Masonry restoration in Billings, MT - brick joints that hold up through winter
Crumbling mortar, gaps in the joints or brick faces flaking off? We find out why, then repair what needs it and keep the rest.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does masonry restoration on a Billings house involve?
The short answer: Masonry restoration in Billings usually comes down to repointing. We rake out the worn mortar between your bricks and pack in fresh mortar so the wall keeps water out again. Brick feels permanent, but it wears, and the mortar joints go first.
Most people call when they find sand on the windowsill or a joint they can push a key into. Mortar is supposed to give out before the brick does, though it doesn't have to be in such a hurry about it. The price mostly follows how many joints have actually failed, how high we have to work, how stubborn the old mortar is to get out without chipping brick, and whether any bricks are cracked badly enough to need brick repair as well. The schedule turns on the weather, because a wet wall needs time to dry before it freezes, and on any permit paperwork your building needs. You get your own figure from the estimate I write after looking at the wall.
How can you tell your brick mortar is failing?
Mortar washing out as sand
You find grit on the sills, or the joints sit back behind the brick face instead of flush with it. That's mortar at the end of its life, and every storm after that pushes water a little deeper into the wall.
Thin cracks along the joints
A hairline crack where brick meets mortar means the bond between them has let go. Water gets into that gap, freezes and pries it wider each winter, so a small repair now turns into a bigger one later.
Brick faces flaking off
When the face of a brick pops off and leaves raw clay showing, water is usually getting trapped in the brick and freezing. Left alone, more bricks lose their faces, and you end up replacing brick instead of just fixing joints.
How we do masonry restoration
Restoration starts with working out why the wall wore down, not just where, so I look at the gutters, downspouts and the way water runs down the wall before anyone picks up a tool. Then we mark the joints that are actually failing and leave the sound ones alone, because original mortar in good shape beats anything we could put back. Getting the old mortar out is the slow part. Guidance written for historic masonry favors hand chisels and mash hammers, since they're the least likely to damage the brick, and warns that a grinder in unskilled hands can wreck soft brick in a hurry. New mortar should be about as strong as the old or a little weaker, so it gives before the brick does. A hard mortar packed into a soft wall pushes the stress into the brick, and the faces start breaking away. On older walls we clean gently, and we plan the work around the season so a wet wall isn't left to freeze before it dries.
Restoration often sits next to other work on the same house. If the old brick fireplace inside is past saving, we can talk through fireplace installation. If a section of wall has more patches than brick worth keeping, stone veneer installation can give it a new face without tearing it down.
Repointing the failing joints
This suits walls where the damage sits in patches, usually under windows, near downspouts or along the top courses where water collects. You pay for the joints that need it, and the good original mortar stays put.
Repointing the whole wall
This suits walls where most of the joints have worn back or crumbled, so spot work would just chase the next bad joint. Every joint gets renewed at once, and the wall ends up with one even look.
What happens when you call about masonry restoration?
Here's how a restoration job goes with us, from your first call to the walk-around at the end. I see the wall before anyone talks price, and our crew does the work.
- Step 01
Call or send us a note
Call (406) 318-2106 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Photos of the worst joints help me know what to look at first.
- Step 02
I look at the wall
I check the joints and the water around them and ask a few plain questions. Your estimate shows which joints need work, how we'd do it and what it costs, so you're not paying to redo mortar that's still sound.
- Step 03
We handle permits and work
If the job needs a permit, we sort out the paperwork first and keep you posted on where it stands. Then our crew does the work, timed so the wall can dry before a hard freeze.
- Step 04
Walk the finished wall together
Before we pack up, we walk the finished job with you and look at the new joints up close. If something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
What Billings permits and winters mean for masonry restoration
Every permit in Billings goes in online. The city's Building Division takes all permit submissions through its public portal, and that office is the place to ask whether your repointing job needs one. If your house is a historic site or sits in a Historic District or on the Local Register, city code requires a certification before a building permit is issued. When a permit is needed, we help with the paperwork and can file it for you.
Winter is the other thing that shapes this work here. Billings had 121 days with a low at or below 32°F last year, and it got down to -19°F, which is hard on wet mortar and wet brick. Cleaning guidance for masonry says a wall can take more than a week to dry, so water cleaning should wrap up several days before the usual first frost. That's why fall restoration jobs get scheduled with the calendar in mind. We're based in Billings and work across the cities around it, and we see the same freeze-and-thaw wear on older brick in Lockwood and Laurel.
Get a repointing estimate for your brick
Send a few photos of the cracked or crumbling joints, the rough wall area in square feet, and whether your building is in a Historic District or on the Local Register. We reply within one business day. Then I come out, look at the wall and give you a free estimate with no pressure to book.
Why Billings homeowners call Stonecraft Billings Concrete and Masonry
The estimate comes from me
I come out, look at your wall and write the estimate myself, and I'm usually on the job working with our crew. The person who priced your joints is the one making sure they get done the way we talked about.
Only the joints that need it
A few bad joints don't call for a whole new wall, and I'd rather tell you that than sell it to you. Our promise is satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and that starts with not paying for work your wall doesn't need.
Licensed and insured in Montana
Montana requires construction contractors to be licensed with the state Department of Labor & Industry. We're licensed and insured, so you aren't taking on the risk of someone working without either.
Known for careful older-brick repair
I learned the trade mixing mud and hauling block on a small crew, and we've been in business since 2021. The parts of a wall nobody sees get the same care as the face, because they decide how long the rest holds up.
Send a few photos of your worst joints through our contact page, and I'll set a time to come look.
Masonry restoration questions from Billings homeowners
How do I know if my brick mortar needs repointing?
Your mortar needs repointing when it has worn back more than 1/4 inch from the brick face, crumbles, has gaps, or shows hairline cracks or cracks between brick and mortar. Only the joints with those problems need repair, so they also show how much of the wall the job covers.
How much does brick repointing cost in Billings, MT?
Across the US, brick repointing usually costs about $400 to $2,500 per 100 square feet, and that's a national planning range, not our price. Most of the cost is labor, because repointing is slow handwork. For a Billings figure on your wall, I'll come out and write you an estimate.
How long does new mortar last on a brick house?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, depending on how exposed the wall is and the mortar used. Brick can last well over 100 years, so the joints are the part you plan to renew, not the brick.
What do I need to file with the City of Billings for masonry work on my house?
Any permit for your building is submitted online through the Building Division's portal, and a historic property needs its certification before a building permit is issued, as covered above. Ask the Building Division whether your job needs a permit. If it does, we help with the paperwork and can file it for you.
How do I choose a mason for repointing old brick?
Ask to see repointing jobs they've done, because an excellent bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. Another fair test is letting a mason do a small section of the wall somewhere out of sight before they take on the rest.
What is the best way to clean old brick before restoration?
Old brick should be cleaned gently, with the mildest method that does the job, in weather with no chance of frost. Water at high pressure, like a power washer, is abrasive enough to etch soft stone and some types of brick. Water left in the wall can freeze and crack it, so here the cleaning wraps up well before the cold arrives.
Masonry services that pair with restoration
Fireplace installation
When the old firebox is cracked past saving or you want a hearth in a room that never had one, a new masonry fireplace may serve you better.
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer puts a natural stone face on a sound wall, foundation band or porch base, a good fit where patched brick would stand out too much.
Call about your crumbling mortar joints
We take calls at (406) 318-2106 from early morning until 11 PM every day, or you can send photos through the form so I can see your joints before I come out.