Cicero / Brick replacement
Brick replacement in Cicero NY: why the faces came off the wall
When brick faces pop off a Cicero wall, look for the water and the mortar before you order brick replacement in Cicero. Tell us where the damage sits, and ask a mason what feeds it.
Tell us what you see on the wall
We help you get the repair priced by separate local masonry contractors, and tell you what to ask them first.
Three things to say before you hear a price
Say them on the phone or at the wall. The answers show how a mason works.
Why did this brick fail?
Swapping brick without fixing the cause repeats the damage.
How will the new brick match mine?
Color is not the only match. Ask about hardness too.
What mortar goes in the joints around it?
A joint harder than the brick can crack the brick.
$100 off your first job
Book your first repair through us and take $100 off.
The $100 comes out of our fee; the mason's price stays the same.
Each customer gets one credit per property.
Book the first repair by December 31, 2026, to use it.
Say you hold the credit as you book; we confirm it before work starts.
The Soft Joint promise
- Asking us is free, and asking never ties you to anything.
- We never charge you for the introduction.
- Your $100 credit is honored exactly as our Terms say.
- If an introduction goes wrong, we help you sort it out.
The masonry work is between you and the mason you hire.
Masonry Contractors Syracuse, (315) 640-3590
Answers to ask for before you call about brick replacement in Cicero
Why are bricks spalling on my Cicero house?
The Park Service and the Brick Industry Association name two causes of brick damage: water, and a mortar harder than the brick. A blocked weep or a leak above can feed the water. Ask the mason which one they see on your wall.
Is brick replacement an ordinary repair in Cicero?
The town does not define ordinary repairs. Describe your job to Zoning and Planning and ask.
How many bricks can be replaced before the wall needs repointing too?
Ask the mason. If many joints are worn, both jobs may make sense together.
Signs on a Cicero wall that lead to brick replacement
Faces flaking beside a downspout
A spot that stays wet keeps flaking. Move the water first.
Scattered bad bricks, joints still hard
On older brick, hard joints with flaking faces can point to a mortar mismatch.
White powder and a rough face
Salts crystallizing inside a brick push the surface off. Moisture can be the cause.
Brick replacement in Cicero NY: older and newer houses raise different questions
Cicero's median house was built in 1980. About a quarter of its housing, 26.6 percent, dates from before 1960. On the older group, a hard cement joint trapping water in soft brick can pop the faces off.
On a newer house, ask about drainage first. NPS Technical Note 7 prefers open weeps spaced no more than 24 inches apart. Ask whether yours are open, evenly spaced and set at flashing level.
Basis: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, B25034 and B25035, Cicero town Town of Cicero, Zoning and Planning
Matching new brick to old: ask for a test spot
New units should be close to the old ones in hardness, not harder. NPS Preservation Brief 2 explains that the mortar is the part meant to give, and a stronger part will not. Ask the mason how they will pick the replacement brick.
Do not accept a promise of a perfect match. Ask for a test spot on the wall before the whole job is set, and ask what happens if the first test looks off.
Also ask how many units are in the price. If more fail once the wall is opened, you want to know how that is handled before you sign.
Before bricks come out: the Cicero permit call
Zoning and Planning issues all Cicero building permits. Its page lists ordinary repairs as exempt and does not say what they are. Call and describe the work, including how many bricks and where.
Then send us the address, and separate masons price it.
Send the count and the location of the bad units, with photos taken in daylight. Ask whether the water source will be fixed in the same visit, and whether the quote lists the brick, the mortar and the number of units as separate lines. A job that lists only a price per wall leaves you guessing about what is being replaced.
Four more repairs in Cicero
In Cicero
Find out why the brick failed first.