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STONE MASON MASONRY REPAIR

There's nothing quite like the look of natural stone that has been quarried and cut to fit beautifully into your home. such as selected river rock, fieldstone or flagstone. natural stone is perfect for a number of projects around the house - from stepping stones and outdoor columns to fireplaces and interior walls Building with rock and stone is what we are all about. Our stone work consists of Veneers, Foundations, Chimneys, Retaining Walls, Building Stone, Veneer Stone, and much more, for a custom design that will fit your need and lifestyle. We are experts in the field of Landscaping and Rock work. If you have a vision of what you want, tell us about it. Do you have a masonry idea?

I am your stone mason Mine is one of the oldest professions and the most powerful. I created pyramids and towns, cathedrals and aqueducts. Without us, there was nothing truly durable. I am part of the earth. I am your stone mason. I am the strongest of the tradesmen. Quarrying stone is backbreaking work. Many of us died creating the monuments that last forever. Those of us who survived, acquired the strengths of stone in our dna. Many perils. A mistake means crushed limbs, broken bones. Inhaling rock dust contaminates our lungs. But our pride knows no bounds. I am your stone mason. The earth gives us our building materials, created through intense pressure, heat, and eons of time. I build for eternity. The pyramids I and my fellow masons created last to this day. Sometimes I polish stone and you get a wonder like the TajMahal. other times, I leave the stones as they are. I look from the heavens and point to our accomplishments. I and my fellow masons form societies and think our own thoughts. I know the secrets of engineering that no one else knows. I long to know other secrets. I have endured extreme weariness and come through with muscles of stone. I offer much to your home. I am your stone mason. I can build an arch as an entryway to your property. Our stone walls demark your property lines and serves as protection from prying eyes. Sometimes your entire home is built of stone, sometimes only a fireplace. I offer you beauty and durability. I thank the earth for giving such a variety of colors and textures to work with. Forgive my pride but that is part of who I am, your stone mason.

Traditional Dry-Stack Stone Walls: Stone masonry originated with dry-stacked stonework where the walls are carefully layed up without mortar. Gravity serves as the glue that holds everything together. Free-standing dry-stack stone walls are usually made larger at the base and then taper in slowly as the height increases. For absolutely no expense but the labor, farmers built miles upon miles of stone fences this way in Ireland and in the northeastern states.

Many old Irish houses were built in a similar way. Where "mortar" was used, it was often merely mud or limestone plasters with little strength. The mortar functioned as caulking to stop the flow of air, rather than as cement to bond the stones together. Short, dry-stacked stone walls are especially ideal for landscaping projects. Taller walls require more skill and time. For more details on dry-stack stone walls, be sure to check out Building Stone Walls and Stonework: Techniques and Projects.

Traditional Mortared Stone Walls: Mortared stone walls evolved out of dry-stack stone work with the emergence of cement mortars. The first cements were made of burnt gypsum or lime mixed with water to make a paste with slight bonding capability. Stone walls still had to be built as carefully as they were without mortar. The cement paste just filled the gaps between the stones and cured to form a soft, rock-like substance.

The basic formula for modern cement originated in England in 1824. It is called "Portland cement" because the color is similar to the rocks on the English island of Portland. It is still called Portland cement everywhere in the world it is manufactured. This cement is made with calcium from limestone or chalk, plus alumina and silica from clay and shale. The ingredients are ground, mixed in the right proportions and burnt in a kiln at a temperature of about 2500 degrees F (1350ªC) to drive out water bound up in the raw materials. In the kiln it fuses into chunks called clinker. It is cooled and powdered, and gypsum is added to control how fast it sets up. Portland cement is mixed with sand and water, and often lime to make a smooth mortar for stone and brick work. Adding the lime makes the mortar softer and more flexible.

With the aid of Portland cement it is possible to build a taller stone wall that does not taper inward like a dry-stacked wall. The cement has some ability to "glue" a stone wall together with less care, but proper stoneworking techiques are still important. Building a free-standing stone wall is a true art and requires a lot of time and skill to do it well. For more details on traditional mortared stone walls, be sure to check out Building with Stone.

Veneered Stone Walls: Most stonework today consists of a non-structural veneer of stone against a structural wall of concrete or cinderblock. Concrete consists of Portland cement mixed with sand, gravel and water. The larger particles of gravel interlock like little fingers to make the concrete resistant to cracking. Steel reinforcing bar can be added to serve as much longer "fingers" to make a wall that is very resistant to cracking. Concrete is a fast and relatively inexpensive way to put up a structural wall, so few people take the time for labor intensive traditional mortared stone walls any more.

Instead, the structural wall is put up first, and thin, flat stones are essentially glued onto the face of the wall with cement mortar. Metal tabs in the structural wall are mortared in between the stones to tie everything together, otherwise the stonework would just peel right off the wall. The structural wall serves as a form on one side of the wall to make it really easy to lay up the stonework, provided the rocks have good flat edges to work with.