"The owner stopped out to provide me a quote for the work to be done, he was very knowledgable and professional. While looking at the retaining wall and stairs, he did notice that my foundation wall was starting to buckle in. The crew that he had assigned to the job were very polite and professional. They answered all my questions while they were working. The crew did a good job cleaning up after the work was completed and walked me through on what they did. I am very happy with the work that was done. I would use this company for future projects."
"Lucas was outstanding - quoting, price, service, quality work, etc. The entire experience was tremendous. Truly cannot recommend this person enough! You will not regret it."
"I had cement crumbling away from some of the brickwork on house. I had What The Brick Masonry come. They repaired all the cracks. Also checked my chimney and repaired areas there with new cement also. It was a very small job, but it wasn’t something I could do myself. I was very satisfied with the work done. Impressed me that they got back to me the same day I requested them. Also impressed they came the next day to get work done. If I need any more work done I would definitely hire them again!!!!! Cheryl Resch"
"Romeo just poured a concrete driveway replacing a beat up asphalt mess. He was meticulous and patient. Friendly and professional. The new driveway is great and we look forward to years of use. We are not concrete experts and he took good care of us, he cares about his work. I would recommend Romeo to anyone needing home improvements"
"Our job was installing drainage in the backyard. The team from Nickel City showed up on time, were courteous, installed the drainage and put the yard back together so you would never know they dug it up! The did a great job cleaning up after themselves. Charle even followed up with a personal call to ensure we were satisfied with the job. I highly recommend this firm!"
"The wall cracks were repaired from both the outside and inside. This took one day. The drain tile work was amazing in that it also took only one day. For the drain tile, a five man crew did all the work in one day. For both jobs, the crews were professional, prompt, polite, hard-working and as clean as such jobs are possible. One thing I liked is that they worked directly for Locktight under the direction of a very knowledgeable crew chief. Each member of the crew had a specialty that he concentrated on but also worked well in the group when needed. The area was cleaned up well and my stuff was returned to the original locations. The work done by Locktight solved the water problems. If anything else in the basement has a water issue, I would definitely rely on this company. "
"Workers showed up on time. Big job installing tiles to waterproof our 110 year old house. We are very happy with the results. It was an expensive project but well worth the money"
"Franks basement systems came in estimated and did the work. The whole process was great, honest, and the work itself was flawless. Would highly recommend them to anyone needing this type of work"
"Miguel and Adam came on October 7 to reseal the outside wall under our deck. It was done years ago and needed to be redone. The work was difficult because they needed to crawl underneath the deck, but they did what needed to be done. The wall was neatly covered and stones were carefully laid. They set up a backup pump and were careful to do a good job. Miguel explained to me how to set up the “Purple Pump Spy” and was patient and genuinely concerned that I understand how it worked. He did not rush me as I tried to understand the main pump and backup and I even touched underneath the pump. I very much appreciated the care and understanding."
Professionally done brick repointing can last 20 to 30 years, sometimes longer. However, the exact lifespan depends on several factors, including the quality of the mortar, the skill of the mason, and exposure to weather. If you live in an area with harsh weather or frequent freeze-thaw cycles, you may need to repoint more often. Repointing that is done as a DIY project may only last 10 to 15 years. It's time to repoint when you notice signs of mortar failure, such as crumbling or missing mortar, holes, or vines growing between the bricks. Regular inspections can help you catch these issues early.
Granite is the strongest commercially available stone houses are built from. It’s also more commonly available, which means transport costs aren’t as high because a granite quarry isn’t too far from a build site. Limestone and sandstone are popular materials as well, but they aren’t as strong or weather-resistant as granite.
Some older brick material is extremely hard, making it tough to create a hole. Rather than using a typical wood drill bit, always use a masonry drill bit when drilling into brick. For extremely hard brick, using a power drill with a hammer function may give you better results. The drill bit will heat up as it goes into the extremely hard brick, so you may need to stop after a few minutes and allow the bit to cool before starting to drill again.
No, you don’t need to soak the brick before cutting it by hand. In fact, cutting a wet brick can make it harder to see your score lines and may cause the chisel to slip. Soaking is sometimes used with power tools to reduce dust, but for hand-cutting, it’s best to work with dry bricks for better control and visibility.
Do not use super glue to hang lights on brick unless you want your lights up year-round. Hot glue is a better choice because it’s easily removable with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Super glue is very hard to remove, and you could tear off parts of the brick in the removal process.
The Tonawanda, NY 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.
