Masonry restoration in Newport News VA - mortar that lets old brick dry out
Crumbling joints, worn brick or a tired chimney? We repoint and repair with mortar suited to your wall, so it keeps drying out.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does masonry restoration involve on a Newport News home?
Masonry restoration in Newport News mostly comes down to repointing, where we rake the worn mortar out of your brick or stone joints and pack in new mortar that suits the wall, so it keeps water out and can still dry out.
Most calls start with crumbling joints or a chimney that's seen better days. The price depends on how much wall needs new joints, how deep the old mortar has worn, how high we have to work and whether some brick has to be replaced. The schedule mostly depends on whether your address needs a permit or a historic review before we start. If the joints are the only problem, the job may just be tuckpointing, and I'll tell you so when I walk the wall with you before I write up your estimate.
How can you tell your brick needs restoring?
Joints sunk behind the brick
If the mortar sits well back from the face of the brick, or you can see gaps along some joints, it has worn down and water has an easier way in. Left alone, that water starts working on the brick itself, and a joint job turns into a brick job.
Sand piling up below
Fine grit on the window sills or along the base of a wall usually means the mortar is breaking down and washing out a little with every rain. It won't fix itself, and the longer it goes, the deeper we have to rake to reach sound mortar.
Cracked or flaking brick faces
When the face of a brick cracks, pops off or crumbles, water is usually getting into it and has nowhere to go. Those bricks need replacing, and if the joints around them are holding water in, more bricks will follow.
How we handle masonry restoration
On an older home, I want to know what the original mortar was before we mix anything new, so the wall can still dry out the way it was built to. We clean gently first and only step up if the dirt calls for it, because harder cleaning can scar old brick. Then we rake the worn mortar out of the joints down to sound material, pack in the new mortar, shape the joints to match the ones around them, and swap out any brick that's too far gone. When we're done, we wash the wall down and haul off the old mortar, so all you're left with is the wall.
Restoration often sits beside other work on the same house. If the chimney is getting new joints and you've been thinking about a hearth inside, we also do fireplace installation. If a block or concrete wall needs a new face rather than new mortar, we do stone veneer installation.
Spot repointing
This suits a wall that's mostly sound with a few worn patches, like the top of a chimney or the strip under a leaky gutter. We match the color and texture of the joints around the patch so the repair doesn't stand out.
Full wall repointing
When the joints are tired across the whole wall, doing it all at once gives you one even wall instead of a patchwork. It also saves you from paying to set up again for the next patch a year later.
Brick and stone replacement
Cracked, flaking or loose units come out, and we set in replacements as close in size and color as we can find. That way the wall reads as one wall and not a repair job.
Get a free on-site estimate for your brick or stone restoration
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll walk the wall with you and write up a free estimate, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
(757) 782-8614- Based in
- Newport News, VA 23606
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call us about masonry restoration in Newport News?
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (757) 782-8614 or fill in the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come look. A rough idea of how big and how tall the wall is helps us plan the visit.
Walk the wall together
I look at the joints and the brick with you, point out what I'm seeing and explain it before I write anything up. You get a written estimate that says what the wall needs and what it'll cost, so you can decide with the figure in hand.
Permits first, then the work
Once you say go, we sort out any permit or review your address needs, then do the work, with me alongside our masons. At the end I walk the wall with you, so you know what we did and what to watch for next time.
Why Newport News homeowners call K&R for brick and stone restoration
I look at every job myself
I come out to every job, look at the wall with you and write the estimate myself, then work alongside our masons once we start. The person who told you what your wall needs is there when it gets done.
Repointing older homes since 2020
I started this business in 2020 to work on homes people already live in, after my first years laying block and brick on new houses. Repointing and repair on older brick is what we're best known for, and that's where a fix has to fit a wall with a history.
Licensed and fully insured in Virginia
We're licensed and fully insured. Virginia's Board for Contractors sets a Class C license for repair or improvement jobs worth more than $1,000 and less than $30,000 per contract, so it's fair to ask any mason which license covers your job.
If you'd like a straight read on your wall, call (757) 782-8614 or send us your details and I'll come take a look.
Masonry restoration, permits and historic homes in Newport News
In Newport News, building permit applications go to Codes Compliance at City Hall, and the city requires a permit to construct, expand or alter a building or land. I won't guess whether your repointing job counts, so before we start we check with the city's permit office for your address and handle the paperwork when the job calls for it. The city also has two historic districts, Hilton Village and North End/Huntington Heights, where architectural review boards look after each district's historic and architectural character. If your house is in one of them, I flag it early so any review can happen before we mix a batch of mortar.
A lot of what we restore here is older brick, where the joints were often laid with a softer mix than you'd buy in a bag today. On those walls we take the time to find the right match instead of reaching for the hardest mix on the truck, and we see the same kind of houses on jobs in Hampton and Norfolk.
Questions about masonry restoration in Newport News
How much does it cost to repoint brick in Newport News?
Repointing brick across the US usually costs about $500 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, and that's the going rate nationally, not our price. Walls tall enough to need scaffolding cost more per square foot to repoint than lower walls, so a two-story wall or a chimney can raise the total. Your own figure comes from the estimate once I've seen the wall.
What is the best way to choose mortar for an older brick home?
Start with what's already in the wall, because the right new mortar depends on what the old one was made of. One masonry group's guide advises finding that out first, then considering a lime-based mortar if lime was used originally. Mortar that keeps moisture from moving out of the wall and drying off ends up damaging the brick itself, so a mix that lets the wall breathe is the safer pick.
How do I know if my mortar joints need repointing?
If you can scratch the mortar out easily with something sharp, like a chisel, it may be worn enough to need repair. Try a few joints in different spots before you call, and tell me what you found when we talk.
How long does repointing last on a brick house?
One cost guide says brick and stone mortar needs repointing every 25 to 30 years. That makes it a job you can see coming and plan for years ahead, not a regular expense.
Does my Newport News historic district review brick and mortar work?
In North End/Huntington Heights, painting brick, stone or cement that's never been painted needs board review, because taking paint off later is hard and damages the masonry. The district's architectural guidelines also recommend that repointing match the original mortar's color and composition and that new brick or stone match the original, which is one more reason to check the old mortar first. If you're in Hilton Village, I flag that early too so any review can happen before we start.
How do I clean old brick without damaging it?
Wash it with very low water pressure first, even a garden hose, and raise it only if the dirt won't come off. That follows preservation guidance for historic masonry, and it matters because a pressure washer can cut into soft old brick and mortar.
Masonry work that often goes with restoration
Fireplace installation
If the brick work outside goes along with plans for a new hearth inside, we can build the firebox and surround so both parts fit together as one job.
Stone veneer installation
If a block or concrete wall needs a better face rather than new joints, a stone facing gives it the look of solid stone without rebuilding the wall.
Masonry restoration around Newport News
K&R Newport News Concrete & Masonry is based in Newport News, VA, and works in the cities around it, including the 9 with their own page here, such as Poquoson and Williamsburg. If you don't see your city listed, call and ask.
Newport News, VA
Have your brick and mortar looked at
Have your address, roughly how tall the wall is and whether you're in a historic district ready when you call, because those three things shape the visit and the paperwork.