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Category Archives: Chimneys

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28
May
Does Your Mississauga Chimney Need Repair?
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Does Your Chimney Need Repair Or Rebuild In Mississauga?

Chimneys are the parts of homes that are usually first to show signs of deterioration. When temperatures drop, water will freeze and expand. When chimney’s are saturated by fall and winter rain and snow, they will eventually start to fall apart. While most people will not want to go up on their roof to take a close look at their chimney, some things that can be looked for from the ground are:

  • Leaning and twisting of the chimney structure
  • Parts of the brick faces falling off.
  • Voids in the mortar between the bricks
  • Cracks in the bricks and mortar around them
  • Deformations in the chimney cap
  • Cracks in the flue tiles.
A photo of a chimney before and after rebuild

Before and after chimney rebuild

How Much Will Chimney Repair Cost?

The cost of a chimney repair or rebuild will depend on the amount of repair needed as well as the complication of setup required to safely access the chimney. When are ladder can be used for access, the repair can be under a thousand dollars. When scaffolding is required, it increases the amount of work needed.

Who We Are

Since 1977, Wilkens Masonry has been family owned and operated. Ernie Wilkens built the company in to what it was today, and his family carries on the traditions he established. High quality craftsmanship, reliable customer service and well priced work are our main qualities. We service Toronto, Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville and Mississauga. Some of our other masonry services include:

  • Brick repair and brick replacement
  • Tuckpointing and repointing
  • Parging
  • Pillar repair and pillar rebuild
  • Crack repair
  • Block repair
  • Brick sill and stone sill repair and replacement

Get in touch!

Visit our WEBSITE to learn more about us. FILL OUT OUR FORM to get a free site visit and quote, take a look at our TESTIMONIALS. You can also take a look at our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

A black and white photo of the original Wilkens Masonry team

Wilkens Masonry in 1981

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28
May
Does Your Oakville Chimney Need Repair?
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Does Your Chimney Need Repair Or Rebuild In Oakville?

Many chimneys, depending on the quality of the original construction, will need repair or rebuilding after years and years of harsh Canadian winter weather. Freeze and thaw of the water that saturates chimneys in the colder months of the year causes the bricks and mortar of chimneys to degrade and eventually fall apart. If you are wondering wether or not your chimney is in need of repair, some signs you can look for from ground level are:

  • Leaning or alterations of the chimney’s structure
  • Spalling brick faces
  • Deteriorated or missing mortar
  • Movement in the chimney cap
  • Cracked or flaking flue tiles
A Photo of a chimney before and after rebuild

Before And After Chimney Rebuild

 

 

 

A photo of a chimney before and after rebuild

Before and After Chimney Rebuild

How Much Will Chimney Work Cost?

The cost of chimney repair is decided by the extent of work needed as well as the difficulty level of safely being able to perform the repairs. Small repairs can be done from a ladder, often, and can sometimes take a few hours. If the chimney needs a larger repair, or a rebuild, scaffolding will be required and this increases the scope.

Wilkens Masonry

Wilkens Masonry has been family owned and run since 1977. We service Toronto, Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville and Hamilton. We are chimney repair specialists and we offer many more masonry repair services. Some of those services are:

  • Brick repair and brick replacement
  • Tuckpointing and repointing
  • Parging
  • Pillar repair and pillar rebuild
  • Crack repair
  • Block repair
  • Brick sill and stone sill repair and replacement

Get in touch!

We want to hear from you! Visit our WEBSITE to learn more about us and take a look at our TESTIMONIALS. You can also FILL OUT OUR FORM to get a free estimate. You can also take a look at our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

A black and white photo of the original Wilkens Masonry team

Wilkens Masonry in 1981

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28
May
Does Your Hamilton Chimney Need Repair?
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Does Your Chimney Need Repair Or Rebuild In Hamilton?

