St. Louis homeowner guide

Gutters on old St. Louis brick homes

By Gutter Installation St. Louis, a referral service. Updated November 3, 2026.

Short answer

Old St. Louis brick is often softer than modern brick and laid in softer mortar, so careless fixings and wet walls both do harm. Ask where each strap will go and how old holes will be handled. Fix leaking gutters before you repoint: the National Park Service says repointing without dealing with the source of the water is a waste of time and money.

Dark downspout strapped to the corner of an old red brick wall above a limestone foundation

Worth remembering

Gutters first, tuckpointing second.
Ask whether fixings go into mortar joints or the brick face, and why.
Hard modern mortar can damage soft old brick, so ask your mason.
Check the cornice for a hidden box gutter.

Why St. Louis has so much of it

The fire of 1849 burned much of the city's business district, and the city afterward banned wooden buildings. Local red clay made brick affordable. So the city built in brick for homes as well as businesses, and many of those houses have now stood for well over a century.

What water does to old masonry

A gutter that leaks soaks the top of the wall, or a downspout joint soaks one spot over and over. In a place with about 65 freeze-thaw days a year, water in a brick face or mortar joint expands and contracts until it spalls. The National Park Service lists rehanging gutters, repairing downspouts and repointing mortar among the measures that address most outside moisture problems.

Why gutters come first

The National Park Service's repointing brief says the root cause of deterioration, such as leaking roofs or gutters, must be dealt with before work begins. Without that, it says, mortar deterioration will continue and the repointing will have been a waste of time and money. If a mason is booked, get the gutter checked first.

Questions about fixings

Where will each downspout strap fix: the mortar joint or the brick face? Have the contractor explain the choice for your wall, because old soft brick can crack when drilled.
What fastener will be used, and is it compatible with the gutter metal?
How many straps does each downspout get? One loose strap on a tall wall won't do.
What happens to old holes and stains?
If the wall is crumbling where the strap should go, will they stop and tell you?

Where the gutter meets the top

Many old houses don't have a modern fascia. The gutter may fix to the roof deck, rafter ends or a cornice. Some have a built-in box gutter. A hanging gutter strapped under a failed box gutter leaves the real leak in place, so ask them to look before they quote.

Mortar, in short

This isn't a tuckpointing guide, but one warning is worth repeating. Hard modern mortar on soft old brick can make the brick take the damage. Ask your mason about matching the old mortar, and look at the Park Service brief. If your house is in a City Historic District, ask about review for that work as well.

Questions

Why is my brick flaking near the downspout?

Repeated wetting plus freezing is the usual cause. Fix the leak first, let the wall dry, and then have a mason look at it. Sealers can trap moisture in old brick, so ask before applying one.

Can a downspout be moved without leaving marks?

Not entirely. Old strap holes and stains remain, though a mason can patch them. Keep this in mind on a street-facing wall, and ask about it first in a historic district.

Is white staining on brick a gutter problem?

It can be. Efflorescence, a white salt deposit, means water has moved through the masonry. A gutter leak above it is a good first suspect, though not the only one.

Who should I call first, a mason or a gutter contractor?

If water is getting in, start with the gutter and roof edge. The National Park Service says to deal with the moisture source before repointing.

Sources

General information for St. Louis-area homeowners. Not a quote, and not engineering, legal or insurance advice.