What Is Masonry Restoration?

Masonry restoration is a general term that refers to a form of repair and maintenance work done on existing masonry in residential or commercial buildings. The repairs could be minor cosmetic upgrades or significant restoration on historic buildings. It frequently involves processes like repointing, but there are many other elements of masonry restoration that are common in all type of jobs performed by masonry contractors in Racine, WI and elsewhere.

Repointing is the process of removing some of the existing mortar from a masonry joint and then replacing it with brand new mortar. Usually this will only happen once during a building’s lifespan, but if the initial mortar had been done properly and the building was maintained well, it’s very likely that many buildings will never require having this work done to them.

What kinds of buildings most frequently need masonry restoration?

Just because a building appears to include masonry does not mean it is—there’s a chance it only uses brick veneers rather than actual brick. Actual masonry buildings are structures in which the roof and floor are primarily supported by masonry. These buildings are commonly both older and smaller.

If the building hasn’t been reinforced, it is going to be less structurally sound than a building that has, as this means there hasn’t been any type of retrofitting done to the building during its lifespan. If the building has been reinforced, this means it has had some masonry restoration done to it, which makes it safer to occupy—especially if the building is already on the older side.

For buildings that just have masonry veneers, that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t benefit from any type of masonry restoration. In fact, repointing may be necessary to repair the mortar in between those bricks. This helps keep the structure of the building in good condition for the long term and, in buildings that have masonry veneers, is also an important part of making sure the building is waterproof.

In any type of masonry restoration, it’s extremely important that your contractor uses the right type of mortar. This makes a tremendous amount of difference in the quality of the work performed by the contractor. It becomes even more important for historic buildings, which likely have an iconic appearance you don’t want to compromise. By creating the wrong mortar mix, you’ll end up with a mortar that does not match what’s already there. Of course, finding the right match may or may not be easy, depending on the construction era of the building—you might find that the mortar used is quite common, or very unique.

If you’re in need of any form of masonry work, including masonry restoration, it’s important that you seek the assistance of a skilled professional with experience in many different types of masonry jobs. To learn more about the services we provide to residential and commercial clients, we encourage you to contact a masonry contractor in Racine, WI at Langenfeld Masonry & Concrete today. We look forward to assisting you soon!

Categorised in: Masonry Contractor