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21
May
Chimney Repair Near Me Toronto
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Chimney Repair Near Me Toronto

Wilkens Masonry is a longtime leader in chimney repair and chimney rebuilds in Toronto. We have also expanded, over the past 7 years, to Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville and Mississauga. If you think you may need your chimney to be repaired or rebuilt, or you just want to have it looked at. We are the company for you!

What To Look For?

Chimney inspections can be straightforward. What you should look for is:

  • Flaking, crumbling or spalling bricks
  • Missing bricks
  • Missing or washed out mortar
  • Leaning or curved shape to the chimney

Your chimney is one of the most vulnerable parts of your home. It is generally used to vent your fireplace, either word burning or gas, or it is used to vent the harmful gases from your water heater or furnace. When we have rough weather here in Southern Ontario, the chimney bears the brunt of it. Generally, this is the first part of your home that will need attention.

A photo of a chimney in bad condition as well as after it has been rebuilt.

Chimney Rebuild Before and After

What To Do?

First off, you should do enough research  to know what you are up against. Find a company like Wilkens that will offer free site visits and quoting services. We are always more than happy to offer friendly advice and guide you through the entire process involved in repairing or rebuilding your chimney.

Who we are

We are a family owned and operated company that has been in business since 1977. For soon to be 50 years, we have offered thousands of people high quality, well priced masonry restoration. We are proud of the outfit we have built and have continued to thrive on the generosity and recommendations of our previous customers.

You can check out our reviews on our WEBSITE, HOMESTARS and GOOGLE. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

16
May
Brick Window Sill Replacement
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Brick Window Sill Replacement

Newer homes are often built with brick window sills. A newer home is, arbitrarily, around 30-40 years old. Back in the day, window sills were made out of limestone, which is arguably the best material to use to withstand the harsh winter weather of Southern Ontario.

Water and ice sit on the rough texture and bumpy surfaces of bricks and their mortar joints, and slowly degrade the surface. Once a crack appears, water will go oven deeper into the brick and start to break away the face. Eventually the entire brick sill will crumble. The best course of action is to demolish the remaining pieces of brick and to replace it all with a pre-cut limestone sill.

brick failing on a window sill

Brick Sill Before Replacement

brick flaking on a window sill

Brick Sill Before Replacement

New limestone installed beneath a window

Limestone Sill After

New limestone installed underneath a window

Limestone Sill After

Why limestone?

Limestone is a hard and resilient material that has been used in masonry construction for most of man’s history. Water will generally shed off of limestone and, unless the stone is laid without a slope, will not absorb through the stone and damage its structure. Window sills stick out further than the rest of the wall, so they will get hit by more rain and snow. With a drip edge cut on the underside of the stone, the water will slide off and protect the area below the window.

Wilkens Masonry

Wilkens masonry is a family run company that has been around for close to 50 years. We are well known in Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga for our high quality work, fair prices and wonderful customer service. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable with the tradespeople they hire, and our goal is to make you feel like you’re a part of the family.

Free estimates

Get in touch for your free estimate! You can visit our WEBSITE to contact us and can read our glowing reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

 

 

 

06
May
Brick Repair Near Me Toronto
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Brick Repair Near Me

In Toronto,there is no shortage of brick repair requests for masonry contractors such as Wilkens Masonry. Many of the homes are close to, or well over, 100 years old.

The harsh winter weather, the freeze and thaw of water and ice on your walls, degrades the brick faces and mortar joints to the point no return.

When you notice spalling or deterioration, the best thing to do is contact a company like ours and request a free site visit and quote.

Services We Offer

Brick repair is a generic term. There are many sorts of repairs that can be performed.  It all depends on the extent of the damage, the size of your budget and your aesthetic preferences. Some of the services we offer include:

  • Tuckpointing or repointing
  • Brick replacement
  • Parging
  • Chimney repair
  • Chimney rebuild
  • Fireplace repair and restoration
  • Pillar repair or rebuild and more!

Our Story

Wilkens has been family owned and operated since 1977. For close to 50 years, we have built a reputation as being one of the most respected and reliable masonry and brick repair companies in Toronto and the GTA. We have seven full time masons in Toronto. We also have two full time masons servicing Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga.

Ernie Wilkens built the company into what is is today. Jake Wilkens, Ernie’s son, along with his cousin Richard (head of sales) and brother-in-law Connor (office manager) continue to build and expand the company.

