Chimney Repair
We repair and rebuild brick chimneys around Racine, with brick and mortar matched to the old. New crowns and rain caps are part of the work too.
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Tuckpointing is the fix for mortar that is crumbling or falling out between the bricks. We grind or rake out the worn mortar and pack in new mortar. It matches the old mortar in color, texture and strength. Masons call the same repair repointing, and some people write it as tuck pointing.
M.O.E Masonry is a masonry contractor in Racine, based in Mount Pleasant on the west side of the city. We tuckpoint walls, chimneys, foundations, steps and parapets on houses, churches, storefronts and other commercial buildings. We work about 40 miles around Racine, from Kenosha County up to Milwaukee. Call or text (262) 744-4688, and we will look at the wall and put the quote in writing.
Tell us about the wall, chimney, foundation or steps and where the job is. We look at it and put the quote in writing.
Mortar joints are often called a wall's first line of defense against water. Once they crack or wear back, rain can soak into the wall. A Brick Industry Association technical note says wet brickwork can crack or spall from repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Spalling is the face of the brick flaking off, and spalled brick gets replaced as masonry repair work.
Lake Michigan winters bring plenty of those cycles. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 averages for Racine count about 120 days a year with a low at or below freezing. On nearly 70 of them, the high climbs back above freezing. Water that freezes in a crack takes up more room and pries the crack wider.
Signs a wall needs tuckpointing include joints worn back more than a quarter inch and mortar that crumbles. Hairline cracks and gaps between the brick and the mortar count too. If a leaking gutter or downspout soaks the wall, a roofer or gutter company fixes that first. A growing crack or a bowing block foundation wall goes to a structural engineer before any tuckpointing.
We cut old mortar out at least twice as deep as the joint is wide, or down to sound mortar. On brick, that generally means about three quarters of an inch, per the Brick Industry Association. Wide stone joints may need cutting out several inches deep.
A grinder cuts the long, flat bed joints. The short, upright head joints are finished with a chisel, since a grinder there can nick the brick. On soft old brick, more of the mortar comes out by hand. Then the joints are rinsed clean and left damp, with no standing water.
The mortar is mixed damp and left to rest an hour or so, which cuts shrinkage. We pack it in layers no more than a quarter inch thick. Each layer firms up to thumbprint hard before the next goes on. The last layer is tooled to match the shape of the old joints.
Mortar types are graded by strength. Type S is more than twice as strong as Type N. Type N is the everyday mix for most brick veneer, and Type O and lime mortars are softer still.
Brick Industry Association and National Park Service guidance agree that new mortar should be no stronger than the old. Hard mortar will not give as the wall swells and shrinks with the weather. The stress goes into the brick instead, and the brick face can crack or spall. Softer mortar also lets the wall dry out through the joints.
Brick laid before the early 1900s was mostly set in lime mortar. Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee have plenty of older brick, Cream City brick included. On soft old brick, we use a lime-rich mortar such as Type O where the original calls for it. Two of Kenosha's historic district plans put it in writing: match the original mortar's color, style, texture and strength.
Call or text for a written quote anywhere across Racine County, Kenosha County and the south side of Milwaukee County.
(262) 744-4688From the first call or text to the finished work, here is how it goes.
Call or text (262) 744-4688 and tell us about the job. Photos help, so send a few if you can.
We come out and look at the masonry and the mortar joints. Good photos can stand in for that first look.
You get the quote in writing, with the work spelled out. Once you say yes, we set a start date.
The brick, block or stone is delivered to the site, and scaffolding goes up where the height calls for it. Then we lay the new masonry or make the repair.
We take a final look at the work with you. The site is cleaned up before we leave.
Common questions about tuckpointing across Racine County, Kenosha County and the south side of Milwaukee County. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
We repair and rebuild brick chimneys around Racine, with brick and mortar matched to the old. New crowns and rain caps are part of the work too.
Learn More
Spalled brick, rusted lintels, loose steps and failed wall sections repaired and matched to the wall. Historic brick buildings and churches restored with matching brick and mortar.
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We lay brick veneer on new houses, additions, garages and commercial buildings. We also build brick steps, stoops, patios, columns and mailboxes.
Learn MoreWe lay all three, for new work and for repairs. You deal with one masonry company, whatever the wall is made of.
A repair should look like part of the wall. We match the mortar to the old joints and pick brick to match the wall around it.
We look at the job before we price it, in person or through your photos. The quote comes to you in writing before any work starts.
Mount Pleasant sits on the south side of Racine, in Racine County. From there, we work in Racine, Kenosha and the south side of Milwaukee County.
National cost guides put tuckpointing at $5 to $25 per square foot. See the ranges for walls, chimneys, foundations and steps, and what drives the price.
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What stair-step, vertical and horizontal cracks in a block foundation mean in southeast Wisconsin, who fixes each one, and what repairs cost.
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Chimney repair costs in Wisconsin from national cost guides: crown repair, tuckpointing, partial and full rebuilds, rain caps and what moves the price.
Read more →Tell us about the job and where it is, and send photos if you have them. Call or text (262) 744-4688, or use the form, and we will get back to you.
Tell us about the wall, chimney, foundation or steps and where the job is. We look at it and put the quote in writing.