Homeowners should inspect the outside of their home every so often to see if any areas are in need of repair. The chimney, which is a structure most homes will have, bear the brunt of the weather that causes deterioration of the masonry units it is made out of. While most people won’t go up on their roof to take a close look at their chimney, you can take a look from the ground. What you should look for is:

  • Leaning of the chimney structure
  • Pieces missing or falling off of the brick faces
  • Missing mortar
  • Cracks in the chimney structure
  • Disturbances in the chimney cap
  • Cracked or flaking flue tiles
A photo of a chimney before and after being rebuilt

Before and after chimney rebuild

How Much Will Chimney Repair Cost?

The cost involved in repairing a chimney will always depend on the extent of the repair and the access needed to safely perform the repair. If there are a few spots to touch up, and the chimney is near to the ground or can be accessed by ladder, the repair can be simple and inexpensive. If a rebuild is necessary, the chimney will have to be accessed with scaffolding which will increase the cost.

Who We Are

Ernie Wilkens, starting almost 50 years ago, built Wilkens Masonry into one of the regions most respected and trusted masonry restoration companies. We are known for our high quality, affordable work and our responsive customer service. Ernie’s children have taken over the company’s operations and maintain his original ethos that lead the company through decades of change in Toronto, Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington and Oakville. Other masonry services that we perform are:

  • Brick repair and brick replacement
  • Tuckpointing and repointing
  • Parging
  • Pillar repair and pillar rebuild
  • Crack repair
  • Block repair
  • Brick sill and stone sill repair and replacement

Give us a call!

Please visit our WEBSITE to learn more about our story. FILL OUT OUR FORM to get a free estimate. Take a look at our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

A black and white photo of the original Wilkens Masonry team

Wilkens Masonry in 1981

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28
May
Does Your Burlington Chimney Need Repair?
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Does Your Chimney Need Repair Or Rebuild In Burlington?

Homeowners have a lot to maintain around their home, and the masonry structures, including the chimney, are no exception. Chimneys are usually built to withstand the extreme winter weather of southern Ontario. However, spalling bricks and cracking mortar will eventually need to be repaired. Every year or so, homeowners should take a glance at their chimney from ground level and look for:

  • Leaning or twisting in the chimney structure
  • Spalling bricks
  • Flaking mortar
  • Cracks in the mortar or brick faces
  • Failures in the chimney cap
  • Cracked/flaking of the flue tile.
a photo showing a before and after of a chimney rebuild

Before and After Chimney Rebuild

A Photo of a chimney before and after rebuild

Before And After Chimney Rebuild

 

How Much Will Chimney Repair Cost?

It is hard to say how much a chimney repair cost will be. Any company will want to do a site visit to determine the extent of repair needed as well as the safest way to access the chimney. If a small repair is needed and the access is safe and easy, the repair can cost under a thousand dollars. When the repair is more complicated, or a full rebuild is needed, scaffolding will have to be erected and the cost will proportionately increase. We will send a trained mason to take a look and give to a detailed quote so that you can make an informed decision.

Our Company

Wilkens Masonry is family owned and operated and has been since 1977. Our motto is “quality, built on referrals”. We are known in Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga for our trained and friendly staff, our competent customer service and our well priced work. Beyond chimneys, some masonry services that we offer are:

  • Brick repair and brick replacement
  • Tuckpointing and repointing
  • Parging
  • Pillar repair and pillar rebuild
  • Crack repair
  • Block repair
  • Brick sill and stone sill repair and replacement

Set yourself up with a free quote!

Head to our WEBSITE to learn more about us. There, you can FILL OUT OUR FORM to get a free estimate or take a look at our TESTIMONIALS. You can also take read our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

A black and white photo of the original Wilkens Masonry team

Wilkens Masonry in 1981

the Wilkens masonry team in 2021

Wilkens Masonry in 2021

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28
May
Does Your Toronto Chimney Need A Repair Or Rebuild?
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Does Your Chimney Need Repair Or Rebuild In Toronto?

Chimneys are the area of homes that are most exposed to the harsh weather of southern Ontario. Ice and snow saturate the bricks from all sides and, after years of wear and tear, either or a repair or a full rebuild will be necessary. A trained masonry professional, from a reputable company, should do an onsite inspection of your chimney to determine whether or not it needs some attention. To begin with, you should take a look at your own chimney and look for signs that it may need some work done. Things to look for, that can often be seen from ground level, include:

  • The chimney is leaning or twisted
  • Crumbling, flaking or spalling brick faces
  • Missing mortar
  • Cracks in the mortar or brick faces
  • Shifting in the chimney cap
  • Cracked or flaking flue tiles
A Photo of a chimney before and after rebuild

Before And After Chimney Rebuild

How Much Will Chimney Repair Cost?

