Preserving Your Building's Structural Integrity and Appearance
Mortar joints are the first line of defense protecting your commercial building's masonry from water infiltration and structural deterioration. Over time, exposure to weather, pollution, and natural aging causes mortar to crack, crumble, and recede—compromising both the appearance and integrity of brick, block, and stone facades. Bi-State Masonry, Inc. provides professional commercial tuckpointing and repointing services throughout the Iowa and Illinois corridor, from Des Moines to the greater Chicago area. With over 26 years of experience restoring masonry on government facilities, universities, schools, and commercial buildings of all types, we deliver quality workmanship that protects your investment for decades.
Tuckpointing—the process of removing deteriorated mortar and replacing it with fresh mortar—is essential maintenance for any masonry building. Neglected mortar joints allow water to penetrate wall systems, leading to progressive damage that becomes increasingly expensive to repair. Our skilled masons restore mortar joints to their original condition, matching mortar color and joint profile to maintain your building's architectural character while ensuring long-term weather resistance.
Why Commercial Tuckpointing Matters
Mortar joints may seem like minor components of your building's masonry, but they serve critical functions. Understanding why tuckpointing matters helps building owners and facility managers make informed decisions about maintenance and budgeting.
Water Protection
The primary function of mortar joints is to seal the gaps between masonry units and prevent water infiltration. When mortar deteriorates, water enters the wall system and causes damage that extends far beyond the mortar itself. Moisture trapped within walls leads to brick spalling, steel lintel corrosion, interior water damage, and in severe cases, structural failure. Professional tuckpointing restores the watertight integrity of your masonry envelope.
Structural Integrity
Mortar bonds masonry units together and distributes loads throughout the wall system. As mortar fails, this structural bond weakens. Individual bricks or stones can loosen, and the wall's ability to carry loads diminishes. For commercial buildings—especially older structures with solid masonry walls—maintaining mortar integrity is essential to structural safety.
Freeze-Thaw Prevention
In Iowa and Illinois, freeze-thaw cycles cause significant masonry damage. Water that enters through failed mortar joints freezes and expands, cracking bricks and further deteriorating mortar. Each cycle compounds previous damage. Proper tuckpointing eliminates the water entry that makes freeze-thaw damage possible.
Energy Efficiency
Failed mortar joints create pathways for air infiltration. In commercial buildings with significant masonry facades, this air leakage increases heating and cooling costs. Restoring mortar joints improves the building envelope's thermal performance and reduces energy expenses.
Property Value and Appearance
Well-maintained masonry projects professionalism and stability. Deteriorating mortar joints, stained facades, and spalling brick create negative impressions and can affect property values, lease rates, and tenant satisfaction. Tuckpointing restores your building's appearance while protecting your investment.
Our Commercial Tuckpointing Services
Bi-State Masonry provides comprehensive tuckpointing and mortar joint restoration services for commercial properties of all sizes and types.
Traditional Tuckpointing
Our core service involves the careful removal of deteriorated mortar to an appropriate depth, followed by installation of new mortar matched to the original in composition, color, and joint profile. We use proper techniques to ensure strong bond and lasting performance. For historic buildings, we can specify mortar formulations compatible with original lime-based mortars.
Full-Depth Repointing
When mortar deterioration extends deep into joints, full-depth repointing removes all deteriorated material and replaces it completely. This more extensive process is necessary when surface tuckpointing won't adequately address the damage. We assess mortar condition throughout your building and recommend the appropriate approach for each area.
Mortar Color Matching
Visible mortar joints are part of your building's appearance. We take care to match new mortar to existing mortar in color, texture, and joint profile. For buildings with unique or historic mortar, we can have custom mortar colors formulated. Our goal is seamless restoration that's invisible once complete.
Joint Profile Restoration
Different buildings feature different mortar joint profiles—concave, V-shaped, flush, weathered, struck, and others. The joint profile affects both appearance and water-shedding performance. We restore the original joint profile to maintain your building's architectural character and ensure proper drainage.
