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Anoka holds some of the oldest brick in the metro. The downtown blocks at the Rum River date to the 1800s, and the neighborhoods around Christian Hill still stand on full-masonry walls and foundations. Brick that old was laid in soft, lime-based mortar. It manages water by breathing, and it follows different rules than modern masonry.
Tuckpointing old brick with hard modern mortar is the classic mistake. The new joints survive and the brick faces pop off within a few winters. Our repointing in Anoka matches mortar hardness, color and joint profile to the original. On historic walls we build a sample panel first, so the match is proven before the wall gets touched.
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Mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part of a wall. It should be softer than the brick, so movement and moisture wear the joint instead of the face. Modern portland-heavy mixes are harder than 19th-century brick. Put them on an Anoka storefront and the wall starts spalling, and spalled brick cannot be repointed back.
We gauge the original mortar and mix to match it. Joints get ground or raked to sound depth, then repointed and tooled to the original profile. Done right, the repair disappears into the wall. That is the standard the historic core deserves, and the same process holds on a Christian Hill foundation.
Commercial owners in the river core get the restoration version of this work: an assessment of the elevation, a prioritized scope, and scheduling that keeps the entrance open. Parapets and sign bands usually lead the list because they take the most weather. Larger scopes run through our commercial restoration process.
On houses, the common calls are foundation joints shedding mortar, chimneys with washed-out beds, and porch piers. Repointing those in matched mortar keeps a century-old house dry and standing plumb. Whole-face brick problems, spalling and cracked units, belong on our brick repair page.
More about the service itself is on our Tuckpointing page, and everything we do around town is on the Anoka service-area page.
Answers specific to tuckpointing work around Anoka. Something else on your mind? Call us.
A wall that worries you, a driveway past its best, or a backyard ready to become the good part of the house? Call or send the form and we will look at the site with you and hand you a straight written quote.
Tell us about your project and we’ll get right back to you.