Masonry

Masonry in New Bedford, MA

Chimneys, steps and stoops, walls, patios and walkways, and the brick and stone repairs older buildings need, from the same owner-led crew that paints them.

Get a free quote Call Jorge774-510-4840

The stone lower storey of a large house during exterior work — masonry in New Bedford, MA

What we do

Masonry for homes and businesses

Masonry is the part of a building that's meant to last longest, and in New England it takes a beating. Water gets into the joints, freezes, expands and pushes things apart. Most masonry problems start small, with a cracked joint, a loose brick or a step that rocks, and get bigger every winter they're left.

Chimneys
Cracked joints, loose bricks and damaged masonry on chimneys repaired and repointed, before water gets any further in.
Steps and stoops
Cracked, loose or crumbling front steps and stoops repaired or rebuilt, so they're solid underfoot again.
Retaining and garden walls
Walls that hold back a slope and walls that edge a garden, built new or put right.
Patios and walkways
Brick and stone patios and walkways laid or reset, so they're level and even to walk on.
Brick and stone repair
Damaged bricks and stones replaced and cracks repaired, matched as closely as possible to what's already there.
Repointing
Worn mortar raked out and replaced, which keeps water out of a wall and holds it together.

A two-storey house during renovation, with rendered walls, ladders and scaffolding — masonry in New Bedford, MA

Good to know

What repointing is, and when a wall needs it

Mortar is the soft part of a brick wall, on purpose. It's meant to wear before the bricks do, so over the years the joints erode, crack or fall out, and water starts getting in behind the face of the wall.

Repointing means raking out the old mortar to a sound depth and packing the joints with new mortar that suits the wall. That matters most on old brick, where mortar that's harder than the bricks can damage them. Done well, it's hard to tell from the original once it has weathered in.

Signs it's due:

Crumbling joints: mortar you can scrape out with a key or a screwdriver.
Gaps: joints worn back from the face of the brick, or missing altogether.
Loose bricks: bricks that move when you push them, or have already come out.
Damp inside: damp patches on the inside of a wall or chimney can mean water is getting in through the joints.

A painter spraying a textured stucco wall — masonry and painting in New Bedford, MA

One crew

Why it helps to have one crew for masonry and paint

Masonry repairs and painting often go together. Chimney and step repairs are the kind of thing you want finished before a house is painted, and a new wall, walkway or set of steps often comes with railings, trim or a porch that needs painting to match.

With one crew there's one schedule and one person responsible for all of it. Jorge plans the order of the work, so the masonry is done and has cured before the painting starts, and you're not coordinating two contractors.

It's the same for businesses: the steps, walkways and walls on a commercial property can be repaired and the building painted as one planned job. The painting side is on Exterior Painting.

Getting a quote

What to tell Jorge when you call

Masonry is hard to price from a description alone, so Jorge will usually want to come and see it. You can make that first conversation quicker by having a few things ready:

What and where: the chimney, the front steps, the wall along the driveway.
What's wrong: cracks, loose or missing bricks, crumbling mortar, a lean, water getting in.
Rough size: how long or high the wall is, how many steps, roughly how big the patio or walkway is.
Timing: whether it's urgent, like a loose step, or can wait for the right weather.

Mortar needs weather above freezing to cure properly, so outdoor masonry is planned around the season. A job you spot in winter can still be looked at and priced, then done when the weather allows.