"Alex responded promptly to my request for an estimate and was able to provide me with one immediately after evaluating the site and job we wanted done. I thought the price was fair and in line with the other estimates, his responsiveness was top notch and he was almost immediately available. Once we agreed on hiring him, he and his team were able to start within the same week. We had an excellent experience throughout the process and he was able to quickly and fairly address any changes to the original plans. The guys were always right on time, incredibly efficient, and left the work area very clean every day after they were done. We have spent more time the last two weeks on our back patio than we have on our deck in any given year. He gave us an estimate on a Tuesday, we hired him the following Monday, they started on Saturday, and finished on Wednesday. I wish I had more work for them to do, and would certainly recommend Alex Masonry."
"I found it difficult to get a call back from other chimney companies, but Nick responded to my inquiry in a matter of hours. He met me the next day for an estimate, walked me through exactly what was wrong and what would be fixed, and provided a detailed bill of the services that would be completed. He also showed me photos and videos of other jobs so I had an enhanced understanding of what I was paying for. He scheduled the job to begin three days after we signed the contract, and finished a day earlier than expected. He allowed me to inspect the work, and offered a one year warranty on all services rendered. He was incredibly professional, courteous, thorough, efficient, and fair priced. I cannot recommend him highly enough, and will be using him for other future masonry projects!"
Groundworks is the North America?s leading and fastest-growing foundation repair and water management solutions provider. Groundworks is a vertically integrated company with its own manufacturing operations and a world-class software solution, allowing us to serve our customers more effectively. From the first phone call to the annual maintenance offered, our customers have peace of mind knowing we?re there with one mission ? to repair, protect and improve their home. For state licenses visit Groundworks.com/licensing\n
"There was an issue that I needed resolved and was not in the contract. The owner sent out his team 3 days later, once the concrete had hardened, and they resolved the issue."
"A great crew worked through install and renovation with a level of care and professional responsibility any homeowner would welcome. Experienced and knowledgeable with attention to detail and timely completion of project. I would recommend Shamrock Chimney to anyone I know. Thank you to Justin and James for a job well done."
"The reason why we did not give 5 stars for this project: 1. The project materials deposited on our neighbors backyard. It took a long time to get someone from the company to come to move it to our lot. Still, he left some of it and we had to move it ourselves. 2. Despite our requests to start the noisy work at 8AM the work always started at 7:30AM. 3. The brick part of the porch was supposed to be pointed the project manager asked us to agree to remove the low brick wall and wanted to charge us $8K for it while pointing is more work intensive than removing the bricks. At the end he lowered the price but did not do the pointing on the remainder of the bricks that left in the supporting columns. We had to hire someone to do it and it cost us extra $950. 4. When the trash container removed from our backyard, we left with a lot of debris and again we needed to clean it ourselves."
You can turn a red brick white through a process called whitewashing. Whitewash isn’t a stain but rather is made from water and white latex paint. Adding more water to the mix will make the solution look lighter when applied, and adding more paint will make it look more white.
Brick can increase the value of your home depending on the type of masonry materials used. Homes generally have a higher resale value when they have brick siding, and brick is also easier to maintain (and lasts longer) than other types of siding, which can motivate buyers to make an offer.
Just keep in mind, however, that although brick can up the asking price when you sell your house, the cost to brick a house is also more expensive than other typical siding costs—so you’ll invest more in the project.
For most brick cleaning jobs, including fireplace bricks, use a masonry sponge and a gentle cleaner. A simple solution of equal parts water and vinegar, or a few drops of dish soap in a bowl of water, can effectively remove grime. For tougher stains, you can use a dedicated masonry or fireplace cleaner. It is crucial to wet the bricks thoroughly with water before applying any cleaning solution to prevent the brick from absorbing it, and to rinse the surface completely afterward. Harsher cleaners containing bleach or ammonia should only be used as a last resort, and they should never be mixed together.
Yes, you can do German schmear on stone. You can account for the more textured and rough surface of stone by using a large paintbrush instead of a putty knife. A brush allows you to drag mortar across the stone to get it into all the cracks and crevices. However, a brush will cover more of the surface, so you may need a wet sponge to scrub excess mortar and expose more of your stone.
Use fire bricks for a brick pizza oven. These bricks are typically used for fireplaces and chimneys as they can withstand high temperatures from heat sources. If you attempt to use any other kind of bricks, it’s likely that this material will crack from such high heat exposure in the best case—and potentially explode and cause serious harm in the worst case.
The Thompson, CT homeowners’ guide to masonry services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Door or window lintel replacement costs $400 on average, but there are ways you can save. On the other hand, complicated work will increase costs considerably.
This guide features information on the costs to repair a brick wall, whether or not you need a brick mason to complete spalling, tuckpointing, or a full restoration.
Need to repoint brick in your home to make your home look fresh and new? Use this guide to repointing brick cost to price out your project before starting.
Discover the wide variety of masonry materials for your next home upgrade project. Our guide covers the different types of materials to choose from and more.
When it comes to masonry versus concrete, it can be easy to confuse the two. Use this guide to learn about the differences in appearance, strength, and more.