Get in touch

At Wilkens Masonry, estimates are always free and quotes are fair, easy to understand and generally last for the calendar year. If you think you need some masonry restoration or brick repair, give us a call or VISIT OUR WEBSITE to start the process.

If you would like to read our reviews, you can check out our profile on HOMESTARS or take a look at our GOOGLE. We also had a wonderful article/interview posted in BURLINGTON TODAY.

We look forward to hearing from you!

01
May
Masonry Repair Near Me Toronto
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Masonry Repair In Toronto

Toronto is both a new city and a young city, all at once. The homes this city has to offer come in every possible form. The vast majority of homes in Toronto are built out of brick and masonry. The older homes, particularly in neighbourhoods like the Annex, High Park, Trinity Bellwoods, The Beaches, to name a few, are almost always in need of at least a small amount of brick repair.

What’s Needed On Your Home?

If you go outside and take a walk around your home. You will most likely find one or two spots that are in need of some attention. Some masonry and brick repair services you may need could include:

  • Tuckpointing or repointing
  • Brick replacement
  • Parging
  • Chimney repair
  • Chimney rebuild
  • Fireplace repair and restoration
  • Pillar repair or rebuild and more!

What Should I Do?

The first thing anyone should do when they notice an area o their home that may need some attention and restoration: don’t panic. Most of the time, deterioration has been occurring over a lengthy period. While it is a good idea to get it taken care of sooner rather than later, there is usually time to properly assess the situation and make an informed decision.

Getting in touch with us via our WEBSITE is the next step. We offer free site visits and quotes and are always available for follow up phone calls. We are known for our friendly advice and patience when dealing with clients. Everyone deserves to have confidence in their homes and who they hire to restore them.

OUR STORy

Wilkens Masonry is family owned and operated, since 1977. Ernie Wilkens built our firm into one of Toronto’s most respected and trusted masonry contractors. For close to 50 years, we have strived to maintain our motto: “Quality, built on referrals”.

You can read more about us HERE and you can check out our glowing reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

We look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

25
Apr
Does Your Home’s Brick Need Repair?
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Does Your Home’s Brick Need Repair?

Burlington is filled with beautiful brick homes, both old and new, that are constantly in need of brick repair. Harsh winter weather and icy precipitation damage brick and masonry walls without fail. Often the problem is aesthetic but, eventually, structural issues can occur.

Finding a good masonry company is difficult to do. Here at Wilkens Masonry, we strive to be reliable for clients who are looking for top quality, professional work.

What Do We Do?

At Wilkens Masonry, we offer many types of masonry and brick repair. Our services include:

  • Brick replacement
  • Tuckpointing or repointing
  • Parging
  • Chimney repair
  • Chimney rebuilds
  • New or altered openings in masonry and brick walls
  • Lintel installation
  • Pillar repair and rebuild

Most repairs are straightforward, but require a mason who is proficient in more than one area of the trade. That is exactly what Wilkens is built on, the ability to perform almost any task.

Our Story

Founded in 1977, Wilkens was built into one of Toronto’s most respected masonry restoration companies by Ernie Wilkens. Ernie’s son, Jake, has taken over operations with the rest of his family. The goal is to maintain the ethics and mandates that Wilkens was built on. “Quality, built on referrals” has long been Wilkens’ motto. For close to 50 years, referral based contracts have paved the way.

FInd out more about us

You can visit our BURLINGTON PAGE and check out our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE. You can also take a look at us on BURLINGTON TODAY and read our recent SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE.

We offer free site visits and quotes, always. Additionally, if we think that your repair is too minor to warrant a full quote, we never shy away from offering free advice. We always want to do well by our clients and believe that an informed customer is the best type. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

11
Apr
High Rise, Condo and Apartment Masonry and Brick Repair
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High Rise, Condo and Apartment Masonry and Brick Repair

High-rise buildings have to deal with the worst of Canadian weather and are in constant need of inspections and maintenance. Concrete, bricks and other masonry units can spall or crumble due to ice and snow saturation. This can be a safety hazard for people and objects below and should be dealt with as quickly as possible.

Due to the scope and size of apartment buildings, it can be hard to know when repairs are needed just by looking from the ground. Since these buildings are accessed by residents and the public, it’s important that regular masonry inspections and maintenance are completed properly. There is no substitute for up-close analysis from a trained technician.

