Masonry restoration in Lafayette LA - worn joints and brick repaired at the cause
Crumbling mortar, cracked joints or flaking brick? We find what's wearing your wall out and fix that, not just the surface.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does masonry restoration take on a Lafayette house?
Masonry restoration in Lafayette, LA, means raking out worn mortar, packing in new and repairing any brick that's cracked, loose or flaking, so your walls stay tight and keep water out.
Most people call when they find sand on the windowsill, a crack climbing the wall in steps or a brick face popping off. Some of that is a joint problem and some of it is a brick repair problem. The price follows which one you have, how much wall needs work, how high we have to reach and how many bricks have to be matched and replaced. The schedule turns on those same things, plus the permit check and weather the mortar can set up in. The estimate tells you what I'd do, what I'd skip and what it costs for your wall.
Is masonry restoration right for your house?
Mortar washing out
When joints sit back from the brick and crumble to the touch, they're due for new mortar.
Cracks along the joints
Stair-step cracks or loose bricks mean the repair goes past the joints and into the brick.
Brick faces flaking off
Flaking brick usually points to water getting in or an old patch done with mortar that's too hard.
An older brick house
Mortar wears out long before good brick does, so an older house often just needs its joints redone.
How we handle masonry restoration
I start by working out whether the wear is in the mortar or the brick itself and what caused it, because a repair that skips the cause only covers it up. If water is getting in from a gutter, a cap or a bad old patch, we deal with that first. Then our crew rakes the worn mortar out to sound material, cuts out and replaces any cracked or loose brick, packs the joints with new mortar, tools them to match the rest of the wall and cleans the face.
Restoration often runs into other work. When an old fireplace is too far gone to save, we can build a new one through our fireplace installation work. If a wall is sound but you want a different face on it, stone veneer installation can go over it once the masonry behind is solid.
Repointing only
This suits a wall where the brick is sound and only the joints are worn or crumbling. It's the smaller job, and if that's all your house needs, that's all I'll quote.
Repointing with brick repair
This is for walls with stair-step cracks, loose bricks or flaking faces, because new joints won't help brick that's failing. We replace the damaged bricks with the closest match we can find and repoint around them.
Spot repairs
This fits one bad section, like under a leaky gutter or at the base of a chimney, when the rest of the wall is holding up fine. We fix that area and the cause behind it and leave the good brick alone.
What happens when you call about masonry restoration in Lafayette?
Call or send a message
Call (337) 216-1882 or use the form, and give us the wall's rough size in square feet and what you're seeing in the joints. That way I come out knowing what to look at.
I look the job over
I come out myself, look over the joints and the brick, and tell you what I'd do and what can wait. You get a written estimate, so you know the price before anything starts.
We handle permits and work
If you go ahead, we take care of the permit side with your city. Our crew does the work, and I'm on site running it.
Walk the finished wall together
Once the joints are filled and the face is cleaned up, we walk the job with you. You see every section before we call it done.
Which mortar belongs in a masonry restoration?
One no harder than the mortar already there.
New mortar should be about as strong as the old mortar or weaker. A mix that's harder than the brick around it won't give when the wall moves, so the brick face cracks and flakes off instead of the joint, and the brick is the part you can't easily replace.
That's why I want the joint to be the weak spot. Mortar can be raked out and redone, while a spalled brick has to be cut out and matched. Ask any mason what mix they plan to use, and if they can't tell you, keep looking.
Brick, block and stone masonry
Look through these examples of brick, block and stone masonry to get a feel for finishes, joint styles and wall types before we talk.
Get a free on-site estimate for your brick walls
Tell us the wall's rough size in square feet and what you're seeing in the mortar or brick. We reply within one business day, and I come out myself for a free on-site estimate with no obligation.
Why Lafayette homeowners call K&D Lafayette Masonry and Concrete for restoration
I price and run your job
I come out to look at the wall and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site running the crew while the work gets done. The person who told you what the job needs is the one checking it gets done that way.
In business since 2020
I started this business in 2020 after learning masonry on a municipal crew, where public work had to pass inspection. We hold your house to that same standard, especially the parts you won't see once we pack up.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, so you're not taking a chance on who's working at your house. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Based right here in Lafayette
We're based in Lafayette and work across Broussard, Scott, Carencro, Youngsville and the other cities around it. Call (337) 216-1882 or use our estimate form to get started.
Masonry restoration questions
How do I know my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the face, crumbles, has holes or gaps, or has cracks in or beside the joints. You can check for those yourself before you call. If you also see stair-step cracks, loose or cracked bricks or flaking faces, the brick needs repair too, and I'll tell you which it is when I come out.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Lafayette, LA?
Repointing brick usually costs about $500 to $2,500 per 100 square feet across the US, which is a national figure and not our quote. Taller walls that need scaffolding cost more per square foot, and replacing damaged brick adds to the job. A rough measurement of your wall helps, and the estimate gives you the price for your house.
Who is allowed to do masonry repairs in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, a home improvement job over $7,500 and up to $50,000 has to be bid or done by a registered home improvement contractor or a licensed contractor, under the state contractor licensing board's rules. A residential job of $50,000 or more, or one with any structural work, has to be bid and done by a licensed residential building contractor. Ask anyone you're considering which of those they hold.
How long does repointed mortar last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself can last more than 100. So a sound brick house often needs its joints redone long before the brick wears out, and that's normal upkeep, not a sign the house is failing.
What is the best way to clean old brick before repointing?
The best way is the gentlest one that gets it clean, because National Park Service guidance on historic masonry says high-pressure washing, like power washing, is very abrasive and can etch soft stone and some brick. If your brick is older, put the pressure washer away and ask about cleaning at the estimate.
What is the difference between tuckpointing and repointing?
In everyday use there's little difference, since repointing, pointing and tuckpointing all usually mean taking worn mortar out of the joints and putting new mortar in. Calling it tuckpointing is a bit loose, because strictly that's a narrower finishing technique. Our tuckpointing page goes into it.
Want to know what your wall needs?
I come out, look over the mortar and brick, and tell you what I'd fix and what can wait.
Work that often goes with restoration
Masonry restoration rules and homes in Lafayette
In Lafayette, the Development and Planning department handles permitting for construction projects, and most construction needs a permit before work starts. Whether your restoration needs one isn't something I'd guess at, so we check with the permit office in your city before we start and take care of any permit the job calls for. That same office handles historic property designations, so if you own an older building, you can ask it about your property. On older, softer brick, the park service's guidance says hand chisels take more labor but in most cases pose the least risk of damage, while power tools in unskilled hands can ruin the brick.
A lot of the brick we see around Lafayette is on older homes where the joints wore out long before the brick did, and the job is mostly repointing with a few bricks swapped. We see the same kind of houses on jobs in Broussard and Scott, and we start them the same way, by finding what wore the mortar out.