mortar mix and a color that blends with the joints around it.
Depth of damage
Joints that have eroded deep take more mortar and more time than shallow surface wear.
Brick condition
Cracked or spalled bricks are cut out and replaced, and that is priced apart from the joints.
Water source
If a leaking gutter or flashing caused the damage, we point it out so the new joints do not fail again.
How It Goes
A Repointing Job from Inspection to Final Tooling
Inspect the wall
We look at joints, bricks, flashing and the roofline, and note where water is getting in.
Written price
You receive a price that lists the areas, the access needed and any brick replacement.
Set up access
Where the wall is too high to reach safely, a scaffold or lift goes up.
Cut out and repoint
Old mortar comes out, the joints are cleaned and new mortar is packed and tooled.
Clean up
We sweep the debris, remove the setup and walk the wall with you.
Nearby
Brick Pointing Around Sheepshead Bay
The same crews repoint brick in the neighborhoods that border the bay.
FAQ
Sheepshead Bay Brick Pointing Questions
Look for crumbling or missing mortar, hairline gaps around bricks, and damp patches inside on exterior walls. Scrape a joint with a screwdriver. If the mortar comes out as sand, it is worn out.
People use the words loosely. Repointing means removing old mortar and refilling the joints. Tuckpointing is a finer style that uses two colors of mortar for a decorative line. Most Sheepshead Bay walls just need repointing.
Yes, when the bricks are sound. We repoint the joints and check the crown and flashing. If bricks have shifted or the stack leans, a rebuild may be the better repair.
We match the mortar color and joint style as closely as we can and test a small area first. A perfect match is hard on old brick, but a careful mix blends well.
A chimney or a short wall can take a few days. A full facade takes longer and depends on the scaffold and the weather. A schedule comes with the written price.
Yes. Call (718) 468-8803 for a no cost visit to your Sheepshead Bay wall, then a written price for the repointing.
Contact
Ask About Your Sheepshead Bay Brick
Tell us the building type and where you see the damage. Photos of the joints and roofline help us plan the visit.
- 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.