Need expert mason!
I’m looking for an expert mason to rebuild some small wall sections and do some repointing and metal flashing. These are prewar bricks so I want to make sure the mason has experience with old bricks, the structure of old brick walls, and the proper mortar mix, etc. Anyone ever worked with anyone they’d recommend?…
I’m looking for an expert mason to rebuild some small wall sections and do some repointing and metal flashing. These are prewar bricks so I want to make sure the mason has experience with old bricks, the structure of old brick walls, and the proper mortar mix, etc. Anyone ever worked with anyone they’d recommend? VinRoy Baronette is not returning my calls and Wolf doesn’t do residential they tell me. Thanks!
Hey, BHS – thanks for the inside scoop!
yes, butterfingers, the old bricks where made in a different way so they are less hard than new bricks so the mortar needs to be softer. Mortar needs to be soft enough that it absorbs any movement/pressure before the bricks in the form of cracks or crumbling. If bricks crack or their outside layer comes off they are less water resistant. Old walls had an outside layer of bricks and softer bricks inside the wall, which is different from how new construction brick walls are made, which is why old brick walls dont typically have weep holes but new ones do. Mortar is made of lime and sand and cement, and I think the harder mixes have a larger cement proportion. Some contractors will repoint old bricks with basically just a cement mix, which can damage the bricks over time. Also, apparently unskilled contractors sometimes use too large of a tool in removing old mortar in preparing to repoint and they end up chipping off parts of the surrounding bricks which damages the structure of the bricks and makes the mortar lines much larger.
Hi, BHS.
No rec from me — just a question: what is the significance of prewar bricks?
I have a townhouse back wall that needs repointing. The bricks are prewar. Since it is the back wall, I am not overly concerned about the aesthetics (within reason). Are there any particular structural concerns that accompany prewar bricks?
try an english mason who we just used for our garden patio (huge job); he was terrific. his name is john, number is 347-527-3110. he’s a real pro, and very nice and easy to work with. tell him susie recommended him.
I would like to recommend High-Tech construction company. They did some masonry/renovation work for me last year and they did an amazing job. Great pricing. Give them a call at 1347-792-1266.
much appreciated Vinca, thank you, I’ll give them a call.
Any other recommendations out there?
BHS: I can’t recommend them from personal experience, but they got a nice write-up in the Times in 2008 (Mulroy Masonry, Maspeth, Queens): http://nyti.ms/bMbeij
As to experience, I personally think that VinRoy did better work a generation ago. The guys are great, and still fine for certain work, but not for this.