Rope Access and Difficult-to-Reach Masonry and Brick Repairs

People are often reaching out to us regarding masonry and brick repairs on their condos or apartment complexes that require a special setup to access. Wilkens specializes in jobs accessible from the ground or with 4-5-story scaffolding. At certain heights, the only safe way to perform masonry, brick and concrete repairs is to hire trained rope access specialists.

Rope access technicians are trained to work on hard-to-reach areas, safely. Different companies specialize in a variety of areas. Finding a company that can do most repairs and restorations at rope access heights would be preferable.

Since Wilkens Masonry does not offer rope access solutions, we recommend a company like Precision Building Solutions for the Niagara, Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville Regions.

About Precision Building Solutions

Wilkens Masonry refers Precision Building Solutions for all high-rise and rope access projects. We want our clients to handle their masonry and brick repairs as safely as possible. This means hiring a trained and experienced company and working with specialized teams as needed.

Precision Building Solutions is available to answer any questions regarding rope access repairs and inspections for your high rise, condo and apartment properties. They also offer other high-rise building repair and maintenance services such as painting, coatings, caulking, pressure washing and inspections.

01
Apr
Westdale Masonry and Brick Repair
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Westdale Masonry and Brick Repair

Westdale is one of Hamilton’s coolest neighbourhoods. It is the gateway to Macmaster with the feeling of being it’s very own town, not just a section of a city. Westdale is a vibrant and wonderful place to live.

Most of the houses built in Westdale are well over 50 years old. Many of them need at least a small amount of masonry restoration and brick repair. Some of the houses are in need of more extensive repairs. If you walk around your home you will quite possibly find areas where, due to an inordinate amount of water and ice exposure, you will find deterioration. You may need dozens of bricks replaced and hundreds of square feet of repointing where the mortar has deteriorated.

Types of Masonry and Brick Repair in Westdale

Wilkens Masonry performs all sorts of masonry and brick repairs. Our services include:

  • Brick replacement
  • Repointing and tuckpointing
  • Parging
  • Chimney repair
  • Chimney rebuilds
  • Pillar repair and rebuilds
  • New openings in brick and masonry walls

There are some other types of masonry restoration services. However, the above are the most common you will find needed in Westdale and in the surrounding areas of Hamilton, Dundas, Burlington etc.

The Quoting Process

At Wilkens Masonry, we offer free estimates and quotes, always. We are also well known for offering friendly advice and will never upsell you for the sake of more work. We aim to, through enlightenment on the process of brick repair and the structure of your home, show you that our suggestions are based off of necessity. Our motto is: “quality, built on referrals”. We have a reputation we are proud of for being ethical and fair and that is something we hope to maintain.

Our story

Wilkens Masonry was founded in 1977 and built into one of Toronto’s premier masonry and brick repair companies over the following years. In recent years, Ernie Wilkens handed operations over to his son, Jake, his nephew, Richard and his son in law, Connor.

If you think you may need some work done on your home, please get in touch via our WEBSITE. You can also check out our reviews on GOOGLE and HOMESTARS.

26
Mar
Brick Repair and Masonry Near Me
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Brick Repair and Masonry Near Me

When looking for the right brick repair contractor, finding someone “nearby” is generally preferable. Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga are not small towns and, finding someone local is relative to your preferences. While Wilkens Masonry is based in Toronto with an office in Hamilton, we serve all cities and regions in between. Also, we aim to do it in the most “local” way possible.

A Local Company

Wilkens Masonry has become synonymous with high quality brick repair and restoration throughout the GTA and surrounding areas. However, our family owned and operated company has been around for soon to be 50 years. We know most neighbourhoods in Toronto like the back of our hands and, even though we can’t be local to all neighbourhoods, offer a very close and comfortable experience when servicing your masonry needs.

Ernie Wilkens raised his family in High Park and maintained Wilkens’ office and yard in Leaside for over 25 years. As the family has grown and expanded, the list of neighbourhoods we are “local” to has increased, but our personal touch and attention to the details of your area hasn’t changed.

Why Hire Us?

Wilkens Masonry is well known in the Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and surrounding areas. We have established a reputation as an honest, ethical, talented and hardworking team. We have fair prices and, you’ll see if you check out our reviews, maintain a very close relationship with our clients. Brick repair, as with all renovation and restoration, should be as straightforward and painless as possible. That is our goal with all projects.