Large-Scale Projects
Our commercial experience includes tuckpointing entire building facades, multi-building campuses, and structures requiring extensive scaffolding or lift access. We have the workforce, equipment, and project management capability to handle large-scale tuckpointing projects efficiently while maintaining quality.
Preventive Maintenance Programs
Rather than waiting for significant deterioration, some facility managers prefer scheduled maintenance that addresses mortar issues before they become major problems. We can assess your building's masonry condition and develop a maintenance schedule that spreads costs over time and prevents expensive emergency repairs.
Commercial Sectors We Serve
Bi-State Masonry provides commercial tuckpointing services to a wide range of property types throughout the Des Moines to Chicago corridor. Our experience spans virtually every type of commercial and institutional building.
Government Facilities
We work with federal, state, and local government agencies to maintain public buildings, courthouses, administrative facilities, and other government-owned structures. Our crews understand the documentation, security, and scheduling requirements that government projects often involve.
Municipalities
City halls, fire stations, police departments, libraries, and other municipal buildings rely on our tuckpointing services. We work within municipal budget cycles and procurement processes to deliver quality work that serves the public interest.
Schools and Universities
Educational facilities often feature extensive masonry construction that requires ongoing maintenance. We've completed tuckpointing projects for school districts and universities throughout our service area, including work for the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. We schedule work to minimize disruption to academic activities.
Corporations
Corporate office buildings, headquarters facilities, and business parks trust Bi-State Masonry with their tuckpointing needs. We understand that building appearance reflects on your organization and deliver results that maintain professional standards.
Utilities
Power plants, substations, water treatment facilities, and other utility infrastructure often include masonry structures requiring specialized maintenance. We have experience working in utility environments with their unique access and safety requirements.
Warehouses and Industrial Facilities
Industrial and warehouse buildings may prioritize function over appearance, but mortar maintenance remains essential for weather protection and structural integrity. We provide practical tuckpointing solutions appropriate for industrial applications.
Plants and Manufacturing
Manufacturing facilities with masonry construction benefit from our experience working in active industrial environments. We coordinate with plant operations to minimize production disruption while completing necessary masonry maintenance.
Healthcare and Institutional
Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities require contractors who understand infection control protocols and can work without disrupting patient care. We have experience with the particular requirements of healthcare environments.
Our Tuckpointing Process
Professional tuckpointing follows a systematic process that ensures quality results and lasting performance.
Assessment and Documentation
We begin with a thorough assessment of your building's masonry condition. Our team documents areas of deterioration, identifies underlying causes where possible, and develops a scope of work. For larger projects, we provide detailed reports with photographs and recommendations.
Mortar Analysis
Selecting the right replacement mortar is critical—especially for older buildings. Using mortar that's too hard can damage historic brick; mortar that's too soft won't provide adequate protection. We analyze existing mortar to determine appropriate replacement formulations and colors.
Access Planning
Commercial buildings often require scaffolding, swing stages, or aerial lifts to access upper floors and hard-to-reach areas. We plan access methods that allow efficient work while ensuring worker safety and minimizing disruption to building occupants and operations.
Mortar Removal
Deteriorated mortar must be removed to an adequate depth—typically a minimum of 3/4 inch—to allow proper bonding of new mortar. We use appropriate tools and techniques to remove old mortar without damaging adjacent masonry. For historic buildings, we often use hand tools rather than power equipment to protect fragile brick.
Joint Preparation
After mortar removal, joints must be cleaned of dust and debris, then dampened appropriately before new mortar is applied. Proper preparation ensures strong bond between new mortar and existing masonry.
Mortar Installation
New mortar is installed in layers, allowing each layer to set before the next is applied. This technique prevents shrinkage cracks and ensures full joint depth is properly filled. Our masons tool joints to the specified profile while mortar is at the appropriate consistency.
Curing and Protection
Fresh mortar requires time to cure and gain strength. We protect newly pointed areas from rain, extreme temperatures, and other conditions that could compromise curing. Proper curing produces mortar that performs as intended for decades.
Cleanup and Inspection
Upon completion, we clean adjacent surfaces of mortar residue and conduct final inspection to verify quality throughout the project area. We address any deficiencies before demobilizing from the site.
