Try "ice dam", "financing", "Montclair", "flat roof coating" or "Colombia".
Mortar joints are the sacrificial part of a brick wall: softer than the brick, they take the weather so the brick does not. When they crumble, water gets behind the wall, freezes, and the brick starts to spall. We cut out failed joints and repoint them with mortar matched to the original, replace damaged brick, and waterproof the wall, the foundation and every joint where water gets in.
Four kinds of masonry water work, and which one your wall is asking for.
Failed mortar ground out to a sound depth, joints packed with matched mortar and tooled to the original profile.
Signs you need it →
Soft lime mortar for old brick, Type N or S for block and modern brick, lead or lime for stone. The wrong mortar destroys the wall.
Brick, block and stone →
Breathable masonry sealers, new sealant at windows and joints, elastomeric coatings on parapets, foundation and basement waterproofing.
How we waterproof →
Every joint, lintel, sill and cap checked, water tested where it leaks, a written report with photos.
How the inspection runs →Brick walls tell you what is wrong if you know how to read them. Six things we see most on New Jersey masonry.
Usually: age. Mortar is designed to wear before the brick, and after 25 to 50 years it has.
We do: grind out to a sound depth, repoint with matched mortar, tool to the original joint. The classic tuck pointing job.
Usually: water in the brick freezing and expanding, often because hard modern mortar or a non-breathable sealer trapped it.
We do: replace the spalled brick with matched units, repoint with the right mortar, and seal with a breathable product only.
Usually: water moving through the wall and leaving salts behind as it evaporates; the wall is wet inside.
We do: find where the water enters, fix it, clean the salts, and let the wall dry before any sealer.
Usually: settlement, a failed lintel, rusting steel, or a parapet that has moved.
We do: stabilize, replace lintels and ties where needed, rebuild the affected section, then point and seal.
Usually: failed sealant at the frame, a missing or rusted through-wall flashing, a cracked cap or coping.
We do: re-caulk, re-flash and re-cap. Pointing alone does not fix a flashing problem.
Usually: grading and gutters pushing water at the foundation, and a foundation wall that was never waterproofed.
We do: fix drainage first, then parge, coat and seal the foundation from outside where possible, inside where not.
The most common mistake in New Jersey repointing is hard Portland mortar in a soft old wall. It does not move, so the brick does. These are the walls we point and how.
What: row houses, brownstones and factories built before the 1930s with soft brick and lime mortar.
How: Type O or lime mortar, never Type S; joints tooled to match; brick replaced with reclaimed or matched units.
Repoint every 50–75 yrWhat: a single wythe of brick over a wood or block wall, with weep holes and through-wall flashing that often never existed.
How: Type N mortar, weep holes opened or added, flashing at lintels and sills, sealant at the frames.
Repoint every 25–40 yrWhat: CMU walls that crack at the joints and wick water.
How: Type S mortar, crack repair, parging or elastomeric coating, and proper waterproofing below grade.
Coat every 10–15 yrWhat: stone foundations, steps, sills and facades, often with mortar harder than the stone.
How: lime-based mortar, stone consolidation where it is flaking, patching with matched repair mortar, caps and sills re-set.
Repoint every 40–75 yrWhat: brick that gets wet from every side and freezes first.
How: repoint, rebuild the top courses where needed, new crown or coping, through-wall flashing and counterflashing, breathable sealer.
Check yearlyWhat: masonry that sits in water and salt all winter.
How: repoint and re-set loose units, replace broken treads and caps, seal, and fix the drainage that is undermining them.
Seal every 3–5 yr
Masonry waterproofing is not a coat of something shiny. The wrong sealer traps water inside the brick and makes spalling worse. We waterproof from the top down, in the order the water travels.
Cleaning as an early damage identification system, then repairs, sealing or a complete new surface, depending on what the wall needs.
Best for: Immediate maintenance: stop active leaks and clean the building's exterior
Best for: Buildings that need lasting protection against weathering
Best for: A full exterior renovation with the strongest moisture defence
No prices on this page on purpose: every package is scoped and priced after the inspection, and the exact terms go into your written proposal. Bring any other written proposal: same scope, same warranty, we beat it.
