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Brick & masonry repair in Murfreesboro

A plain guide to what you're seeing in your brick, what a repair usually involves, and how to get quotes from local masons. We're a referral service: we point you to pros, we don't do the work.

Signs your brick needs a mason

Stair-step cracks that follow the mortar joints up a wall, often near corners, windows or doors. In Rutherford County's clay soils these often trace back to ground movement under the foundation.
Crumbling or recessed mortar you can scrape out with a key. The joints are what keep water out; once they erode, water gets behind the brick.
Spalling brick: faces flaking or popping off, usually where water sits and freezes, such as near downspouts, low walls and steps.
Sagging or rusting lintels: the steel angle over a window or garage door bowing, rusting or cracking the brick above it.
Bulging or separating walls: brick veneer pulling away from the house, or a gap opening at a corner or around a window frame.
White staining (efflorescence): salts left behind as water moves through the wall. It's a moisture clue more than damage in itself.

Cracks that are wide, keep growing, or come with sticking doors and windows can point to a foundation problem rather than a masonry one. Tell the mason about any of these. They may suggest a foundation or structural assessment before repairing the brick.

Common repairs

Tuckpointing & repointing

Grinding or raking out failed mortar to a set depth and packing in new mortar matched to the original in strength and color.

Brick replacement

Cutting out cracked or spalled bricks and setting new ones. Finding a match for color, size and texture is the hard part on older homes.

Crack repair & rebuilds

Re-laying sections of veneer that have cracked or bowed, sometimes with new wall ties to fasten the brick back to the frame.

Lintel replacement

Removing the brick above an opening, replacing a rusted steel lintel, adding flashing and weep holes, and re-laying the brick.

Older brick vs. newer brick veneer

Homes near downtown Murfreesboro and the East Main Street area include older solid-masonry walls, often laid in softer lime-based mortar. Newer homes in areas like Blackman, Barfield and Siegel are mostly brick veneer: a single layer of brick tied to a wood-framed wall with an air gap, flashing and weep holes behind it.

That difference matters. On older walls, mortar that's harder than the brick can force the brick itself to crack, so ask how the mason will match the original mortar. On veneer, ask whether they'll check the flashing and keep the weep holes open, because those are what let water drain back out.

What your repair quote should cover

Which walls and areas are included, with rough square footage or a count of bricks or openings.
How they'll match the brick and mortar, and whether they'll show you a sample first.
The mortar type they plan to use and why it suits your wall.
Anything that could change the price once work starts, such as hidden rot, failed ties or a rusted lintel behind the brick.
Clean-up, haul-off and protection of beds, lawn and driveway.
Permit needs, timeline, payment schedule, warranty and proof of insurance.

Tell us about the job

Free, no obligation. You'll get one email back with local masons you can contact directly. We're a referral service, not a contractor.