Calgary Brick Doesn’t Forgive Neglect – But We Can Fix It!

Calgary’s freeze-thaw cycle is hard on mortar. Temperatures swing dramatically from winter lows to warm Chinook afternoons, and that constant expansion and contraction works its way into every joint. Over time, mortar cracks, crumbles, and separates from the brick face. What starts as a hairline crack becomes water infiltration, spalling brick faces, and eventually structural movement.

Astrit Martinaj has been repairing Calgary brick for over 20 years. At Martini Stone Masonry, we handle brick repair and tuckpointing on homes, foundations, chimneys, and commercial buildings across Calgary, Cochrane, Airdrie, and the surrounding area.

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Before and after brick repair and tuckpointing on a Calgary chimney — crumbling mortar joints restored with Type S mortar by Martini Stone Masonry

What’s Actually Wrong With Your Brick?

Not every brick problem looks the same, and not every problem needs the same fix. Before we quote anything, we assess whether you’re dealing with mortar deterioration, cracked or spalled bricks, efflorescence (white salt deposits), structural shifting, or water damage working from the inside out.

The most common issues we repair in Calgary include:

• Crumbling or hollow mortar joints
• Cracked or missing bricks
• Spalling brick faces from freeze-thaw damage
• Efflorescence and water staining
• Brick wall cracks, including step cracks in mortar lines
• Foundation brick deterioration
• Brick chimney and fireplace repair

If the brick itself is damaged beyond surface repair, we source replacement units and do our best to match your existing brick in colour, texture, and size – including discontinued styles that are no longer in regular production.

Tuckpointing vs. Repointing: What’s the Difference?

These two terms get used interchangeably, and most contractors don’t distinguish between them. Here’s the actual difference:

Repointing

Repointing means removing deteriorated mortar from the joints — typically to a depth of 15 to 20mm — and filling them with fresh mortar. The goal is structural: stop water infiltration, restore bond strength, and prevent further erosion. Repointing restores the integrity of the wall.

Tuckpointing

Tuckpointing is a finishing technique. It involves applying a thin contrasting-colour filler into the joints to create the visual impression of very fine, precise mortar lines. It’s used both for aesthetic restoration and to make older brick look clean and sharp without full repointing.

We do both, and we’ll tell you which one your wall actually needs.

How Brick Repair & Tuckpointing might look like (before & after photos)

Brick repair and painting at 123 Lake Placid Close SE Calgary — masonry restoration by Martini Stone Masonry
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Tuckpointing and brick joint renewal at 7009 Hunterville Road NW Calgary — mortar repointing by Martini Stone Masonry
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Alt text: Before and after retaining wall brick repair at 243059 Westbluff Road Springbank — brick and mortar restoration by Martini Stone Masonry
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Red brick repair at 315 10 Avenue NE Calgary — repointing and mortar restoration by Martini Stone Masonry
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Brick repair at 4432A Namaka Crescent NW Calgary — mortar restoration and repointing by Martini Stone Masonry
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Tuckpointing repair with heat applied to brick chimney at 80 Ranch Estates Drive NW Calgary — cold weather masonry restoration by Martini Stone Masonry
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Before and after red brick repair on a rural acreage at 30015 Township Road 262, Rocky View County — repointing and mortar restoration by Martini Stone Masonry
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Brick repair with mortar colour match on a 1960s home at 163 Malibu Rd Calgary — repointing completed by Martini Stone Masonry
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Mortar Matching: The Detail That Makes or Breaks a Repair

Cheap repairs fail because the contractor uses the wrong mortar. Mortar hardness has to be matched to the brick — if the mortar is harder than the brick, stress transfers into the brick face itself, causing spalling and cracking.

This is a common problem when Portland-heavy premix is applied to older Calgary homes built with softer brick and lime-based mortar.

For standard joints on modern brick, we use Type S mortar, which balances compressive strength with flexibility — the right spec for exterior masonry in Alberta’s climate. For brick installation and structural work, we use polymer mortar for improved adhesion and durability.

Older Calgary homes present a different challenge. Many pre-1970s builds used site-mixed mortar — sand, lime, and cement combined on the job in ratios that varied by builder. We can replicate those mixes.

Astrit has matched sand-lime-cement blends on heritage buildings where modern premix would have caused more damage than the original problem.

We also colour-match mortar when the original was tinted — darker joints in particular are easy to miss and hard to blend if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Before and after chimney brick repair and parging in Calgary by Martini Stone Masonry
Chimney fully restored to weather-resistant, code-compliant condition.

Brick Veneer Repair and Installation

Beyond repair work, Martini Stone Masonry installs and repairs brick veneer on Calgary home exteriors. We work with Selkirk Stone and IXL products — two of the most reliable veneer and brick manufacturers serving the Alberta market. Both offer a wide range of profiles and finishes, which gives us options when matching existing work or designing new exterior features.

Veneer applications include exterior cladding, feature walls, retaining walls, and pillars. We use polymer mortar for veneer installations to ensure proper adhesion through Calgary’s seasonal temperature range.

Insured, WCB-Registered, Alberta Incorporated

Martini Stone Masonry Ltd. is incorporated in Alberta (Corp. Access #2024268852) and operates out of Cochrane serving all of Calgary and the surrounding communities. We carry $2,000,000 commercial general liability insurance per occurrence ($5,000,000 aggregate) and are registered with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta (WCB Account #8180853). Every project is covered from the first day on site to the last.

We give honest assessments, fair pricing, and clean worksites. If your brick needs repair, we’ll tell you exactly what’s required — no upselling, no unnecessary scope.

Ready to get your brickwork assessed?

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Our Location

40 Fireside Cres, Cochrane, AB T4C 2L4

Email

masonrymartini [at] gmail.com
contact [at] martinistonemasonry.com

Call Us for a Free Brick Repair & Tuckpointing Quote in Calgary

587-227-9122

 

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