Forum Archive: Masonry

Repointing brick for a 3 story brownstone back wall that’s 400sqft. Is $8/per sqft a good estimated cost?

In case someone is looking for a good mason, we demoed the shed in our backyard and hired Manny LaSalle (917-292-1825) to fill the hole of about 12X10 feet. They also poured concrete, pitching to our outdoor drain, where removal of the shed left us with dirt and gravel. Good work, he kept to his price, and he was quick.

I am considering doing irregular bluestone pathways in the 3-foot alleyway between my house and neighbor’s, and in an area 8 feet wide, again between the 2 houses. These areas are currently covered in (cracking)concrete. Given the proximity to both foundations, some contractors have advised that setting in sand and gravel will eventually lead to basement water problems (next door neighbor already has had some issues), and so have advised that stone be set on concrete slab and mortared. Other contractors have said that setting in sand will not pose a problem. Soliciting additional opinions……. Thanks!

Hello All,

I have a 2o’x25′ brick building with years of paint on it. I used peel away 1 and stripped a 4′x4′ section. The brick underneath looks great. Before I strip the rest I was wondering if anyone has had this done and/or can you provide a recommendation and ballpark cost. I would love to know before I invest several weeks of hard labor and then find out it could have been power washed clean by a pro in a day.
Also has any one had their bricks re-pointed? Again what is the cost I would be looking at?
Thanks in advance.

Unfortunately half our living space in our home is really a basement with stone walls. We have taken out most of the drywall (in order to get to termite damage) and are wondering what is the best way to coat the stone walls in order to make a livable space while also allowing the stone to breathe. I was thinking of “rendering” with a lime/sand mix. Not even quite sure what it all means.

The storage space under our stoop is very damp and musty… anyone have solutions to this problem? It would be great to have this space be more useful…

Hi,
Last winter really took a toll on my brownstone stoop, and it’s time to get it fixed. I see alot of work done on stoops that involves applying cement to the brownstone. This does not sound right to me. the stone has to breathe, and if it doesn’t, it will separate from the cement which will crack and chip off. That’s what’s currently happening to my stoop. Can anyone clear up this process of ‘cementing’ the brownstone? also looking for rec’s of masons who know what they’re doing.
cheers

I have a 300 sq foot dirt area that I am looking to turn into a patio. I’d like to lay bluestone in the area and will need some type of drainage system. Any recommendations for someone who can do this type of work? Also, any ideas how much this job should run? First quote I got was about $9k which seemed very high.

I exposed the bricks in my building. They came out very nice, but I have a lot of dust off the walls. Is there something that would seal the brick and reduce some of this dust.