The cost of chimney repair is completely dependant on the extent of the repair needed as well as the degree of difficulty for safely accessing the chimney. With a minor repair, a ladder can often be used for safe access and a repair can be hundreds of dollars to perform. If rebuilding your chimney is necessary, scaffolding will be required and the cost of material greatly increases. The best thing to do is get an in depth quote to completely understand the process and costs involved.

Who We Are

Family owned and operated since 1977, we have made a name for ourselves at Wilkens Masonry with quality work, responsive customer service and reasonably priced work. We are proud to have been in business for close to 50 years and hope to service Toronto for 50 more. We service Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton. In addition to chimney repair and rebuilds, we perform a variety of masonry services. These include:

  • Brick repair and brick replacement
  • Tuckpointing and repointing
  • Parging
  • Pillar repair and pillar rebuild
  • Crack repair
  • Block repair
  • Brick sill and stone sill repair and replacement

Get in touch!

We look forwarding to hearing from you! Please visit our WEBSITE to learn more about us. You can FILL OUT OUR FORM to get a free estimate or take a look at our TESTIMONIALS. You can also take a look at our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

A black and white photo of the original Wilkens Masonry team

Wilkens Masonry in 1981

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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!

 

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11
Oct
Masonry Repair In High Park
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Masonry Repair In High Park

High Park is one of Toronto’s best neighbourhoods. It is filled with beautiful old homes with gorgeous brick walls that, often, need a lot of tender love and care. Canada’s harsh winters batter the bricks and mortar of the walls and chimneys. Often, homeowners in the High Park area are in search of a good masonry restoration contractor who can help them keep their home in ship shape.

Brick Replacement and Repointing

The most common form of restoration needed in High Park is brick replacement and repointing of the old deteriorated mortar. A close match to the brick types of this neighbourhood are readily available and with just a small amount of mortar colour and tint, a good blend can be found when repointing as well. Brick replacement and repointing are a necessary way to keep your home from needing large repairs and having the integrity of it’s structure challenged.

Chimney Repair and Rebuilds

The other, common, need for High Park homes in Toronto is repair or, in some cases, a rebuild of the chimney. Chimneys tend to deal with the worst of the weather as they are exposed on all sides and are the first point of your home to be hit by snow and rain. Plenty of chimneys can last for many decades. Fifty to one hundred year old chimneys are readily found. But, with the homes in High Park getting on in age, many chimneys are in need of at least some minor repair, and many more are in need of a full rebuild from the roofline up. Wilkens will offer a fair assessment of the need for a repair or rebuild and walk you through the process for both.

Get in touch For a free estimate

Give us a call at the office or visit us on our WEBSITE to organize a time for us to swing by and take a look at any masonry restoration you may need around your home. We offer professional services for brick replacement, repointing, chimney repair and rebuild as well as other masonry restoration needs. You can check out our reviews on GOOGLE and HOMESTARS to hear what other satisfied customers have to say.

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09
Aug
Chimney Repair Toronto
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Chimney Repair Toronto

Chimney’s in Toronto are constantly being bombarded by intense, polarizing weather. Heat and rain from our humid summers. Sleet, snow and ice from our frigid winters. This causes a lot of deterioration on the average chimney, and leads to a lot of needed repair as well as a full chimney rebuild in many cases.

Homeowners are faced with the task of keeping an eye on their chimney, which isn’t always possible depending on it’s location, and maintaining the chimney so that it never becomes a liability.

Repair Or Rebuild

If a chimney has a slight amount of deterioration in the cap or perhaps some of the mortar joints are showing signs of wear, a basic repair can be performed on a chimney. This is usually done in the form of repointing, which is adding in mortar to the deep joints and holes that may have manifested. Adding concrete to the dome portion of the chimney that allows for water run off is also a common practice. It secures the flue tiles and makes sure that rain sheds properly off the cap.