Check us out and get in touch

If you want to peruse through our glowing reviews, you can check us out on GOOGLE and HOMESTARS or read our published REVIEWS on our WEBSITE. Our motto is “quality, built on referrals”. We’ve been around for decades, and we’ll be around for decades more. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

17
Mar
Brick Repair Cabbagetown
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Brick Repair Cabbagetown

Cabbagetown is one of Toronto’s oldest and most vibrant neighbourhoods. Dating back to the 1840s, many of Cabbagetown’s homes are well over 120 years old. This means that brick replacement, brick repair and other forms of masonry restoration will be required in the near future. For a neighbourhood as old as Cabbagetown, a company that has been around for 50 years, like our family run outfit, is the type of company you should contact when you want to take care of your old home.

Types of Brick Repair Needed

With the harsh weather of Canadian winters and the advanced age of Old Toronto brick homes, most homes in Cabbagetown will need attention at various points in time. The services Wilkens Masonry provides for this part of Toronto is

  • Tuckpointing and repointing
  • Brick repair and brick replacement
  • Parging
  • Chimney repair
  • Chimney rebuilds
  • Pillar repair and rebuilds
  • New openings for windows and doors
  • Fireplace restoration, repair and rebuilds.

If you’re not sure what masonry service you may require, but you can see signs of deterioration, give us a call and we can organize a free estimate and quote.

THE WILKENS STORY

Wilkens Masonry was founded in 1977. Ernie Wilkens developed a reputation as a trustworthy, ethical and extremely knowledgeable contractor. Many people often considered him a friend rather than a hired worker and this has helped keep Wilkens top of mind for all of Toronto over the past four and a half decades. Ernie’s son, cousin and son in law carry the torch for the company now, maintaining Ernie’s vision of a reliable and admired firm.

Get in touch!

We want to hear from you, even if all you need is some friendly advice. Give us a call or visit our website and FILL OUT A FORM for a free quote. Also, you can check out our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE! 

07
Mar
Affordable Masonry and Brick Repair Toronto
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Affordable Masonry and Brick Repair Toronto

How much should masonry and brick repair cost in Toronto this day in age?

“Everything is more expensive” is a sentence you hear more and more these days. The cost of materials and supply line delays are a constant complication, thus renovations to your home can cost more and more.

There have been some price increases in masonry, the same as other trades. However, there are still many affordable options for upkeep to your bricks and mortar.

Many masonry companies have minimum charges ranging from $1200 to $2000 for a short visit from a crew. There are, however, other companies with more affordable options. At Wilkens Masonry, we perform hundreds of small repairs a year. Our streamlined process and smaller crews mean, for the smaller jobs, we can charge well under a thousand dollars.

Types of Small Masonry and Brick Repair Jobs.

Replacing every brick that shows even the slightest bit of deterioration on your home would be very expensive. Also, it isn’t necessarily needed all of the time. Richard or Jake Wilkens will do a site visit to assess what you need with the goal of providing you with options. Estimates and quotes from Wilkens will often have a small, “minimum” , suggested work order, as well as a larger outline to give you a full understanding.

Brick replacement can be done on a few problem areas. Repointing or tuckpointing a chimney, or reinforcing the masonry on the cap, can extend it’s life and let you prepare for the more expensive path down the road. Parging can be done as a bandaid solution for many parts of a home. All of these options, while quick, can be done aesthetically and effectively when the right company is on site.

Why Hire Wilkens Masonry?

Not all companies are the same, of course, but upselling clients is a common practice. Wilkens is 48 years old and we rely heavily on referrals for our continuing business. Since 1977, we have built a reputation as one of Toronto’s (as well as the surrounding areas of Burlington, Hamilton and Oakville) most reliable masonry companies. We feel that, if a client knows they are taking care of the necessities, with an option for more down the road, they are more likely to have a positive experience with us and help our presence grow. It’s simple, who doesn’t the option of saving money?

WILKENS has been family owned and operated for soon to be 50 years. From 1977 to present day, or motto is “Quality, built on referrals”. This is our livelihood and we prioritize our reputation.

Get in touch!

Call us at 416-425-8055 or visit our WEBSITE to schedule your free estimate and quote. If you would like to read our reviews, you can do so on our website as well as on GOOGLE and HOMESTARS. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Service Area

WE SERVICE ALL AREAS OF:
-HAMILTON
-BURLINGTON
-OAKVILLE
-MISSISSAUGA

Click the image below to view our service area for Toronto:

TORONTO