Tuckpointing & Repointing · Chicagoland, IL
Professional Mason vs. Handyman: Who Should Repair Your Brick?
A handyman can caulk over a joint; a professional mason grinds it out and repacks it with matched mortar so it lasts decades. Masonry is specialized work where the wrong mortar or a skim-coat 'fix' causes the very damage it was meant to prevent.
Quick Answer
For brick and mortar repair, hire a licensed professional mason, not a handyman. Masonry is specialized work — the wrong mortar type, a skim-coat over old joints, or mismatched repairs actually cause spalling and water damage. A professional mason grinds joints to depth, matches mortar in color, type, and hardness, and fixes the water source. Paul Lally's Masonry is family-owned, licensed and insured, serving Chicagoland since 1988. Free estimate: (708) 448-8866.
The short answer
For brick and mortar work, hire a licensed professional mason — not a handyman. Masonry is specialized: the wrong mortar type, a skim-coat over old joints, or a mismatched patch doesn't just look bad — it actively causes spalling and water damage. A professional mason grinds joints to depth, matches mortar in color, type, and hardness, fixes the water source, and stakes their name on it. Paul Lally's Masonry has been doing exactly that across Chicago and the suburbs since 1988 — family-owned, licensed, bonded, and insured. Free on-site estimate: (708) 448-8866.
Mason vs. handyman at a glance
| | Professional Mason | Handyman | |---|---|---| | Joints | Ground out to depth, fully repacked | Often skim-coated / caulked over the face | | Mortar | Matched in color, type, and hardness | One generic bag, frequently too hard | | Brick matching | Size, color, texture matched/reclaimed | Whatever's on hand | | Water source | Diagnosed and fixed | Usually ignored | | Result | Lasts decades | Often fails within a season or two | | Backing | Licensed, bonded, insured; name on the job | Varies; often none |
Why masonry is specialized work
It looks simple — gray stuff between bricks. It isn't. Three things have to be right, and getting any of them wrong causes damage:
- Mortar hardness. Mortar must be softer than the brick so it sacrifices itself first. Hard modern cement mortar packed against soft old Chicago brick forces stress into the brick face — and the brick spalls. A handyman reaching for one generic bag of mortar routinely gets this wrong.
- Joint depth. A real repair grinds the old joint out to roughly twice its width in depth and repacks it. The handyman shortcut — smearing fresh mortar over the face of a failing joint (a "skim" or "caulk-over") — bonds to nothing and peels off, trapping water behind it.
- Water management. Brick spalls because water got in and froze. A mason fixes the source — failing joints, flashing, a rusted lintel, drainage. Patch the symptom without the source and the repair fails the same way.
The cheap-quote trap
The single most common call we get is from a homeowner whose "great deal" tuckpointing failed in a season or two. The math behind a suspiciously low quote is almost always a skim-coat: no grinding, generic mortar, no water fix. It photographs fine for the invoice and then traps moisture in the wall — so you pay again, often for the brick replacement the bad job caused.
Cheap masonry isn't cheap. A skim-coat that traps water can turn a tuckpointing job into a brick-replacement job. Done right the first time is the only economical way to do masonry.
What a professional mason actually does
- Tuckpointing: grind joints to depth, repack with matched, breathable mortar
- Brick replacement: remove spalled units, set matched/reclaimed brick, tie back in
- Chimney repair: crowns, flashing, above-the-roofline rebuilds — work no homeowner should be doing on a roof
- Lintel replacement: address the rusted steel that cracks brick over windows
- Waterproofing: breathable sealers applied only after the masonry is sound
All licensed, bonded, and insured — and on a chimney or above the first floor, that insurance and that training are the whole point.
How to hire well (a quick checklist)
- Licensed, bonded, and insured — confirm it
- Specializes in masonry, not "we do a bit of everything"
- Grinds and repacks joints; doesn't skim-coat
- Matches mortar to your brick (color, type, hardness)
- Fixes the water source, not just the visible damage
- Gives a free on-site estimate rather than a number over the phone
- Local, established, family-owned — a name and reputation on the line
Paul Lally's Masonry is a family-owned, licensed and insured masonry contractor serving Chicago and the Chicagoland suburbs since 1988 — tuckpointing, brick repair and replacement, chimney repair and rebuilds, lintel replacement, masonry restoration, and waterproofing for residential and commercial properties. Built on Craftsmanship. Backed by Experience. Free on-site estimates — call (708) 448-8866.
Talk to a real mason
If you've had a quote that seems too cheap, or a previous "fix" already failing, get a straight read from a professional. Paul Lally's Masonry gives free on-site estimates across Chicagoland — call (708) 448-8866 or request one here. Family-owned since 1988; our name is on every job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I hire a mason or a handyman for tuckpointing?
Hire a professional mason. Tuckpointing requires grinding old mortar to the correct depth and repacking with mortar matched to your brick in color, type, and hardness — skills and tools a general handyman usually lacks. The common handyman shortcut, smearing new mortar over old joints (a skim or caulk-over), looks fine for a season then fails and traps water in the wall. Paul Lally's Masonry does it the right way the first time.
Why is masonry repair considered specialized work?
Because the materials have to be matched precisely. Mortar that is harder than your brick forces stress into the brick face and causes spalling; the wrong color or profile leaves an obvious patch; a sealer applied over wet or unrepaired masonry traps moisture. Getting brick, mortar, and water management right is exactly the judgment a trained mason brings and a handyman generally doesn't.
Why are some tuckpointing quotes so much cheaper?
A very low quote almost always means a skim-coat or caulk-over job — new mortar smeared across the face of old, failing joints without grinding them out. It looks acceptable briefly, then peels and lets water back into the wall, often causing brick to spall. A proper repair grinds each joint to depth and packs in matched mortar, which lasts decades. Cheap now usually means paying twice.
What should I look for when hiring a masonry contractor?
Look for a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor who specializes in masonry, matches mortar to your brick, grinds joints to depth rather than skim-coating, and gives a free on-site estimate. Ask whether they fix the water source, not just the symptom. Family-owned local outfits like Paul Lally's Masonry, in business since 1988, stake their name on every job.
Can I tuckpoint or repair brick myself?
Small cosmetic work is possible, but most DIY masonry repair causes more harm than good — the wrong mortar, shallow joints, or sealing over unrepaired brick traps water and accelerates freeze-thaw damage. On Chicago's soft older brick especially, mismatched hard mortar causes spalling. For anything structural, on a chimney, or above the first floor, hire a professional mason.
Is a handyman ever the right choice for masonry?
For genuinely minor, cosmetic, ground-level touch-ups, possibly. But for tuckpointing, brick replacement, chimney work, lintels, parapets, or anything structural or elevated, the work is specialized and the cost of getting it wrong — trapped water, spalled brick, a failed repair — far outweighs the savings. That's masonry, not handyman work.
Free on-site estimates across Chicagoland.