Tuckpointing in Burbank, IL — Mortar Joint Repair Done Right

Burbank is block after block of tightly-built post-war brick — bungalows and ranches raised in the 1950s and '60s and kept up by generations of owners. That brick has lasted, but the mortar between it has now taken sixty-plus Chicago-area winters, and once it starts raking out like sand, water begins finding its way behind the wall.

Paul Lally's Masonry Inc. provides tuckpointing in Burbank, IL — grinding out failed mortar joints to depth and repointing with color- and type-matched mortar so your brick is protected for decades. We are family-owned and have served Chicagoland since 1988. For a free on-site estimate, call (708) 448-8866.

What tuckpointing does

A brick wall is held together by the mortar between the bricks, not the brick itself — and mortar is the sacrificial, weather-facing part, meant to wear before the brick does. After decades those joints erode, crack, and pull away from the brick. Tuckpointing, or repointing, grinds the failed mortar out to a proper depth and packs in fresh mortar matched to the original, so the wall sheds water again and the repair blends into the masonry.

Why Burbank brick needs it — and needs the right mortar

Much of Burbank's post-war brick is on the softer side, which makes mortar choice critical:

• Freeze-thaw cycling drives water into open joints and pries the wall apart each winter.
• The wrong hard mortar from past repairs traps moisture and forces it out through the soft brick face — causing the spalling it was meant to prevent.

Matching mortar strength to the brick is what makes a repair on a Burbank bungalow actually last, and it's where a lot of cheaper jobs go wrong.

Signs to watch for

• Mortar you can rake out with a key or that has receded below the brick face
• Sandy mortar dust at the base of the wall and hairline gaps at the joints
• White efflorescence or damp spots on the interior
• Brick faces beginning to flake — the sign that simple tuckpointing is nearly too late

How we tuckpoint in Burbank

We grind each failed joint to roughly twice its width in depth, clear the dust, and repoint with mortar matched in color, sand, profile, and type. We tool the joints to match the original and clean the face so the wall reads as original. On chimneys we handle the crown, cap, and flashing at the same time.

See our tuckpointing services, or brick repair if brick is flaking. We also serve neighboring Oak Lawn and Hickory Hills.

Why Burbank homeowners call Paul Lally's Masonry Inc.

Since 1988 we've repointed Chicago-style brick the right way — soft mortar on soft brick, ground to depth, never caulked over. Every job starts with a free on-site look at the actual wall. Call (708) 448-8866 for your free estimate in Burbank.