TUCKPOINTING AND BRICK REPAIR IN ST. LOUIS

What Does Tuckpointing Do for Your House?

Short answer: it keeps water out of the wall.

Fresh mortar seals the joints so rain and ice can't get behind the brick and break it apart.

St. Louis is known for its brick, especially the red clay and St. Louis Common brick in older neighborhoods. Those bricks are built to last. The mortar between them isn't.

It's supposed to wear out first so it can be replaced without hurting the brick, and it has to stay breathable so moisture can dry out instead of getting trapped.

If the joints wash out, moisture settles behind the brick face. When that water freezes and expands, the brick cracks or "spalls," meaning the face pops off. Spalled brick can't be fixed with mortar. It has to be cut out and replaced, which costs a lot more than tuckpointing.

Tuckpointing stops that before it starts.

The failing mortar is ground out, and the joints are packed with new mortar matched to your brick.

A close-up of a weathered red brick wall with some discoloration.

Cracked or washed-out mortar?

Moe and his crew repair brick walls, chimneys, porches, and other masonry across St. Louis. Moe comes out and looks at it himself. Call or text 314-255-8940.

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What Is Tuckpointing?

Tuckpointing is the repair of worn mortar joints in a brick wall. The old mortar is cut out, then new mortar is packed into the joints and finished to match the rest of the wall. It's done on house walls, chimneys, and porches. Chimneys often need it first, since they're exposed to weather on every side.

What Happens When Moe Comes Out?

Moes Masonry comes out and looks at the job in person. We'll tell you what we see and give you a price. If you're good with it, we'll get you on the schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How do I know if my brickwork needs tuckpointing or if it's just dirty?

Take a look at the mortar joints between your bricks. If you see deep cracks, sections where the mortar has "washed out" and receded, or if it crumbles into dust when you poke it with a screwdriver, it’s time. In St. Louis, our humidity and freeze-thaw cycles are brutal on old lime mortar. If you ignore those gaps, water gets behind the brick and eventually causes the face of the brick to pop off, which is a much more expensive fix.

Can I just patch the cracks myself with some hardware store caulk?

You can, but you'll probably regret it in a year. Caulk traps moisture inside the wall, which is the exact opposite of what you want. Proper tuckpointing involves grinding out the old, failing mortar to a specific depth and replacing it with a mix that matches the strength of your original bricks. If the new mortar is harder than the brick, the brick will eventually crack instead of the joint. We make sure the mortar "breathes" so your masonry stays structurally sound.

Will the new mortar match the 50-year-old joints on the rest of my house?

This is where the "art" of masonry comes in. Fresh mortar is rarely an out-of-the-box match for aged St. Louis brickwork. We don't just slap grey cement in the gaps; we custom-blend and tint the mortar to match the existing color and texture as closely as possible. The goal is for the repair to be invisible from the sidewalk, restoring that classic St. Louis curb appeal without making the house look "patchy."

Can damaged mortar cause basement leaks?

Yes, it can. When mortar starts cracking, crumbling, or pulling away from the brick, water has an easier path into the wall. Once that moisture gets behind the masonry, it can travel downward and show up as damp spots, musty smells, or water in the basement.

That does not mean tuckpointing fixes every basement leak. But when the problem starts with bad mortar joints above grade, proper tuckpointing can help seal those weak spots and keep more water from getting into the wall in the first place. If the water issue is coming from grading, foundation cracks, hydrostatic pressure, or drainage problems, that may need a closer look through our basement waterproofing services.

How do I know if I need tuckpointing, repointing, or a rebuild?

Look at the mortar and the brick. If the mortar is crumbling or sinking back from the face of the wall but the bricks are solid, you most likely need repointing. That’s what most people around St. Louis call tuckpointing. If the bricks themselves are cracked or flaking, or the wall is bulging or shifting, part of the wall may need to be rebuilt. Moe will tell you which one it is during his on-site assessment. See the full guide: Tuckpointing vs. Repointing vs. Rebuilding

Tuckpointing & Mortar Repair in St. Louis

Brickwork should keep water out, not let it in. Moe’s Masonry provides tuck-pointing and mortar repair for homes and businesses across the St. Louis area

Older brick homes around St. Louis often deal with mortar wear from years of moisture, freeze-thaw cycles, and changing temperatures. Tuckpointing helps keep water from getting behind the brick while helping the masonry hold its original look.

If the mortar is cracking, washing out, or pulling away, it’s a good time to have it looked at before small damage gets expensive.

Call or text 314-255-8940 to talk about the brickwork

and schedule a consultation.

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Moes Masonry: Serving the St Louis Metro area

314-255-8940

* Initial Fee of $149 will apply. (For over 30 miles from zip code 63125, depending on location, an estimated initial fee of $195 will be charged. Call for details).

Serving St. Louis, St. Louis County, and nearby Illinois communities, including Belleville, Edwardsville, and Collinsville.