"Sinan Sugurgeci was the inspector who did the inspection. I was very impressed with his knowledge and presentation of services to be done. He is the main reason why I decided to hire Innovative Basement Authority to perform the necessary work"
"Our project was actually a crawlspace encapsulation. We have a lake cabin that was built in the 1960's. It had a dirt floor in the crawlspace with bare block masonry foundation walls. It also had old, damp batt insulation that was falling down from the joist spaces. American Waterworks came in, removed the old insulation (a nasty job!), laid down a 2 layer moisture barrier system and spray foamed the foundation walls and rim joist area. I can't believe what a difference this has made to our air quality, much warmer floors. We used to have to wipe down the windows every morning during the winter because of condensation. Not any more! I would highly recommend this company if you have the same needs!!"
"The estimate was in our budget range and included a narrow sidewalk to our back fence gate. Total square footage was just under 500 square feet which made a nice front patio area. The workmanship was top notch and we have had many compliments from neighbors and friends."
At Earthscape, our uncompromising dedication to quality craftsmanship ensures that every project is approached individually, creating a personal masterpiece that meets the needs and expectations of our clients, from design to completion. We specialize in landscape and architectual stone masonry (interior & exterior). Examples of our work include: Fireplaces(indoor & outdoor), walls, flooring, facing, patios, and pool decks. We also make custom birch and stone furniture and furnishings. Let our team go to work and add the beauty and strength of natural stone to your home and landscape, creating your perfect little corner of the world.
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Unless you’ve worked in the masonry industry before, it is in your best interest if you hire a pro for any masonry needs. Masonry-related jobs require a high skill level and can be extremely time-consuming. If anything goes wrong, a licensed and insured masonry contractor would be able to take care of the subsequent repairs, giving you additional peace of mind.
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.
No, you shouldn’t lay bricks directly on dirt. While it might seem like a shortcut, it leads to a patio that shifts, sinks, and becomes a maintenance headache. Dirt expands, contracts, and erodes—none of which mix well with long-term stability. To build something that lasts, excavate the topsoil, compact a layer of crushed gravel, and add a coarse sand-setting bed. This layered base gives your bricks proper support, allows drainage, and helps block weeds from creeping through. Cutting corners here just means you’ll spend more time—and money—repairing your brick patio later.
Modern brick homes have a brick facade over standard framing and sheathing, so the brick offers minimal added structural stability. A home with traditional brick construction is more durable than a stick-built home, as the double-layer brick walls and rebar resist higher lateral wind loads and support heavier loads up top, as well.
Whether you’re installing brick siding over a traditionally-framed home or you’re using genuine brick construction to build, the biggest downside of a brick house is the higher cost you’ll pay for the materials and labor. Real brick construction also means your home build will take longer, as it’s more time-consuming to construct brick walls than it is to frame out your home.
The Badger, MN 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.
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.
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.
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.