When I was moving some boxes away from the wall in the basement, I found indications that the paneling had gotten wet around the bottom. There were mineral deposits on the edge of the paneling and also on the floor.

I know the paneling will have to be removed to check the outside wall.

My question is -- The wall is brick. Do I get a tuckpointer to look at it or do I get a basement waterproofing expert?

Before you call anyone in, you need to remove the paneling and look. If the water is coming through the bricks itself, you have a more difficult problem than f it is coming through missing mortar. But the remedy is usually to redirect the water outside your home. Right now, somehow, water is traveling towards that wall. Look at the outside of that wall. Is the ground sloping away from your house? If not, and if you can, get some soil and create a slope to direct the water away from the house. This may mean creating a long slope to divert the water out to the street or to the back of your property. Also check the gutters on your roof. Are any sagging? Are any blocked by dead leaves? Those problems can lead to water in the basement. Check to see that your downspouts direct the water away fro the house. Sometimes, when a house settles, the concrete spillway at the end of the gutter loses its proper slope and actually directs water towards the house.

Adding soil, cleaning out and re-hanging gutters, and correcting the direction of water flow are all things you can do yourself; you may solve your problem and save a great deal of money.

Thanks for the suggestions.