Would cracked mortar around my garage eventually cause the bricks themselves to loosen if I leave it alone?
Answer
It definitely can. Mortar is what holds the brick together. Once it starts deteriorating, water gets into those joints, especially during Michigan winters, and over time the bricks can begin loosening or even crack themselves. The sooner it’s tuckpointed, the better chance you have of avoiding more expensive brick repairs later. Once bricks start moving, the repair often becomes more involved than simply replacing mortar. That’s why we encourage homeowners to address missing or cracked mortar before it reaches that point. Tuckpointing is usually much less expensive than rebuilding sections of a wall.
