● Booking Masonry repairs across the GTA
Toronto masonry repair, chimney restoration & tuckpointing
For more than two decades Brian and the Cummins crew have repaired brick and stone homes, institutions and facilities across the GTA. We match your mortar and brick, give you a written price before we start, and leave the site clean.
★★★★★
HomeStars
★★★★★
Licensed & insured
Free written estimate
✓ Brian inspects the wall or chimney himself
✓ Clear scope, price and start date in writing
✓ No pressure, no obligation
20+
Years
restoring GTA masonry
100s
Buildings
brick & stone restored
✓
Insured
licensed, fully insured crew
$0
Estimates
free & in writing
What we fix
Masonry services for Toronto homes & buildings
Each service has its own page with photos, how we do the work and what affects the price.
Masonry restoration
Full repair of older brick and stone walls, from rebuilt sections to cleaning and heritage work.
Bulging walls
Heritage brick
Cleaning
Chimney repair
Crown rebuilds, repointing and full rebuilds above the roofline so your chimney stays solid and dry.
Cracked crown
Loose brick
Leaning stack
Tuckpointing
We grind out worn joints and repoint with a mortar that suits your brick, so water stays out.
Crumbling joints
Gaps & voids
Water inside
Brick repair
Spalled or cracked brick cut out and replaced with matched units, and the moisture problem behind it fixed.
Spalling
Cracked brick
Lintels
Parging
Loose parging removed and a new bonded coat applied to protect and tidy your foundation walls.
Peeling coat
Exposed block
Hairline cracks
Not sure what you need?
Start with what you're seeing
Brick problem guide
What's happening to your wall?
These are the six problems we're called about most in Toronto, where freeze–thaw winters are hard on brick and mortar.
Tuckpointing
Crumbling or recessed mortar joints
Likely cause. Mortar is meant to wear out before the brick does. After a few decades, rain and freeze–thaw wash it out of the joints.
How we fix it. We grind out the damaged joints to a sound depth and repoint them with a mortar that suits your brick.
Tuckpointing in Toronto →Brick repair
Brick faces flaking or popping off
Likely cause. Water in the brick freezes and pushes the face off (spalling). Hard cement mortar or sealers that trap moisture often make it worse.
How we fix it. We cut out the damaged bricks, replace them with matched units, and fix the joints or drainage letting water in.
Brick repair in Toronto →Chimney repair
Cracked chimney crown or loose chimney brick
Likely cause. A cracked crown lets water into the top of the chimney, where it freezes and loosens the brick around it.
How we fix it. We rebuild the crown, repoint or rebuild the stack above the roofline, and check the flashing and cap.
Chimney repair in Toronto →Masonry restoration
Stair-step cracks in a brick wall
Likely cause. Usually movement or settling. Cracks over windows are often caused by a rusting steel lintel pushing the brick up.
How we fix it. We find the cause first, then rebuild the cracked section and replace any rusted lintels.
Masonry restoration in Toronto →Masonry restoration
White powder on the brick
Likely cause. This is efflorescence: salts carried to the surface by moisture moving through the wall. It's a sign of water, not damage in itself.
How we fix it. We trace the water source, clean the brick without harsh acids, and repoint if the joints are letting water in.
Masonry restoration in Toronto →Parging
Cracked or peeling foundation parging
Likely cause. Parging that didn't bond well, or has moisture behind it, pops off when that moisture freezes.
How we fix it. We remove the loose parging, prepare the wall, and apply a new bonded coat.
Parging in Toronto →20+ years on Toronto brick
Brian Cummins
Owner & lead mason
Why Cummins
Repairs that last as long as the brick does
We've seen what happens to masonry that isn't maintained properly. Here's how we work instead.
01
Mortar matched to your brick
Many older Toronto homes have soft brick laid in lime mortar. Hard cement mortar can crack those bricks, so we match the mix to the wall.
02
Written estimate before work starts
You see the scope, price and schedule in writing before you commit.
03
Licensed & fully insured
Your property and our crew are covered on every job, big or small.
04
Site left clean
We protect landscaping, clean mortar off the brick face and clear debris before we leave.
How a job runs
From first call to final walkthrough
Most repairs take days, not weeks. Masonry needs temperatures above about 5°C while the mortar cures, so book spring and fall work early.
1
Inspection
Brian looks at the wall or chimney, finds the cause and explains it in plain terms.
2
Written quote
Scope, price and start date in writing. No pressure.
3
Repair
Matched materials, protected landscaping and a crew that turns up when scheduled.
4
Clean-up & walkthrough
We clean the brick face and site, then walk you through the finished work.
Recent work
Before & after projects
Real jobs by Brian and the Cummins crew, photographed before we started and after we finished.
Before
After
Chimney repair
Chimney repointed above the roofline
Worn, open mortar joints below the crown ground out and repointed.
Before
After
Parging
New parging on a foundation wall
Cracked, peeling parging removed and a smooth new coat applied.
Before
After
Masonry restoration
Gate pillar rebuilt in brick and stone
A failing brick and limestone pillar taken down and rebuilt.
Client reviews
What homeowners say
★★★★★
“Brian and the Cummins Restoration team did an incredible job tuckpointing the house. Not only was he professional and efficient, he was a pleasure to work with.”
HB
Holly B.
Tuckpointing
★★★★★
“Tuck pointing and threshold repair. Did a great job for a fair price compared to other companies. It's been a few months and you can barely tell where the mortar repair was done.”
GD
Gina D.
Tuckpointing & repair
★★★★★
“You guys did a terrific job on the tuckpointing, I'd have no problem recommending you to anyone. The front of my house just looks so much better.”
MB
M.B.
Toronto
Service areas
Masonry repair across the GTA
Based in Scarborough, we work throughout Toronto and the surrounding cities.
Toronto
Scarborough
North York
East York
Etobicoke
Markham
Richmond Hill
Vaughan
Pickering
Ajax
Mississauga
FAQ
Common questions
How much does tuckpointing cost in Toronto?
It depends on how deep the mortar has worn, the size of the wall, and access such as ladders or scaffolding. After a free inspection we give you a written price for your wall.
When is the best time of year for masonry repairs?
Mortar needs temperatures above about 5°C while it cures, so most exterior work in Toronto runs from spring to late fall. Urgent chimney repairs can sometimes be done in mild winter weather.
Why is the face of my brick flaking off?
That's spalling. Water soaks into the brick, freezes and pushes the surface off. It's often made worse by hard cement mortar or sealers that trap moisture. The fix is to replace the damaged bricks and stop the water getting in.
Do you work on older and heritage homes?
Yes. Older Toronto homes often have soft brick and lime mortar, and we match those materials instead of using modern cement mixes that can damage them.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Cummins Restorations is fully licensed and insured for residential, institutional and commercial masonry work.
From the blog
Masonry advice for Toronto homeowners
Free estimate
Tell us about your wall or chimney
Tell us what you're seeing and where the property is. Brian usually replies within one business day.
(416) 992-7965
cumminsrestoration@rogers.com
25 Dunelm Street, Toronto, ON M1J 3G2
Licensed & fully insured · Free written estimates · Serving Toronto & the GTA for 20+ years