Brick Pointing & Sealing in Chilliwack, BC. Keep moisture out, keep your masonry standing.
Fresh mortar pointing and breathable brick sealers keep moisture out of Fraser Valley masonry and add years of life.
Brick Pointing & Sealing in Chilliwack. What We Do
Brick pointing and sealing in Chilliwack, BC. Repoint the joints that are open, then put a penetrating, breathable sealer on the masonry. Together, that's one of the better ways to add years to brick and stone in a wet climate. We always point first and seal second. Sealing over failed mortar traps moisture and makes the wall worse.
Sealer ads make it sound like a wash-and-coat. It isn't. If the joints are receded, you're sealing a leaky net. Water still gets in at the mortar, then has a harder time getting out. That's how you accelerate spalling while thinking you waterproofed the house.
The only sealers we use on exterior masonry are penetrating, breathable products (silane or siloxane family, not a plastic film). They reduce liquid water uptake and still let vapour leave. Shiny 'wet look' coatings are a film. Films peel, trap water, and look wrong on brick.
Timing: new masonry wants to cure before a sealer, often 6 to 12 months. Chimneys and weather faces want attention before the wet season, not during a January atmospheric river.
What's Included
- Mortar joint inspection and assessment
- Full-wall or targeted repointing
- Penetrating brick and stone sealer
- Cleaning and prep before sealing
- Efflorescence treatment before sealer goes on
- Chimney crown sealing and capping details
When to Call a Masonry Contractor
New masonry after it's cured
A breathable sealer 6 to 12 months after a new wall or chimney is a reasonable extra. Not the day after we finish.
Before a wet winter
Pointing and sealing in late summer or early fall is the smart window in this valley.
After repairs
Freshly repointed chimneys and walls benefit from a penetrating sealer once the mortar has cured.
Brick that soaks dark every rain
That's absorption. A penetrating sealer can help, after we've confirmed the joints aren't the open door.
Waterproofing brick in a climate that never really dries out
Chilliwack brick spends a lot of the year damp. The goal isn't to shrink-wrap it. The goal is to stop bulk water getting in while letting the wall dry when the sun finally hits it.
Film sealers (acrylics, some 'wet look' products) fight drying. In a freeze-thaw climate that's how faces pop. We won't apply them on exterior brick just because they photograph well on application day.
Chimneys and unsheltered west walls see the most benefit. A fully sheltered courtyard wall may not need sealer at all. We'll say if you're buying a product you don't need.
Materials and Methods
Penetrating silane / siloxane sealers
They soak in, don't change the look much, and stay vapour-open. This is what we mean by brick sealing.
Matched pointing mortar
Same rules as our tuckpointing work. Right hardness, right colour, tooled concave.
Cleaners
Mild, appropriate for masonry. Aggressive acid on old brick is how you etch a face you then can't un-etch.
What Drives the Cost
Nobody should expect a fake square-foot price from a website. Access, height, matching, and what's behind the masonry move the number more than the brochure photo. Here's what we look at before we quote.
How much pointing is needed first
The sealer is often the smaller part of the bill. Joint work is the labour.
Access
A chimney or a two-storey elevation needs staging. A garden wall doesn't.
Cleaning
Heavy biological growth or decades of grime add a wash step. Sealer on dirt is a dirty sealer.
What Goes Wrong When It's Done Cheap
Sealing over bad joints
Always point first. Always.
Film-forming products
If it leaves a shine or a plastic skin, it's the wrong product for exterior brick here.
Sealing new mortar too soon
Mortar needs to cure and throw off moisture. Give it time.
Our Brick Pointing & Sealing Process
Inspection
We check joints and faces. Failed joints get marked for pointing before any sealer is discussed.
Repointing if needed
Open joints get cut and packed. No sealer over bad mortar.
Cleaning
Dirt, growth, and efflorescence come off so the sealer can actually enter the brick.
Sealer application
Penetrating, breathable product, applied to a dry wall at the coverage the product needs. Not a thin hope-coat.
Why Choose Chilliwack Masonry Works?
- Breathable sealers only. Film products stay off our exteriors
- We point first, seal second, every time
- Commercial-grade penetrating products
- We'll tell you if the wall doesn't need sealer
Masonry Contractor Serving Chilliwack & the Fraser Valley
We provide brick pointing & sealing services across Chilliwack and the greater Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford, Hope, Agassiz, Mission, Sardis, and surrounding communities. See all service areas →
FAQ
Brick Pointing & Sealing in Chilliwack. Common Questions
A good penetrating sealer lasts 5 to 10 years. Chimneys and harsh exposures may need it sooner. We'll tell you what we used and when to think about it again.
Ready to start?
Ready for Brick Pointing & Sealing in Chilliwack?
Call us or fill out the form. We'll come take a look and give you a clear, written quote.