Repointing and tuckpointing for Scranton brick and stone
Repointing in Scranton costs $10 to $25 per square foot of wall face, so a single weather-side wall on a valley double typically runs $1,500 to $6,000. The price depends on how deep the joints have to be raked, whether the wall needs a lime-based mortar matched to pre-1930 brick, and how much scaffold the job takes. Repointing is where most masonry waterproofing actually happens, because open mortar joints are the widest path water has into a wall. A quarter inch of washed-out joint on a two-story wall adds up to a channel that funnels every storm straight into the wall cavity and, on a double, into the shared party wall. We rake to a depth of at least twice the joint width, never with a grinder on soft brick, and tool the new joint to match the profile the original mason used.
Part of the Anthracite Masonry Waterproofing service list for Scranton. Full ranges on the cost guide.
What you are probably seeing
- ■Mortar you can scratch out with a house key
- ■Joints recessed more than a quarter inch behind the brick face
- ■Stair-step cracks running through the joints above a window or garage lintel
- ■Sandy residue at the base of an exterior wall after rain
- ■Bricks that have shifted or sit proud of their neighbors
- ■Old patch pointing in a hard gray mortar that is cracking away from the brick
Matching the mortar to the wall, not the bag
Brick laid in Scranton before about 1930 was bedded in lime mortar, and the National Park Service preservation guidance on repointing is blunt about the risk of putting hard modern mortar next to soft old brick. The new joint ends up stronger than the unit, water gets pushed into the brick instead of the joint, and the brick face spalls in the next freeze. We match by tinting and testing sample batches against a cleaned joint and confirm the compressive strength of the mix is below that of the brick.
For post-war block and modern brick the calculation flips. Those units can take a Type N or Type S mortar, and using something softer just means the joint fails early. Either way, the mix is chosen after looking at your wall, not before.
Raking, packing, and tooling
A repoint that lasts is mostly about depth and packing. Joints get raked to at least three quarters of an inch, deeper than most quick jobs, using hand tools or a small chisel on soft brick because a grinder chews the arrises off. The joint is dampened, then packed in layers so the mortar bonds to the back of the cut and not only the face. The final tooling matches the original profile, usually a concave or a grapevine joint on the older valley houses, and the wall is misted for two days so the mortar cures instead of drying out.
Where a lintel has rusted and lifted the courses above it, or a wall has stair-step cracking that keeps opening, repointing alone will not hold. We say so, and price the lintel swap or crack stitching as its own line.
How the job runs
- 1
Joint survey
Every wall gets walked and the failed joints marked. On doubles we look at the party wall parapet as well, because that is where shared leaks start.
- 2
Mortar match
Sample batches tinted and tested against a cleaned joint, with lime-based mixes on pre-1930 brick and stone.
- 3
Rake and pack
Joints raked to depth by hand, dampened, and packed in layers to bond to the back of the cut.
- 4
Tool and cure
Profile matched to the original, then two days of misting so the joint cures fully before any sealer goes on.
What this work costs in Scranton
| Job type | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior brick and stone sealing (silane/siloxane penetrating repellent) | $1,200 to $4,000per house ($2 to $5 per sq ft) | Wall area, how much repointing has to happen first, two-story access, soft coal-era brick that drinks more product |
| Repointing and tuckpointing | $1,500 to $6,000per job ($10 to $25 per sq ft) | Joint depth, lime mortar matching on pre-1930 walls, scaffold height, how much loose brick has to be reset |
Every job type with what moves it is on the cost guide.
Questions about repointing and tuckpointing
- What is the difference between repointing and tuckpointing?
- Repointing is replacing failed mortar in a joint. Tuckpointing is a decorative version that lays a thin contrasting line down the center of the joint to make it look finer than it is. In everyday use around Scranton both words mean the repair, and we quote the repair.
- How much does repointing cost per square foot?
- $10 to $25 per square foot of wall face. A small patch over a garage lintel sits at the bottom, a full two-story weather wall with lime mortar matching sits at the top.
- Do I need to repoint before sealing?
- Yes if any joints are open. A penetrating repellent cannot bridge a gap, and sealing a wall with washed-out joints locks water inside. Repoint, cure a week, then seal.
- How long does repointed mortar last?
- A properly matched and packed joint on a valley house should go thirty to fifty years. The joints that fail in five years are the ones that were pointed shallow with the wrong mortar.
Get a written price
Address first, then what you see. We call back with the range and a time for the hose test. Or call (570) 909-2820.