Masonry service
Tuckpointing & repointing
Cutting out failed mortar and replacing it with a matched mix — the single best-value masonry repair there is.
Mortar is designed to be the sacrificial part of a wall — it fails so the brick does not. When joints go crumbly, raking them out and repacking with fresh mortar buys your wall another fifty years for a fraction of what a rebuild costs. The catch is that the wrong mortar mix does more harm than no repair at all.
What this covers
- Grinding and hand-raking of failed joints to proper depth
- Mortar mixes matched to the age and hardness of your brick
- Colour matching so repairs disappear into the wall
- Consistent joint tooling — concave, weathered, flush or raked
- Heritage lime mortar for pre-1940 masonry
- Full elevations or spot repairs
How we approach it
Test
We check mortar hardness and brick porosity so the new mix is softer than the brick, never harder.
Cut
Joints are raked to roughly twice their width so the new mortar has something to grip.
Pack
Mortar is packed in layers and tooled at the right moment for a dense, weather-tight joint.
Clean
Walls are brushed and washed so no smears are left on the brick faces.
Tuckpointing & Repointing across Cambridge
We work in every Cambridge neighbourhood — Galt, Preston and Hespeler — as well as Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and Brantford. Housing stock varies enormously between them, and so does the right approach: a 1890s Hespeler mill house and a 2015 Blair Road build need completely different mortar, detailing and expectations.
Reviews
Cambridge homeowners, in their own words
Every review below is from a real job in a real neighbourhood — most within ten minutes of each other.
“They installed a stone fireplace for us and the quality of the work was outstanding. The price was fair and they finished when they said they would. We have had three neighbours ask who did it.”
“The stone walkway was applied so evenly. You can tell the difference between someone who does this properly and someone who just lays stone. Excellent workmanship.”
“Very satisfied with the brick restoration. They matched our original brick better than I thought was possible and cleaned up the site every single day.”
“Detail oriented from start to finish. They repointed the front elevation and rebuilt the chimney, and left the job site cleaner than they found it.”
“Quality work, done right. Our front steps and porch have never looked better. Highly recommend to anyone in Cambridge.”
FAQ
Tuckpointing & Repointing — common questions
Scrape a joint with a key. If mortar falls out as sand or you can push the key in more than a few millimetres, it is time.
Modern high-cement mortar is harder than old brick. Moisture then escapes through the brick face instead of the joint, and the brick spalls. On older homes we use lime-based mixes for that reason.
No. Estimates are free, written, and come with photos of what we found. There is no obligation and we do not do high-pressure follow-up calls.
Yes — fully insured with WSIB coverage on every crew member. We will send you certificates before work starts, without being asked.
Small repairs can often be fit in within a week or two. Larger builds in peak season (May–September) typically book 3–6 weeks out. Chimney and water-related emergencies get prioritised.
Need tuckpointing & repointing sorted this season?
Small repairs can often be fitted in within a week or two. Larger builds book three to six weeks out in summer, and water or safety problems jump the queue.