"I asked JES to inspect our foundation to determine if we had a foundation or drywall issue. Ben did a thorough evaluation and told me that we did not have a foundation problem. I appreciate his honesty and would recommend JES."
"We are very satisfied with Shamrock. When we requested an estimate for our projects, they quickly provided a clear, reasonable quote, and all our questions were answered. After we accepted the proposal, they showed up next week and completed the work. Everything we needed was done very well. Highly recommended."
"We paid what we felt was a fair price for the work done. They did schedule a date and time for the work that we had not been asked about beforehand, it just happened to work with our schedule. The mason was also much later than the appointment time, which also fortunately worked with our schedule. He did call to say he was running behind, but was finally at the house later than his estimate, even. He was still finishing work on our chimney when it was almost dark outside."
"This was a very involved plaster repair and remediation job, in a very old house. Grady is the only person (or company) who was willing to take on the job and drive all the way from Pennsylvania to our home in Northern Virginia. There are very few people who do this kind of work anymore (we really searched) and he is an expert in his field. We needed to work around his schedule, because he is in demand in the tri-state area, so it took awhile to schedule the work to begin... but it was worth it."
"Fernando cut and removed all the mortar joints on my stone walkway. Then he installed new mortar. He showed up on the date and time we discussed and the work was completed on time. He was clean and respectful of my property. He took the time to carefully remove old mortar and preserve our existing stones. The walkway looks great and we plan on hiring Fernando again!"
"Fantastic experience from beginning to end. I'm very happy I went with Joe's company. They are absolute professionals and I could see everyday watching their progress, that they are concerned with quality. Joe had great communication with me throughout the whole process, and they were able to finish on time despite all the rain we were getting. I will definitely hire him again in the future for any masonry."
"Provider was suppose to return and finish laying sand on the patio. Since job was very close to complete, I paid him rather than wait. I never heard from him again. The sand has since washed out in spots and another provider is correcting the situation with polymeric sand. Other than the sand issue, the patio looks good in the way it is laid out. Provider was punctual, and the project went very fast considering it was in the middle of the winter. "
"When they inspected my chimney they discovered that my chimney was was never rebuilt correctly, they took pictures that showed mortar was only partially applied and there were cracks . They filled in and sealed what was needed. They also advised me to have my chimney cleaned after burning a cord of word. They offered a warranty on their work and will keep a record of what was done with the pictures. I was pleased especially after I have had more the a few companies clean my chimney and even had one iinstall an insert and no one ever mentioned the condition of my chimney. "
"We had a bit of a rocky start. There was a miscommunication in the beginning about when they would come. The first date scheduled got cancelled. Getting in touch with the company after that was little trying. In the end, we got together and a date was scheduled. The crew showed up I explained what I needed them to do and they got to work. I was very impressed with their work they worked quickly to get all the work done. They took out 6 to 7 LARGE shrubs that had died over the winter. These shrubs were DEEPLY rooted and not easy to dig out as they had been there for several years. They also weeded 2 flowers beds and put down some prevention weed killer for me. The crew that I worked with was very professional and friendly. Their work was excellent. I was very pleased with the result. I would use this company again .
"They had to dig out a whole wall out of my basement to stop the leaking. They cleaned the basement wall and they resealed it with the latest technology. They were very friendly and cooperative. They worked hard, and came when they said they would. Everything you would hope a contractor would do that did."
Choose from an abundance of natural and synthetic options when perfecting your hardscape design. Stone veneer costs a bit less, holds up against the tests of time and weather, and also works best in curves and complex walls.
Natural stone, however, provides an organic look to a lawn while providing just as much strength as veneer. Don't forget you can chat with your mason about other common wall materials like brick, cinderblock, and concrete.
The premise for painting a brick building is fairly simple: Prime the bricks to seal the surface and apply the top coat to protect your brick home. However, it’s easy to miss a few important steps if you’re starting from a raw brick surface and don’t know the basics of how to paint brick. So be sure to reach out to a local professional painter if you have any reservations about correctly painting your brick house.
You should generally drill into the mortar joints when installing shutters on brick. Mortar is softer, which makes drilling easier and puts less strain on your tools. It also lowers the risk of cracking a brick—something that’s a lot harder to fix. Mortar holds fasteners well enough for standard shutters, and if you ever need to patch the holes later, it’s a much simpler job than dealing with damaged brick. Just keep in mind that if your mortar joints are too thin or the hardware calls for brick anchoring, you'll need to check the manufacturer’s recommendations and adjust accordingly.
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.
Yes, you can limewash surfaces other than brick. Plaster, stone, stucco, and concrete can all also be limewashed. Any porous surface that will absorb the wash is a good candidate for limewash, although it won’t help much with waterproofing. If you choose to limewash over paint, you’ll need to prep before applying it to avoid a powdery, chalky finish. Shiny surfaces like metal or glass can’t absorb limewash, so it’s not suited for these.
The Chincoteague, VA 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.