Tuckpointing in Clarksville TN - sound mortar joints that protect your brick
Mortar wearing back, crumbling or cracking away from the brick? We cut out the worn joints and refill them with mortar matched to your brick.
Get your worn mortar joints looked at
Call (931) 272-0045 or send the form with a few photos of the worst joints, so I know what to look at first when I come out.
What is tuckpointing, and does my house need it?
Tuckpointing, also called repointing, means cutting the worn mortar out from between your bricks and filling those joints with fresh mortar, and our crew does it on brick homes in Clarksville, TN so your walls end up with sound joints again.
Most people call because they've seen mortar that's sunk back, gone sandy or cracked, and they want to know if it's one bad spot or the whole house, and sometimes it turns out smaller than they feared. The price mostly turns on how much joint needs cutting out and how high we have to work to reach it, and I give you your own figure once I've seen the walls. The schedule turns on the size of the job and whether your address needs a permit or a historic review before we start.
Why Clarksville homeowners call A&K Clarksville Concrete and Masonry for tuckpointing
I look at your wall myself
I come out myself to look at the joints and write the estimate, so you hear what I see before you decide. Our own crew does the work, and I check on it.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, which matters when a crew is on ladders along the side of your house. The city also requires contractors working in Clarksville to register, so ask anyone you're comparing about that.
Known for careful repair work
We've been in business since 2021, and careful repair of worn joints, chimneys and walls is what we're known for, so you get a crew that's used to fixing what's already there.
What matters most on this job is fixing the real problem behind the worn joints, not just the part you can see, so set up a time for me to look at your walls or call (931) 272-0045.
How we do tuckpointing on your house
First I look at your brick and the old mortar, because we match the new mortar to your brick so the mortar is the softer of the two, and on older homes I take extra care with the mix. That matters because mortar harder than the brick can make the brick faces spall, or break off, and that's a bigger repair than any joint. Our crew then cuts the worn mortar out of each joint, clears out the dust, packs fresh mortar in and tools it to match the joints around it. We finish by brushing mortar smears off the brick and cleaning up around your house.
Tuckpointing only fixes the joints, so if I find bricks that are cracked or spalling, we handle those as brick repair alongside the repointing and the new mortar has solid brick to grip. We also lay driveway pavers, and if the drive has been on your mind, I'm happy to look at that while I'm out.
Repointing worn sections
This suits a house where the wear is in a few spots, like low on a wall, near a downspout or around a chimney. We cut out and refill just those joints and match the color to the mortar around them.
Repointing whole walls
This suits a house where the joints are worn across most of a wall or the whole house. Doing it all at once keeps the mortar color even instead of leaving a patchwork of old and new.
How can you tell your mortar joints are wearing out?
Joints sunk behind the brick
The mortar sits back from the brick so there's a little ledge. That's usually years of weathering, and the deeper it gets, the more water the wall takes in.
Sandy, crumbling mortar
Rub a joint and it turns to sand in your fingers. The mortar has lost its bond, and once enough falls away, bricks can loosen and need resetting too.
Holes and gaps in joints
You see open spots where mortar is missing entirely, sometimes with a wasp nest in them. Those gaps let water straight into the wall, and the repair grows the longer it waits.
Cracks along the brick edge
A hairline crack runs through the joint or where the mortar has pulled away from the brick. Often it's just aging mortar, but cracks that zigzag up a wall can mean movement underneath.
What happens after you call us about tuckpointing?
I look at your walls
After you call or send the form, I come out, look at the joints with you and go over what I see. Then I write the estimate before you decide anything.
Our crew repoints the joints
Once you say yes and any permit is sorted, our own crew does the cutting and repointing. I check on the work while it's underway.
We walk the finished job
When the work is done, I walk the finished job with you and we look at each wall together. Point out anything you want to talk through while we're standing there.
Tuckpointing questions we hear most
Here are straight answers to what Clarksville homeowners ask us about worn mortar. If your house raises a question that isn't here, call and ask.
How do I know my brick needs tuckpointing?
Your brick needs repointing when the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles, has gaps, shows hairline cracks or has cracked away from the brick. You can check for all of these yourself by walking around the house and looking closely at the joints, especially low on the walls and around the chimney.
How long does new mortar last after tuckpointing?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last over 100. So the brick usually outlasts its mortar, and repointing now and then is normal upkeep for a brick house, not a sign something is failing.
What mortar is best for an older or historic home in Clarksville?
Older homes need a softer mortar, because houses from the early 1900s or before often have mortar made without portland cement, and it's far weaker than today's. Lime mortar is soft and porous and changes little in size as temperatures swing, which is why preservation guidance favors it for historic buildings. If your house is in a historic district, start with the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Historic Zoning Commission, which offers a review process and can set guidelines on exterior materials and texture there.
Who issues building permits in Clarksville, and when does a contractor need a state license?
The City of Clarksville's Construction Division issues building permits and follows each project through to completion, and any project valued at $25,000 or more has to be done by a contractor licensed by the State of Tennessee. When a job needs a permit, we find out which city or county office covers your address and take care of it as part of the job.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Clarksville?
There isn't one going rate, because the price comes from how much of your mortar has to be cut out and what it takes to reach it, so I give you your number after I've seen the walls. A few worn spots near a downspout is a much smaller job than repointing every wall, and a chimney, broken bricks to replace or an older house that needs a softer mix all add to it.
What is the best way to compare tuckpointing contractors?
Ask each mason to show you repointing they've done before, because an excellent bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. You can also ask them to work a small section of your wall where it won't show before the full job starts, and ask which mortar they'd use and how it compares with your brick.
Get a tuckpointing estimate on site
Tell us your address, what the joints look like and roughly when your house was built, and we'll reply within one business day. Then I come out to look with you and give you a free estimate, no obligation.
Examples of tuckpointing work
Other work on your brick and yard
Brick repair
When a brick is cracked, loose or flaking on its face, fresh mortar around it won't hold it, so replacing that brick keeps the wall solid.
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If your concrete driveway is cracked or tired-looking, pavers give you a surface that can be lifted and reset in sections instead of torn out whole.
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