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.
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)
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.
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.
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Ian Craig
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Astrit the owner and his helper repaired our fireplace chimney. He gave a fair price, did exactly what was required, when promised, and left site clean as found. I recommend his company!
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Steve Dijkema
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Awesome detailed work delivered on time at a fair price. Highly recommend!
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Steve Pitman
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Highly Recommend. The crew were friendly, professional and got the job done right in quick order. Just what you want from a contractor.
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Janet Munro
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We called Martini Stone Masonry to do a few small stucco repairs. Astrit came to give us a quote and made a few suggestions on how to improve an old pool wall that was collapsing. He went above and beyond what we expected and we are so very pleased with the workmanship and results. His dedication and pleasant manner made for a most pleasant experience. We highly recommend Martini Stone Masonry for any and all your stone and stucco projects. 🙌
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Lewis Percy
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Can’t recommend Astrit and his team highly enough. He went the extra mile on my chimney repair this winter, battling the weather windows and working into the darkness some nights to get things weatherproofed. There was great communication throughout, fair pricing and we’re super happy with the end product.
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R Charles
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I would hire these guys anytime!! Trustworthy and very dedicated to doing good job!
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Vicki Benoit
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Astrit did a fantastic job on our masonry work. He did two fireplaces and exterior stone. Astrit is an excellent mason, fair price and on time. Couldn’t ask for better service.
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Aida G
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Hello Everyone,
I highly recommend Martini Stone Masonry Limited.They did a very good job and I am very satisfied customer in did. 🥰
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Brody
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We are extremely pleased with the job that Martini Stone Masonry did at our house. They have great customer service and are very knowledgeable in their craft. Very hard working and got it done fast, while also paying careful attention to detail. I would highly recommend for any stone project!
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Ian Tomalty
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Martini Stone did an amazing job on the exterior of our new build. He was easy to work with, made many recommendations and options and the work was done in a timely manner and at a competitive price. Highly recommend and will use on my next project.
