If you have a home that’s at least 20 years old, there’s a good chance that your masonry needs some tuckpointing Chicago.

The good news is that this kind of work doesn’t need to be done often—you can often go decades without needing to tuckpoint, so if you’re just looking for a reason to get out and do some yard work, look no further! But if you live in the same house for long periods of time or bought an older home, it’s worth checking on from time to time.

Some easy-to-spot signs that your masonry might need tuckpointing include: weathered or flakey mortar; cracked or missing mortar; mismatched coloring in the mortar; scratches from a screwdriver or key dragged across the mortar joints (which indicates old tuckpointing).