Should Masonry Be Repaired or Replaced?

1. Should Masonry Be Repaired or Replaced?

2. If left untreated, cracks and holes in masonry can affect the overall appearance of your home, and perhaps more importantly, worsen and cause further damage over time. With pests able to enter freely, along with water and drafts, holes and cracks in your home or business should be addressed immediately, and by contacting your local masonry contractor, they can help determine whether the stone, concrete, or brickwork needs to be repaired or replaced. What are the signs of damaged masonry? Some signs may include uneven floors inside your home, cracks in the concrete slab of your basement or driveway, cracks in your plaster or drywall, and even cabinets or windows and doors that don’t close properly anymore. These indicate that at the very least, the masonry needs to be repaired.

3. Why has your masonry become damaged? Shoddy workmanship or the use of inferior materials during the construction of your home may cause damage to your bricks and concrete blocks. Over the years, the ground beneath your home settles and uneven settling leads to damage in your masonry. Pests and vermin including rodents and insects may eat their way through the mortar, brick and concrete and cause damage.

4. What can cause the most harm when masonry is damaged? Whether it’s poor workmanship, wear and tear that’s occurred over many years of being exposed to the elements, damage from pests or an uneven settling of the soil beneath the building, all can quickly lead to holes and cracks developing in your masonry. One of the biggest concerns when this happens, is exposure to water; as a truly destructive force, water can interact in a negative way with bricks and concrete, and if left untreated, it can eventually weaken the concrete and destroy the mortar between the bricks or concrete blocks. Freeze and thaw cycles, plus movement of the water, can cause the holes and cracks to compromise the entire structure of your home, and should never be left untreated.

5. What should you do when you first see damage to your masonry? Asking your masonry contractor to visit the property and inspect the damage is the first step you should take, and once they’ve assessed the extent of the damage – by measuring the width and length of cracks, diameter of holes and analyzed whether your masonry walls are shifting or bowing – they will recommend either having it repaired, or replaced.

6. What does masonry repair or replacement entail? Filling and sealing minor masonry issues such as small cracks might be recommended by your masonry contractor following an inspection, or they may recommend that support beams and external piers be installed for more serious damage that may be threatening the structure of your home. In the case of severe cracks or holes in your masonry, the walls may no longer be able to bear their load, and the mason may recommend that it be replaced. Reputable and experienced masons will always try to match the existing masonry when they replace it, and as both repairs and replacements require a lot of skill, you’ll need to make sure that your mason is up to the task.

7. To discover if your damaged masonry needs to be repaired or replaced, contact the mason who carried out the work, or seek an alternative opinion from another qualified mason in your locality. RZ Construction Group Inc is a fully inclusive and one of the best general contractors in Queens NY. From initial design to final clean up, our results speak for themselves. We are fully licensed, insured, and bonded to provide both commercial and residential construction services to customers in Astoria and the surrounding area. Proud to serve New York State for 25 years. No job is too small nor too big. If you are looking for a masonry contractor in Queens NY or want to know more about our wide range of professional but affordable construction and repair services, reach out to us at (718) 938-9887.