Lime Mortar Brick Pointing in Brooklyn
Historically-correct lime mortar for pre-1900 Brooklyn brick — including mortar analysis and LPC-approved mixes.
- Mortar analysis: $200–$500 (sample sent to lab)
- Custom-matched lime mortar mixes
- LPC-approved formulations for landmark districts
- Pre-1900 building specialists
If your Brooklyn building was built before 1900, it was built with lime mortar — and pointing it with modern Portland cement is the single most damaging thing a cheap contractor can do to it. Lime mortar flexes with the wall, lets moisture escape, and protects the soft handmade brick. Portland cement is harder than the brick itself, traps water, and within a few winters destroys the face shells you were trying to protect.
Why lime mortar matters
Brooklyn's brownstones, federal-style townhouses, and pre-war industrial buildings were built with soft, handmade brick fired at relatively low temperatures. That brick has a compressive strength below modern Portland cement. The rule of historic masonry: the mortar must always be softer than the brick. Lime mortar respects that rule. Portland cement violates it — and when it does, water that should evaporate through the joint instead pushes out through the face of the brick and breaks it.
Our mortar analysis process
On every pre-1900 Brooklyn building we work on, we take a 50¢-sized sample of the original mortar and send it to a preservation lab for analysis. The lab returns a recipe: binder ratio, aggregate gradation, and color. We then mix a replacement mortar that matches the original chemically and visually. Total cost: $200–$500. Worth every dollar on a brownstone you intend to own for a generation.
LPC landmark district approvals
Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy all contain LPC-designated historic districts. Repointing in these districts requires a Landmarks Preservation Commission permit and an approved mortar mix. We file the permit, submit mortar samples for approval, and handle the entire LPC process inside our quoted price.
We work this service across every Brooklyn neighbourhood
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