Facade Restoration & Local Law 11 Repairs
The repair work your FISP report calls for, done properly.
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Failed mortar is how water gets into a building. We cut out the old joints, match the original mortar and colour, and rebuild the masonry so the wall sheds water the way it was designed to.
When your building needs repointing
Mortar is deliberately softer than the brick around it — it is the part designed to wear. Once joints recede, crack or turn sandy, water runs straight into the wall instead of off it. Left alone through a few freeze-thaw winters, a pointing job turns into a brick replacement job.
Signs worth a call: powdery mortar you can scrape out with a key, hairline step cracks tracking through the joints, white efflorescence staining, damp patches on the inside face of an exterior wall, or loose and spalling brick.
How we do it
Joints are cut back to sound mortar — deep enough to key in properly, never so deep or so aggressive that we damage the brick arris. We mix to match the original mortar in strength and colour, because a hard modern mix against soft historic brick will destroy the brick rather than protect it.
On brownstone we cut back to sound stone, apply a scratch coat, and finish with a colour-matched brownstone coat tooled to match the original face. The finished work should read as the building, not as a repair.
Our work
Masonry & Brick Pointing in the field
FAQ
Questions about masonry and brick pointing
How long does brick pointing last?
A properly executed repointing job on a residential facade should last decades — the exact life depends on exposure, the original brick, and how much water the wall takes. Spot repairs to a small failed area last less; that is why we are honest up front about whether you need a section or the whole elevation.
Do you match historic mortar?
Yes. We match both the colour and the compressive strength. Using a hard portland-heavy mix on soft historic brick is one of the most common and most expensive mistakes in NYC masonry — the mortar survives and the brick face blows out instead.
Will you need scaffolding?
It depends on height and access. Low residential work is often done off ladders or a small pipe scaffold. Anything higher, or any work over a sidewalk, usually needs a pipe scaffold and may need a sidewalk shed and permits. We tell you which before you sign anything.
