Masonry St Louis - Brick Repair

Masonry St Louis

Brick doesn't fail overnight. It deteriorates gradually, usually as a result of water finding its way in through cracked mortar, damaged brick, or poor drainage around a foundation. By the time most homeowners notice a problem, whether that's crumbling mortar, spalling brick, or a section of wall that looks like it's bulging slightly, the underlying issue has usually been building for a while.

Spalling is one of the most common issues we see. This happens when water gets inside a brick, freezes, and expands, causing the face of the brick to crack and flake off. Once a brick has spalled, the damage doesn't reverse itself, and the exposed inner brick is more vulnerable to further water damage. Spalled brick generally needs to be replaced rather than patched.

Get a Free Quote

Contact Us

Masonry St Louis

Satisfied Clients

Our home is over 90 years old with original brickwork that had started crumbling in a few spots, and Masonry St. Louis handled the tuckpointing beautifully. They matched the mortar color almost perfectly and explained exactly what was causing the deterioration before starting any work. A year later everything looks solid, and we finally stopped worrying about water getting into the walls. Would absolutely hire them again for any future masonry work.

Tom H., South St. Louis

Button
We hired Masonry St. Louis to build a retaining wall after years of dealing with drainage issues in our backyard. They were upfront about cost and explained the whole process clearly before starting, and the crew finished the job on schedule. It's held up through a full winter of freeze-thaw cycles with no cracking or shifting at all. Neighbors have already asked who did the work.

Denise R., Kirkwood, MO

Button

Cracked mortar joints are usually the earlier-stage version of the same underlying problem. Mortar is designed to be the sacrificial element in a brick wall, meaning it's meant to wear out before the brick itself does, and deteriorated mortar is normal after enough decades. The problem comes when it's left unaddressed, since failing mortar lets water behind the brick face, which eventually leads to the spalling and structural issues that are far more expensive to fix.

Shifting or bowing walls point to a more serious underlying issue, often related to foundation movement, water damage over an extended period, or original construction that wasn't adequately reinforced. This kind of damage needs a careful structural assessment before any repair work begins, since patching the visible symptom without addressing the cause won't hold.

We diagnose the actual cause of brick damage before recommending a repair approach. In many cases, this means tuckpointing to address failing mortar before it causes further brick damage. In other cases, individual bricks need to be cut out and replaced. In more serious situations, sections of a wall may need to be rebuilt.

We'll also tell you honestly when a wall has deteriorated to the point where repair no longer makes sense compared to a partial or full rebuild. Continuing to patch a wall that has significant structural issues just means paying for repeated repairs on a problem that isn't actually being solved.

If you've noticed cracking, spalling, or other signs of brick deterioration on your property, contact us for an assessment. We'll give you an honest diagnosis and a clear recommendation for what the repair actually involves.