mason & rendering question

My building needs to replace its bluestone walkway. We got a bid from a mason with excellent Angie’s List credentials, a reasonable bid, and the management agent thinks he knows what he is doing. The mason sent photos of other bluestone walkways. The board wants 3D renderings. The mason said that he doesn’t do renderings – architects do renderings – he just sends photos. My two brothers, who have redone their steps and patios on their home with other masons, agreed that they have never met a mason who does a rendering. However, the board members think that if a mason cannot do a rendering, then he is not a good mason. We have received 2 violations for the walkway. Winter is coming and the steps are not safe. I would like feedback from people on the forum who worked with masons (unlike the two board members) about whether they usually do provide 3D color renderings. Thanks, TM

tm07

in About Brooklyn 9 years and 7 months ago

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nyc_sport | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I would not hire a mason who did 3-D sketches. Someone in your building skilled in Google Sketchup ought to be able to handle this, though I am having a hard time understanding how a walkway could be 3D. Maybe get some glasses.

eman134 | 9 years and 7 months ago

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it is totally boneheaded to expect a masonry contractor to produce a 3D rendering as noted by all above, hire an architect if that is what you want and piss away a thousand or so dollars

resident2 | 9 years and 7 months ago

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Can I assume you are a self managed building? This is the kind of issue where a good management company should direct the board and get this moved along. Architects, designers, drafts people do renderings. Not the Masons or any crafts person doing the job. That said it is not a bad idea to have a plan drawn up along with a rendering so that the whole board and the Mason can see what is expected and wanted. But it will be an additional cost and professional.

brokelin | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I suspect that the issue with the board members who don’t want to approve the contract is that they would rather replace the bluestone with cheaper concrete sidewalks, and so are just stalling.

concord | 9 years and 7 months ago

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You don’t need a new Mason; you need a new Board! Seriously. Besides, no mason doing this, it will just be a waste of time and money regardless of who does the rendering for you. The fact that the ‘Board’ (not all of them I suspect) cannot visualize the end result should not be a valid reason to waste everyone else’s money! Good luck. p.s. Send the Baord a link to the responses on this thread.

NeoGrec | 9 years and 7 months ago

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If the board insists on renderings, hire an architect or an architectural designer. No mason will do this and it’s no reflection on their skills.

Arkady | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I don’t know where you’d find it but there are NYC guidelines about what trades are responsible for – for instance, what assurances & guarantees landscape architects are responsible for. You could probably phone 311 & describe your question & get to a dept. that would know the details. If the first operator you speak w/ isn’t helpful, keep phoning back until you get one who is.

tm07 | 9 years and 7 months ago

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We are replacing a crumbling bluestone walkway with a new one with the same shape. Do you have any idea of the cost to do a rendering and the time involved? We are a basic prewar co-op with a limited budget.our bank will fine us if this is not fixed soon.

kassie319 | 9 years and 7 months ago

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Completely unreasonable request. Depending on the scope they should be looking to hire someone to prepare drawings for the walkway – that’s the person that should produce a perspective drawing – not a mason.

curated | 9 years and 7 months ago

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Never met a mason that does renderings and the fact that he doesn’t do renderings is irrevelant as to whether or not he is a good mason. Designers, architects, engineers etc do renderings.