Tuckpointing chimneys in Sawgrass by local masons
Recessed or crumbling mortar at your Sawgrass chimney repointed before it lets water into the brick, free inspection first.
- Fully licensed and insured
- Locally owned
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service
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Family-owned mortar specialists serving Sawgrass
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off any service
The color is matched from a cured test batch before a single joint is filled.
- Free inspection and estimateEvery face of your Sawgrass chimney is scratch-tested and sketched at no charge.
- 100% satisfaction guaranteedIf the new joints are not sound, full and matched as agreed, we come back and fix them.
- Family owned and operatedA family masonry crew does the survey and the work, so the person who priced a face is the one who repoints it.
Tuckpointing or repointing
People ask for tuckpointing, repointing or mortar repair, and they usually mean the same job: raking out worn mortar and rebuilding the joint. Strictly, tuckpointing is a decorative finish with a contrasting line of mortar, rarely wanted on a chimney.
The name matters less than the method. We rake to depth, fill in stages and tool the joint to match what is there. If your chimney has true decorative joints, we price matching them. Whatever you call it, get the joints on your Sawgrass chimney checked for free at (904) 920-5495.
The 2020 Census counted 5,385 residents in Sawgrass. Sawgrass sits on the coastline.
Repointing work we do in Sawgrass
- Deep joints filled in layers, not one pass
- Color matched from a cured sample
- Joints tooled to match and shed water
- Fresh work shaded, misted and covered from rain
From the scratch test to cured joints in Sawgrass
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Every face surveyed
Joints are scratch-tested at several heights and the failed courses marked on a sketch.
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Joints raked and cleaned
Old mortar comes out to sound depth, head joints by hand, then joints are cleaned and dampened.
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Filled in layers and tooled
Matched mortar goes in stage by stage, then is tooled to the original profile.
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Cured and cleaned up
Fresh joints are protected while they cure, the faces brushed and the roof cleared.
Timing repointing on the coast
Fresh mortar needs a few calm days to cure without rain washing it out. On the coast, we plan repointing around the forecast and cover the work when showers come in.
In Sawgrass that sometimes means a pause mid-job, which the estimate allows for.
10% off any service booked within 72 hours of inspection
Sandy joints? Book the repointing within 72 hours of the survey and 10% comes off.
Why head joints are cut by hand
The short vertical joints between bricks in a course are the head joints. They are narrow and short, and a grinder blade that slips there cuts into the brick on either side, leaving a scar that shows long after the job.
Preservation Brief 2 advises against power tools on head joints for that reason. We cut them by hand with a plugging chisel, which is slower but leaves the brick edges intact. The time that takes is part of why a repointing quote is priced by the joint, not by the square foot of wall.
Getting the mortar color right
Mortar color comes mostly from the sand, with the binder shifting the shade. Fresh mortar also looks darker wet than it will dry, so judging a match from the bucket goes wrong.
We make a small test batch, let it cure against the brick and compare it with the old joints in daylight. The mix is adjusted until it reads as part of the same wall. Where the old joints have weathered unevenly, we match the tone that covers the greater part of that face and show you the sample before the work begins. The approved sample stays on site as the reference for every batch mixed after it.
Cleaning mortar off the brick faces
Some mortar lands on the brick during repointing. Removed at the right moment, once it has firmed but before it sets hard, it brushes off with a stiff natural bristle brush and leaves no mark.
Left to harden, it has to be scrubbed or washed with cleaners that can stain or etch brick. Preservation Brief 2 warns against harsh cleaning of historic masonry. So we brush the faces as we work, and where an old haze needs cleaning, we test the gentlest method on a small patch first and show you the result. A brick face scarred by aggressive cleaning cannot be put back, which is why the test patch comes first.
Joint findings written down before pricing
- Faces and courses needing repointing, marked on a sketch of the chimney
- Interior or attic joints, with their own access and cleanup
- Days on site and the wait before the next fire
- Joints that can wait a season, and how to watch them
Repointing questions from Sawgrass
Which mortar will you use?
A type from ASTM C270 picked for your brick and its exposure, normally weaker than the brick itself, in line with preservation guidance. The type is written on the estimate.
What if you find loose bricks while raking?
We stop and show you. A loose brick or course needs relaying or replacement, which is priced as its own item before we continue.
More services in Sawgrass
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Learn more about chimney tuckpointingAll services in Sawgrass
Book a joint survey before the next storm
Our masons test the joints on all sides of your Sawgrass chimney and put a written price on each. Call (904) 920-5495.
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