Repointing on a 1920s Lincoln Square building — lime-based mortar formulated to the building’s era, protecting the original brick that a modern Portland mix would slowly destroy.
Project Details
Drag the handle to compare. Use arrows to browse all 3 project photos.
After 
Before 1/3 — Main facade — joints repointed with custom color-matched mortar, tooled to original profile
After 
Before 2/3 — Side elevation — full-depth repointing with consistent joint lines across the wall
After 
Before 3/3 — Detail section — finished joints inspected under raking light for uniform profile
Older Chicago brick needs mortar matched to its era — a modern Portland-heavy mix is harder than the brick itself and grinds it down at every joint. On this Lincoln Square building we formulated a lime-based mortar correct for its 1920s brick, repointed to full depth, and left the wall protected by chemistry as much as craftsmanship.
Chicagoland’s 50+ freeze-thaw cycles a year work open any joint that wasn’t packed to proper depth
Repointing done with the wrong mortar hardness stresses the surrounding brick instead of protecting it
A visible color mismatch from a careless repoint permanently marks an otherwise premium elevation
Every project follows the same disciplined sequence — no shortcuts, no hand-offs, same crew start to finish.
We probe joint depth, assess existing mortar hardness, and scope the true extent of what needs attention — so the estimate covers the real work, not a fraction of it.
Deteriorated mortar is removed to a minimum 3/4" depth with careful tooling that protects the surrounding brick faces — the step careless crews rush and homeowners pay for later.
Mortar is custom-blended to match your existing joints and packed in lifts, not slushed in one pass. We sample the color against your actual wall before full production.
Joints are tooled to match the original profile at the correct set, then every elevation is inspected under raking light before closeout — no missed joints, no visible transitions.
The same in-house masons who lay brick on our custom home projects handle every repointing job — same color-matching discipline, same joint-depth standard, same documentation. Done right, repointing protects a brick home for 20+ years, and the repair disappears into the wall instead of announcing itself.
If mortar scrapes out easily with a key, joints show visible gaps or recession, or you see white mineral staining on the wall face, it warrants a professional look. Mortar past 25 years old in this climate is worth assessing even without visible symptoms.
We custom-blend mortar color and sample it against your actual wall before full production. An exact match on heavily weathered mortar isn’t always possible, but our standard is a repair that blends in rather than standing out — and we show you the sample before committing.
We stop mortar work below 40°F because joints can’t cure properly in the cold. We’d rather move your schedule than deliver joints that fail in three seasons — late spring through fall is the right window in Chicagoland.
