Older homes typically cost more to repoint because the mortar usually has to be custom-matched instead of pulled off a shelf, and the brick underneath is often softer and easier to damage, which slows the work down. A house built with lime-based mortar decades ago needs a compatible lime mortar mix, not modern Portland cement, and getting that mix right takes more time than using a standard bag. More of the wall has often deteriorated too, so there's simply more joint to redo.
Old and new mortar aren't interchangeable. Homes built before roughly the mid-1900s were often laid with softer lime-based mortar, and modern Portland cement mortar is harder and less flexible than that. Repointing old brick with the wrong mortar can trap moisture against the brick face instead of letting it escape, which speeds up damage instead of preventing it, so matching the original mix matters more than it might seem.
Soft, older brick is also more fragile to work around. Grinding out failed mortar without chipping the edges of handmade or softer brick takes slower, more careful work, sometimes done partly by hand instead of relying entirely on power tools, and that care adds labor time a newer, harder brick wouldn't require.
We assess brick hardness and mortar type before quoting an older Hillsville or Galax home rather than pricing it like a modern build. That usually means testing a joint or two by hand and looking closely at the brick face for softness before we ever write a number down. Knowing what's actually there before work starts is what keeps the estimate accurate instead of adjusted mid-job once the crew has already started grinding out joints.
More on this from Chelo's Brick & Stone.
Chelo's Brick & Stone serves Hillsville, Galax, Wytheville, Fancy Gap, and Independence, VA. Call for a straight answer and a free on-site estimate.
