MASONRY SERVICES
You can count on Burns Masonry to not only meet, but exceed all your needs and requests.
We specialize in Brick Repointing, Building Restoration and Foundation Repairs.
Learn more about some of the services we provide below, and let us know if you’d like to learn more about a specific offering.
BRICK REPOINTING
Mortar joints in brick walls start to crumble and deteriorate over the years. If left untreated, bricks start to become loose and water seeps behind the wall leading to more problems and over time, the exposed areas start to erode. These problems don't go away on their own, the broken mortar joints can be grinded out and repointed, restoring the condition and physical appearance of the building structure.
Repointing involves cutting out the old or damaged mortar joints and repointing them with new mortar. The mortar joints are important because they are necessary to help support the entire structure.
BASEMENT AND FOUNDATION REPAIR
Your foundation may be showing some signs of mortar deteriorating or cracks. This may lead to bigger problems down the line if left untreated, including water seeping through the walls. We specialize in brick and fieldstone foundation repair. The process involves removing all the old mortar joints between the stone or brick and repointing with new mortar and waterproofing the entire surface.
CHIMNEY REPAIR / CHIMNEY CAPS
Chimney caps are an important part of the chimney system, responsible for protecting the chimney flue from animals, downdrafts and water damage. The failure to install a chimney cap is like leaving the door or a window open at the top of the house, inviting animals like squirrels and raccoons in for nesting. Water can cause damage to the inside mortar joints leading to unpleasant smells, mold growth and unwanted chimney repairs.
BUILDING RESTORATION
Building restoration involves the process of revealing or recovering the state of a historic building, the same as it once appeared at a particular time in its history while at the same time protecting its heritage value. Restoration includes preservation by leaving as much material untouched as possible, reconstruction to replace missing materials. We leave the building looking as good as new without the indication that restoration has been carried out.
RETAINING WALLS
Retaining walls are built for supporting soil mass so that the soil can be retained at different levels at either side of the wall. They are designed and built so that they can resist the lateral pressure of soil as to where there is a desired change in ground elevation. We can work with you to come up with a wall design whether it may be for retaining soil or for ornamental purposes.
PATIOS AND WALKWAYS
Patio or walkway pavers can be used to enhance the beauty in your patio by making it much more visually appealing aswell as creating a solid and reliable flooring surface. There are three main types of materials used for patio and walkway construction: Concrete, Natural stone and Brick pavers. The benefit of using concrete and brick pavers is the variety of shapes, size and colors that you can select from. The choices with natural stone are limited because they are a natural product. We will work with you to help choose the best design that fits your needs.
LINTEL AND SILL REPAIR
When lintels fail, they often cause cracks to appear in the surrounding masonry. The most obvious evidence that the lintel has failed is a vertical stepped cracks in the brickwork. Lintels tend to bow downwards when they fail, forcing the brickwork up and inwards resulting in cracked mortar joints and bulging masonry. This is a sign that the steel beneath the brick and above the opening has excessive water collecting on the surface. The water causes rust to form on the steel lintel leading to expansion and deteroriation and requiring a lintel replacement.