Brick is some seriously durable stuff—clay bricks commonly endure for a century or longer, and there are plenty of examples of brick structures that are much older than that. If you have a brick home ...

INDIANAPOLIS – Do you know what “repointing” bricks means? By definition, it consists of “removing a portion of the deteriorated mortar and redoing the joints with new mortar.” Doing that basically ...

Tuckpointing—not repointing—brick can increase its lifespan while improving its appearance. How to tell if your home needs it ...

The bricks on my four-story house in Brooklyn need to be repointed. The house was built circa 1890 and I want to make sure the contractor uses mortar that is not too hard for the old bricks. There is ...

As a former realtor, general contractor and greenhouse operator, Kristi has touched nearly all aspects of homeownership, from the foundation up. Today, Kristi is a full-time investing and real estate ...

Last week, I fielded no fewer than five phone calls from homeowner with the same grim news. They found it nearly impossible to get quotes from contractors to do fairly simple repairs. Each caller’s ...

Old fireplace, new stove. Interior casework. Repointing. Hidden gardens. Floor plans. An old fireplace will house a new stove. Tommy discusses using interior casework with exposed brick. The kitchen ...

Dear James: The mortar between the wall bricks is crumbling in spots and looks bad. How can I repair it so that it does not look much different from the existing mortar joints? — Nick R. Dear Nick: It ...