Cracked brickwork · Sydney
Crack and brick stitching Sydney
Crack stitching ties a cracked brick wall back together with bars set into the mortar joints across the crack, repointed over so the repair sits inside the joints.
PricingEvery repair is quoted for your wall, free. What sets the price
- 15+ years in tuckpointing
- Free inspection and quote
- No minimum job size
Cracks and what causes them
Understand the crack. Then repair the wall.
Cracks can follow the mortar joints in a stepped line or run through the bricks themselves. Their pattern, history and the condition of the wall help determine the repair. Crack stitching reinforces suitable masonry across a crack, tying the affected sections together.
The cause needs attention as well as the crack. Ongoing movement, a rusted lintel, failed wall ties or a footing that has moved can change what work is needed. Some walls need a structural engineer’s assessment before a repair can be specified.
Signs that need a closer look
- The crack is changingIt is getting wider, extending along the wall or opening again after a previous repair.
- The wall has shiftedBricks are out of line on either side, the wall is bulging, or you can see through the crack.
- Openings are affectedDoors or windows have started sticking, or cracks are appearing around their corners.
A photograph or the width of a crack alone cannot tell you whether a wall is safe. If brickwork is loose or visibly moving, keep clear and get prompt professional advice.
Other repairs
Not every crack needs stitching.
Stitching can reinforce suitable cracked masonry. It cannot resolve ongoing movement, replace a failed support or rebuild badly damaged bricks.
Worn mortar jointsSound bricks with weathered or crumbling joints may need repointing instead. See brick repointing.
A failed window supportA rusted lintel can push brickwork apart; stitching alone will not replace it. See lintel repairs.
Damaged or loose bricksBroken bricks or a loose section may need replacing or rebuilding. See brick repairs.How it’s done
Across the crack. Inside the joints.
Stitching bars, usually helical bars made for the purpose, bridge the crack inside horizontal mortar joints. They are bedded in grout within prepared slots, then concealed by repointing. The visible finish is the repaired joint, with mortar selected to suit the surrounding wall.
Finding the cause
We look at where the crack runs and what might be driving it before recommending stitching.
Cutting the slots
Slots are prepared in the mortar joints across the crack, to the layout specified for the wall.
Setting the bars
Bars bridge the crack within the slots and are bonded into the masonry with the specified grout.
Repointing over
The slots and affected joints are repointed, with colour and joint profile chosen to suit the existing brickwork.
Mortar colour and joint shape should suit the wall, and tuck lines are considered alongside the repair. Older materials vary, so an exact match cannot always be achieved.
Related work · Hurlstone Park
When the opening needs rebuilding.
This related project rebuilt the brickwork over a window and door, with new rendered heads.
Read the Hurlstone Park project
Before
During
AfterTypical prices
Plan the crack repair.
The wall and the cause of the damage determine the scope. An inspection establishes whether stitching suits the wall and any further advice it needs.
What crack stitching usually costs
Prices include GST. Your quote follows a free inspection and a written scope for your wall.
Get a free quoteWhat shapes the quote
Extent of the cracking
The length, pattern and number of cracks, and how much of the wall is affected.
The wall itself
Its construction, brick and mortar condition, and whether both sides need attention.
Access to the repair
Height, room to work and whether scaffolding is needed.
Cause and making good
Any underlying repair or engineering advice, plus matching the mortar, tuck lines or rendered finish.
Will stitching stop the crack coming back?
Stitching reinforces the masonry across a crack, but it does not remove an underlying cause. If movement continues or a failed support is left in place, further cracking can occur. The assessment needs to establish what is driving the damage and whether other work or engineering advice is needed.
Can a rendered brick wall be stitched?
It may be suitable, but the reinforcement must be installed in the masonry beneath the render. This can involve removing render locally and making the finish good afterwards. Filling a crack in the render alone is a different repair; the wall beneath needs to be assessed.
Will the repair be visible?
The bars sit within the joints and are concealed by repointing. New mortar, tuck lines or patched render may still differ from weathered surrounding material. We discuss the finish as part of the scope rather than promising an invisible or exact match.
Why do quotes for the same wall differ, and how do I compare them?
Quotes can cover different work. One may rake out only the loosest mortar while another takes every joint back to a sound depth, and the mortar mix, how the finish is matched, access and scaffolding, and cleaning down all change the price. Compare quotes on the same area and finish, and ask each what is included and what is not. Any scaffolding your job needs is included in our quote.
How soon can you start, and how long will the work take?
We start as soon as we can once you accept the quote. As a guide, a small repair, a single lintel or most crack stitching takes a day or two, repointing a brick front fence one to two days, and tuckpointing a single-storey brick front about a week. Larger or higher walls, scaffolding and wet weather add time. Tell us about any renovation deadline when you enquire and your quote will give a realistic start date and duration.
Does a heritage-listed home need approval for brickwork repairs?
Check the listing and the proposed work before starting. For a local heritage item or conservation area, ask your council about approval or a maintenance exemption. State Heritage Register properties also have Heritage NSW requirements. Like-for-like work is not automatically exempt; the relevant conditions still need to be met.
Related services
Other work your wall may need.
Brick repairsReplacing damaged bricks or rebuilding a loose section.Lintel repairsCracks above a window or door from a rusting support.Brick repointingRenewing worn joints across the rest of the wall.Where we work
Where we work across Sydney
We cover the five Sydney regions below. Each region’s brick repairs page lists the suburbs we cover, with local heritage guidance.
Find your suburbSome of our project locations
What happens next
From your call to a finished wall.
The inspection and quote are free, and nothing is booked until you’ve said yes to the quote.
Get in touch
Call us, or send the form with your suburb and a few photos of the wall if you have them. We’ll call you back as soon as we can.
A look at the wall
We look at your photos, and come out to inspect where the wall needs a closer look.
Your quote
We explain the work, what the quote covers and the finish you’ll get, so you can decide.
We book the work
Once you accept, we start as soon as we can and arrange any scaffolding the job needs. Most jobs take from a day or two to about a week, depending on the size of the wall and the weather. You don’t need to be home while we work.
Cleaned down
Mortar smears and dust are cleaned off the wall as we go, so it’s left clean for you to check against the quote.
Free inspection & quote
Show us the crack and the wall around it.
Tell us where the crack is, when you first noticed it, whether it is changing and the suburb. Mention any existing engineer’s report. There is no minimum job size.
0402 133 821Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm · Saturday, 9am to 3pm · Sunday closedastutetp@gmail.comSending photos? Take photos from a safe position without disturbing loose brickwork.