Repairs
Find the repair that matches the damage on your wall
Start with what you see: sandy joints, a crack from a window corner, flaking faces, a loose chimney top or a bowing wall. Each sign has a repair behind it, and each repair has a question to ask first. Send us a photo and you get the page to read and the questions to ask.
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.
Which mortar type goes in, and why?
A good answer names a mix softer than your brick.
How deep will you cut the old joints?
Too shallow, and the new mortar pops out.
What is the lintel made of, and is it flashed?
Rusting steel lifts brick; flashing keeps water off it.
$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
Before you pick a repair
Which repair do I need?
Match the sign you see to the page above. If two seem to fit, read both pages and send photos of both, then ask each mason which one comes first.
Can one mason do several of these jobs?
Many can. Ask each mason which of the five they do, and whether bundling jobs changes their price.
Why are veneer and pavers not listed?
They are different trades from repairing old walls, and this site does not cover them.
Do I have to book through you?
No. You can speak with masons and then choose whoever you like. The choice is yours.
Not sure which repair fits?
- Crumbling jointsThe mortar is sandy, hollow or missing, and you can scrape it out with a key.See Repointing
- Crack from a cornerA stair-step crack climbs from the corner of a window, door or garage door.See Lintel repair
- Flaking brick facesThe brick faces flake or pop off while the joints around them look hard.See Brick replacement
- Loose chimney topThe chimney top is cracked or leaning, or the joints above the roof are open.See Chimney repair
- Bowing or wet wallA basement or retaining wall bows, cracks, weeps or loses its parging.See Foundation and retaining walls
Five repairs, one for each sign
This site covers repair of old brick, chimneys, lintels and foundation walls in Syracuse and Onondaga County. Local masons do the work. We help you get it priced and tell you what to ask.
The five repairs below are different jobs with different questions. A joint job wants a soft mortar answer. A lintel job wants an answer about steel and flashing. Pick the sign that looks like yours, read that page, and then send us your request.
Some work falls outside this site. Stone and brick veneer, pavers, patios, outdoor fireplaces, concrete steps and driveways, cleaning and sealing are other companies' work. If your problem is one of those, a company that does that work is the better call.
If you are not sure which sign is yours, do not guess. Photograph the wall from a few steps back, then close up, and send both. Say which side of the house it is on and how high up the problem sits. That is enough to find the right page, and enough for a mason to start a conversation.
The three questions beside the form work for every repair, so keep them in view while you talk to a mason.
Brick replacement
Flaking or popped faces, replaced one brick at a time.
Foundation and retaining walls
Bowing, cracked or weeping block, stone and brick walls.
Pick by what you are looking at
- I can scrape the mortar out with a keySandy joints point to repointing, with a softer mortar answer.
- The top of my chimney is falling apartCheck the crown, the joints above the roof and the flashing.
- Brick faces are popping off the wallFind out why before you replace any units.
- There is a crack running up from a cornerA lintel over a window or door may be rusting.
- A basement or garden wall is bowingWater behind it is the first thing to ask about.
- A mason wants to grind every joint outAsk how deep, with what tool and with which mortar.
From first message to a booked repair
Describe the wall
Say what you see, where it is, and send a photo or two.
Get local masons to answer
Masons price your repair and answer the three questions.
Compare the answers
Read the mortar, depth and lintel answers beside each price.
Pick one and book
Choose the mason who answered best, and book with them.
Find which joint you have first.