Request a Free Estimate →Water in a brick wall usually started at a cap, a flashing or a gutter. We do all three, which is why our repointing stays repointed. Four things we do on every masonry job that most crews do not:
And a share of this job funds a roof for a family in need, through our One4One program.
Real jobs from our records. Tap a pin for the details; the documented ones have their own page with every photo.
Case studyRidgewood Rd, Maplewood, NJ 07040
Preston Dr, Gillette, NJ 07933
Grand St, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ
Madison St, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Hudson St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Residential stucco, masonry & waterproofing: 9 projects → Commercial stucco, masonry & waterproofing: 9 projects →
Joints, brick faces, lintels, sills, caps and flashings checked, water tested where it leaks, the basement looked at. Free, with a written report and photos.
Which elevations and how many square feet to point, which brick to replace, the mortar, the sealer, the caps and flashings, the warranty and the price, in writing.
Dust controlled, windows and landscaping covered, joints ground and repointed, brick replaced, caps and flashings rebuilt, then sealant and sealer once the wall has dried.
Walkthrough, closeout photos, workmanship warranty in writing, and a note of when the sealer and the sealant are due again.
Square footage, how deep the joints have to be cut, how many bricks need replacing, the height and whether scaffolding or a lift is needed decide the price. These are honest ranges from our own jobs; your written estimate is free and exact.
Residential financing through Service Finance Company for qualified applicants, including same-as-cash and fixed-rate plans. For associations and commercial owners we phase the work by elevation and provide capital-plan budgets.
Financing options →
Water in the basement after a storm? We document it for your insurer where the policy covers it.
What New Jersey owners ask us before they sign.
Have a question not listed here? Call (201) 267-3000 or request an estimate.
Renewing the mortar between bricks or stones: the failed joint is cut out and refilled with new mortar matched to the wall. It restores the wall's strength and keeps water out of it, which is what prevents spalling, leaks and the expensive rebuilds that follow.
Mortar that crumbles when you touch it, joints recessed more than a quarter inch, gaps you can slide a coin into, white efflorescence, water stains on interior walls, or brick faces popping off. A free inspection confirms it and tells you how much of the wall is affected.
Rarely. Weather hits the south and west elevations, chimneys and parapets hardest; those often need pointing while the sheltered walls are fine. We quote by elevation and tell you which can wait.
A set of barriers that stop water getting into masonry and foundations: rebuilt caps and flashings, new sealant at joints, breathable penetrating sealers on the wall, coatings on block and parapets, and membranes and drainage at the foundation. Done in that order, from the top down.
Only a breathable sealer will help, and only after the joints and caps are fixed. A film-forming sealer on a wet wall traps water inside the brick and makes spalling worse; it is the most common thing we have to undo.
Yes. Water intrusion through masonry is a leading cause of mould in basements and behind interior walls; a dry wall cannot grow it. We treat the wall and fix the drainage that was feeding it.
Done with the right mortar and the right depth, 25 to 50 years on modern brick and longer on soft old brick with lime mortar. Smeared-over "pointing" lasts a season or two.
Homes across Northern and Central New Jersey, including Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Morris, Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Sussex counties. Commercial and multifamily masonry across the whole of New Jersey.
"They repointed my brick chimney and repaired stucco trim in Wyckoff using breathable mortar and elastomeric coating, and power washed the exterior. The crisp finish looks brand-new."
"I had the roof and chimney replaced past spring by Roof4Roof. From start to finish it was smooth. Everyone was courteous. And the work itself was amazing. I also like their lifetime warranty."
"Work was done on time as promised. The staff was very polite and professional. Work area was left very clean and neat. I had no problems with this project, they handled everything."
A share of every job funds a roof, a repair or a home for a family in need, in New Jersey and abroad: $1.5M+ donated and 1,300+ families helped since 2010.
How One4One works →
An inspection of every joint, cap and flashing, a written report with photos, and a proposal by elevation with the mortar, the sealer and the price spelled out.
