Key takeaways
- Mortar should be softer than the brick around it
- Hard cement traps water and breaks brick faces
- Lime mortars let old walls breathe
- A small test shows which mortar a wall needs
The mortar is the part of a wall that should wear out first, and that is on purpose.
A sacrifice that protects
Mortar can be replaced. Brick cannot. When mortar is softer than the brick, it takes the wear and the movement, and the brick stays whole.
What goes wrong
Modern cement mortar is very hard. On old, soft brick it can cause the brick faces to spall, because moisture exits through the brick instead of the joint.
The right match
We test the wall and mix mortar to match its strength, its color and its sand. Lime-based mixes are often best for older buildings.
Joints that look original
Joint profile and depth matter too. We tool them to match, so the wall looks renewed rather than patched.
Related services
Questions about your own masonry? Call or text 800-224-9245, or use the estimate form below.