Why Choose Bi-State Masonry for Commercial Tuckpointing
Selecting the right contractor for commercial tuckpointing affects both the quality of results and the long-term performance of the repair. Here's why building owners and facility managers throughout Iowa and Illinois choose Bi-State Masonry.
26+ Years of Commercial Experience
Since 1999, we've been providing commercial masonry services throughout the region. We've completed tuckpointing projects on every type of commercial building, from small retail structures to large institutional complexes. This experience translates to reliable results and efficient project execution.
Skilled Workforce
Our merit-based employment model attracts and retains skilled masons who take pride in quality work. Employees earn wages based on their skill level, which motivates continuous improvement and ensures you get experienced craftsmen on your project.
Competitive Pricing
As a non-union shop with efficient operations and lower overhead, we offer competitive pricing for commercial tuckpointing. We can often meet or beat pricing from competitors while delivering superior quality. Our detailed estimates clearly outline scope and costs so you can make informed decisions.
Regional Coverage
We serve commercial clients throughout the Iowa and Illinois corridor, from Des Moines to the greater Chicago area. This regional reach means we can maintain your properties across multiple locations with consistent quality and service.
Prevailing Wage Capability
For government projects and other work requiring prevailing wages, we have extensive experience with prevailing wage requirements. Approximately 20% of our projects involve prevailing wage work, and we handle the documentation and compliance requirements seamlessly.
Comprehensive Masonry Services
Tuckpointing often reveals or accompanies other masonry issues—damaged brick, corroded lintels, failed caulk joints, or waterproofing needs. As a full-service commercial masonry contractor, we can address all these issues in a coordinated manner, eliminating the need to manage multiple contractors.
Reliable Project Execution
We show up when we say we will, complete work on schedule, and deliver what we promise. Our commercial clients appreciate working with a contractor they can count on—especially for projects that must coordinate with building operations or meet specific deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my building needs tuckpointing?
Signs that indicate tuckpointing is needed include visible mortar deterioration (cracking, crumbling, or receding joints), water infiltration through masonry walls, efflorescence (white deposits) on brick surfaces, and loose or spalling bricks. If mortar can be easily scraped out with a key or knife, it's likely time for repointing. We provide free assessments for commercial properties to evaluate mortar condition and recommend appropriate action.
How long does commercial tuckpointing last?
Quality tuckpointing with appropriate mortar should last 25-30 years or more, depending on exposure conditions and mortar type. Buildings with severe weather exposure or environmental factors may require more frequent maintenance. We can advise on expected longevity based on your specific building and conditions.
Can tuckpointing be done in cold weather?
Mortar requires temperatures above freezing to cure properly—generally above 40°F and rising. Tuckpointing during cold weather requires special precautions including heated materials, protective enclosures, and extended curing time. While cold-weather work is possible, it adds cost and complexity. We typically recommend scheduling tuckpointing for spring through fall when conditions are most favorable.
How do you handle occupied buildings?
We regularly perform tuckpointing on occupied commercial buildings and coordinate our work to minimize disruption. This may involve scheduling noisy work outside business hours, protecting entries and walkways, and communicating with building management about daily activities. We're experienced at working around building operations while maintaining progress.
Do you provide warranties on tuckpointing work?
Yes, we stand behind our work with appropriate warranties. Warranty terms depend on project scope and conditions. We'll discuss warranty coverage during the estimate process so you understand exactly what's included.
What about residential tuckpointing?
While this page focuses on commercial services, we also provide residential tuckpointing for homeowners throughout the Quad Cities area. Residential projects follow the same quality standards as our commercial work.
Request a Commercial Tuckpointing Assessment
Protect your building investment with professional tuckpointing from Bi-State Masonry. Whether you're addressing visible deterioration or planning preventive maintenance, our team can assess your building's needs and provide a detailed proposal.
Contact us at (309) 786-8800 or request an assessment online. We serve commercial clients throughout Iowa and Illinois, from Des Moines to the greater Chicago area. With over 26 years of commercial masonry experience, Bi-State Masonry delivers tuckpointing results that protect your building for decades to come.