SW Suburbs Tuckpointing and Masonry Specialists
Tuckpointing, Masonry and Chimney Repair and Maintenance
Who We Are
Because It's Important
Brother's Tuckpointing and Masonry has been servicing Oak Lawn and the surrounding suburbs proudly. We understand that you have several other choices when it comes to your masonry needs so our goal is to provide our customers the best in quality service while keeping deadlines and budgets in mind.
We are owners who take pride in the quality and workmanship we do, but we also enjoy getting to know our customers. In fact, the greatest compliment we can receive is to get existing clients coming back to us for more servicing. Taking it another step further, we truly appreciate it when you trust us enough to recommend our services to your friends and family members.
Where We Provide Service
Orland Park And The Surrounding SW Suburbs
Quality Of Workmanship
It's something we take pride in
If you’re looking for tuckpointing and masonry repair in Oak Lawn IL then you’re at the right spot. We have years of experience in this trade, it’s been a skill that has been passed down to us for three generations now and we keep on improving our trade on a daily basis. As a company, we truly pride ourselves on providing an honest, transparent and quality service to the people of Oak Lawn and the surrounding suburbs. Our goal is to be in business for decades to come and the way we do that is doing solid work at competitive prices and with a smile on our face. That’s exactly what you’ll get from us!
This list is not all-encompassing so please give us a call to discuss your needs and we’ll do our absolute best to accommodate. Your flexibility with service dates is greatly appreciated as well!
In our point of view, there are two styles of contractors that do the type of work we do. The first are those that do the bare-bones minimum as quickly as possible so that they can get paid, but at your expense. The job is typically of very poor quality, the material used is of very poor quality, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself calling them again to fix the poor work they did previously.
The second style are those that take pride in the quality workmanship they offer. This is us. We DO NOT cut corners and DO NOT skip steps just to move quickly to the next project. We believe that is extreme short sightedness, a disservice to our customers, and a very poor business decision.
Instead, we want you to feel comfortable choosing us today and also down the road for future work. We believe quality work does not go unnoticed, and with the feedback we get from our clients, they are happy to recommend our services to their nearest friends and relatives.
We stand behind our customer service, and our work, so if there is something that you are unclear about, or have questions on, please get in touch with us and we’d be happy to address your questions or concerns.
Our Services
Our areas of expertise are broad. Take a look at the areas where we can help you!
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing is something that should be done frequently to avoid moisture from collecting between the joints and within the bricks.
Chimney Repair
We service any aspect of the chimney and can help with chimney linings, caps, flues, sweeps, animal nests and any other issue you may encounter.
Masonry Repair & Rebuild
We can repair and rebuild any type of masonry including concrete work, terra cotta, natural stone and cultured stone.
Call Us For A Free Estimate
We make it easy and simple to do
What is Tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing is the process of removing old mortar from joints and replacing it with mortar that closely matches the color of the existing bricks and then embedding narrow lines of putty in a contrasting color down the center of the new mortar joints. In layman's terms, it’s just the process of replacing the existing mortar between bricks with new mortar.
Why do you need tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing, just like most other things in life, is more cost effective if it’s done on a periodic schedule instead of spanning out the work over the course of decades. Weather conditions in Oak Lawn can sway between extreme heat and humidity to extreme cold and aridness. Because our weather patterns allow for such large variation, it tends to have a big impact on the durability of our bricks and masonry and eventually leads to a condition called spalling.
Spalling is when the mortar joints erode due to weather and allow moisture to enter the brick. As the moisture enters the brick the cold temperatures will freeze the moisture within the brick and cause freezing to slowly break apart the brick from within. The following year the brick will have that much more space to store moisture which leads to further freezing and cracking from within the brick. Eventually, it will become so brittle and frail that it is structurally not sound and will need replacing. What we find is that when we see one brick that has suffered from spalling, we generally find several others. The way to prevent spalling is to have tuckpointing done on a habitual basis.
What is the most ideal temperature for tuckpointing?
There are several factors to think about when tuckpointing the face of your house or building in Oak Lawn such as the current moisture, sunlight, humidity and temperature as well as for the next 72 hours. Since the mortar will need time to harden and dry, you’ll want to make sure that rain isn’t in the forecast for the next 3 days, but you’ll also want to make sure that the temperatures will be conducive for drying and hardening. The most ideal temperature for successful tuckpointing is between 40 and 90 degrees fahrenheit for the past 24 hours and the next 72 hours.
How we tuckpoint when it’s cold outside
Just because the temperature drops doesn’t mean we cannot tuckpoint, there are still a few things we can do to help the process move along:
- We can add additives - additives cause an exothermic reaction and create heat to help cure the mortar at a faster pace. Additives can only do so much, so this is not always the best option when temperatures fall far below freezing
- Tarps - covering the work area really helps contain the heat that is dissipated during the curing process and it also helps to cure the mortar at a faster pace. Blankets and tarps are strategically placed throughout the work space.
- Heated enclosures - with the assistance of tarps and heaters we can artificially increase the surface temperature of the mortar allowing the curing process to happen much quicker. Once the curing process is complete, the tarps and heaters can be removed.
Steps To Tuckpointing Your Home Or Business
Tuckpointing is an art that requires experience and attention to detail but the steps in getting it accomplished are straightforward:
Remove the existing joints - this is the mortar between the bricks themselves. In this step we typically use one of three tools - a grinder, saw or chisel and hammer (sometimes we use a combination of the three).
This process leaves behind a lot of dust so we’ll use a blower to get rid of the dust until about an inch of mortar has been removed. We are extremely careful not to crack bricks as we do not want to replace bricks that are currently in tact.
Replace the joints - using a mortar bag, which looks extremely similar to an icing bag used for cakes, we squeeze the mortar between the bricks to fill what was removed in the previous step. We strategically do this in phases to prevent unnecessary drying of the mortar because we still have to shape and mold it the way we want it.
We wait - the mortar is given time to set but there are several factors that determine how quickly this happens, examples of these factors are the type of brick that is currently there (whether clay or concrete), the climate, and the moisture content the bricks have absorbed over time.
The finish - the mortar that was injected between the bricks needs to be given an aesthetic finish or it will look poorly done and sloppy. There are several finishing patterns that can be applied but the most common is the concave, followed by the V shape and flush finish.
Cleaning - once we’ve achieved the look we are after, the bricks get brushed off with a mason’s brush and the joints are given time to harden.
Masonry and Brick Repair in the SW Suburbs
We also specialize in masonry and brick repair in oak lawn and the surrounding areas. We can assist with missing, cracked or broken bricks and stone in your driveway, walkways, chimney and the face of your home. Where there is brick or stone, we can get the job done.
Can crumbling bricks be repaired?
Bricks are extremely versatile because they can last for many years, or decades, if they are maintained and treated well, however, when the mortar around a brick erodes and allows moisture to enter the brick, you’ll notice the brick heavily deteriorate until it structurally collapses. Sometimes it’s a single brick that needs replacement and sometimes it’s an entire section of your home. Either way, our team of masonry experts has the experience and the proper tools to get the job done right. If you’re in need of a masonry company in Oak Lawn, we’re here to help, simply give us a call to schedule an appointment!