Historic masonry refers to brick, stone, or block construction built before modern manufacturing and mortar standards became common, generally before the mid-1900s, using softer, more porous materials that need different repair methods than modern masonry.
Older brick and stone were made and set differently than materials sold today. Brick was often low-fired and more porous, and the mortar joining it was usually lime-based, not the harder Portland-cement mixes common now. That difference matters because mortar has to stay softer than the masonry unit it holds. Repointing historic masonry with modern high-strength mortar traps moisture inside the brick or stone, and the brick face pops off instead of the mortar joint wearing down the way it's supposed to.
Carroll and Grayson County have plenty of farmhouses and older town buildings built long before anyone worried about matching mortar to brick. Add Southwest Virginia's freeze-thaw winters and mismatched mortar failures show up fast, brick faces spall, joints crack, walls take on water. When we work on historic masonry we test what's there before deciding on a mix, because guessing wrong on an old house does real damage that can't be undone.
More masonry vocabulary from the glossary.
The services where this term comes up.
Chelo's Brick & Stone serves Hillsville, Galax, Wytheville, Fancy Gap, and Independence, VA. Call for a straight answer and a free on-site estimate.
