Masonry restoration in Novato CA - mortar that lets your old brick dry out
Mortar crumbling out of the joints or old brick looking tired? We fix the joints first, clean gently and leave a wall that dries out.
What does masonry restoration on an older Novato house involve?
Masonry restoration in Novato usually means repointing, which is raking the worn, crumbling mortar out of the joints in your brick or stone and packing in fresh mortar, followed by a gentle cleaning once the wall is sound again. Done right, it keeps water out of the joints and lets the old masonry keep drying out on its own.
Most calls start with sand piling up under a wall, joints you can scrape out with a key, white powder on the brick or a chimney that's looking loose up top. The price moves with how much wall needs new joints, how deep the old mortar has gone, how high we're working and how soft the brick or stone is, since fragile material means hand tools and a slower pace. The schedule turns on the same things and on dry weather for the new mortar to set, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your wall. If the old face is past saving and you'd rather cover the wall in new stone, that's stone veneer installation, a different job.
Why Novato homeowners hire us for masonry restoration
You'll deal with me from the first look to the last joint, and you'll get a straight answer about what's wrong and what it'll take to fix it.
The owner sees every job
I come out to look at every job myself, and my crew of masons does the work alongside me.
Old brick since 2017
I started this business in Novato in 2017, and mortar work on old brick and chimneys is what we're known for.
Licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and you can ask about either at the estimate before any work starts.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
If anything about the finished wall doesn't sit right with you, say so, because that's the promise on every job.
Send photos, get answers
Call (628) 209-1088 or send photos of the worn joints through the form, and I'll tell you what I see.
Masonry restoration work we take on
Which way we go depends on what the wall is made of, how far the mortar has gone and whether the trouble is in a wall or a chimney.
Ask about your masonry restoration
Call (628) 209-1088 or ask for an estimate, and send photos of the worn joints so I know what I'm walking into.
How Optimum Novato Concrete and Masonry handles masonry restoration
We fix the joints before we clean anything. Cleaning water gets through open joints into the wall, where it can rust metal anchors and stain the plaster inside, so the wall has to be sound first. Then we go easy on the cleaning, because too much pressure does damage of its own and old brick or soft stone doesn't grow back.
The part I fuss over is the mortar mix. New mortar has to let moisture work its way out of the wall and dry off. If it's harder and tighter than the brick, the water leaves through the brick instead and the brick pays for it. Hard mortar on old brick looks great right up until it doesn't.
Masonry restoration questions we hear
How much does masonry restoration cost in Novato?
Brick repointing across the US usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, and that's a national range for the work, not our price. Your own figure comes from the written estimate once I've seen the wall.
Can I power wash old brick or stone?
It's usually a bad idea. Water at high pressure is abrasive enough to etch marble, other soft stone and some kinds of brick, so ask any crew what pressure they plan to use and pick a gentler method for old masonry.
Is repointing the same as tuck pointing?
Close enough that you'll see both on quotes. Repointing is also called pointing and, less accurately, tuck pointing, and all three usually mean replacing the worn mortar in the joints.
How do I make an old brick chimney safer in an earthquake?
Earthquake guidance for older masonry chimneys is aimed at one risk, bricks falling, so chimney work is a safety step as well as a repair. Its approaches run from capping the chimney at the roof or ceiling, to rebuilding it above the shoulder, where it narrows, over the old firebox or a factory insert, to replacing both with a factory insert and a metal flue.
What causes white powder on my brick wall?
That's usually efflorescence, salts that water carries out of the wall and leaves on the face as it dries. The fix starts with finding where the water's getting in and stopping it, and only then cleaning off the white, or it just comes back.
What license does a masonry contractor need in California?
California licenses masonry contractors under their own classification, the C-29 Masonry Contractor license, so it's fair to ask any contractor which license they hold. Ask before anyone touches your wall, not after.
What happens when you call about masonry restoration in Novato?
We plan the work around your house and your schedule, starting with what the wall actually needs rather than what's easiest to sell.
You get in touch
Call (628) 209-1088 or use the form and tell us what's crumbling or cracking. Photos of the worn joints help me show up ready.
I come out myself
I look at the wall or chimney in person and tell you what I see, what I'd do and what I wouldn't bother with.
Your written estimate
You get the plan and the price in writing, so you can think it over before you decide anything.
Work and walk-through
The crew and I do the work, then I walk the finished job with you so you see exactly what was done.
Masonry restoration in Novato and nearby cities
Based in Novato, we work across the cities below and around them. Permits are the city's call, and its guide to required and exempt work is worth checking. If your job needs one, we pull it. Pick yours below.
Get your Novato masonry estimate
Catching loose joints before bricks start moving usually means repointing instead of rebuilding, so call (628) 209-1088 or send photos through the form.