If the chimney has a curve to it, or so many of the joints are deteriorated to the point of a structural problem, a rebuild is always necessary. Sometimes a few brick faces have actually fallen off the chimney. Many people want to replace only the obvious bricks, but this is usually a bad idea as the few brick faces are usually the tip of the ice berg. If you started hammering away at one or two obvious bricks, often a can of worms is opened up and you are forced into a rebuild in the end.

Get In Touch For A Free Quote!

Wilkens Masonry is a family company and has been since 1977. For 47 years we have strived to build a reputation as an honest, reliable and talented group of masons. Visit our WEBSITE or check our our reviews on GOOGLE or HOMESTARS and get in touch for a free, no obligation quote!

Before and After Chimney Rebuild

 

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23
Jul
Cost Of Chimney Repair Toronto
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Cost Of Chimney Repair Toronto

The cost of chimney repair in Toronto varies greatly depending on many factors. First off is the access available to the chimney. If the chimney is on a one or two storey home and has a cleared area below from which to put up a ladder or build scaffolding, this means less cost for access. If a complicated scaffolding setup is required, the cost can go up.

Scaffolding Or Ladders

The safest way to access anything at heights is with scaffolding as opposed to ladders. Ladders are a good solution if the repair needed on a chimney is small and can be done with one hand. If the mason is intelligent and cautious with his approach, he can get up and down safely and perform a small brick patch or pointing repair using only a ladder. Where a significant amount of work is needed, such as a chimney rebuild, scaffolding is a necessity. Hundreds of pounds of rubble and debris will have to be safely lowered. The same amount of new bricks and mortar, if not more, will have to be hoisted back up and safely reinstalled during the rebuild. This greatly increases the amount of labour involved and in turn increases the price.

Is It Worth Repairing or Rebuilding My Chimney?

The answer is almost always yes to whether or not you should have your chimney repaired or rebuilt. Chimneys vent harmful gases and smoke up and away from a home. If the chimney is in use and in disrepair, it is imperative that it be taken care of. Pieces of debris can occasionally fall away from a chimney, which is a safety hazard in its own right, and the venting capabilities of the chimney can be compromised. If the chimney is no longer in use, it still needs to be repaired or torn down to avoid any safety issues.

Give Us a call or visit our website for a free estimate

You can reach us at 416 425 8055 or visit our WEBSITE and FILL OUT OUR FORM to line yourself up for a free quote. You can also read our reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE

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24
Jun
How Much Does It Cost To Rebuild A Chimney
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How Much Does It Cost To Rebuild A Chimney?

This is one of the most searched questions when it comes to masonry restoration and repair. Chimneys are used to vent harmful gases from your furnace or water heater, or the smoke from your wood burning fire, up and away from your house.  Because of their height and lack of protection from our harsh Canadian winters, chimneys are often the first part of the home that will have deterioration and a need for repair or replacement. Since they are hard to access, repairing or rebuilding them can be more expensive than some may expect, ranging usually from $2500 at a minimum. Generally, a per brick price is calculated with an added on cost for complicated access and specialty scaffolding construction.

Will My Chimney Fall Over?

This is another question that we get asked all the time. The answer is hard to guarantee and it’s thankfully something we have not witnessed many times in our long running service of the Toronto, Hamilton and surrounding areas. Chimneys are built with the design of having more than one point of support. If one brick is taken out of a chimney, the whole thing will not just topple over. This means that a little bit of degradation is not the end of the world. However, bricks can have a little bit of wear and tear at first and then be in dire straits quite quickly, so addressing the problem early, and having your chimney rebuilt, may save quite a bit of annoyance in the future.

How Long Does It Take To Rebuild A Chimney?

A chimney rebuild can take anywhere from one day to a week for a chimney on the average home in Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga. It usually takes about half a day to setup scaffolding and tear down around 300 bricks, which is the average size or a chimney. The building back up part is the most time consuming and, depending on the skill of the mason, will usually be done at a rate of 200 bricks per day.

GET IN TOUCH FOR A FREE ESTIMATE!

We are more than happy to come out and take a look at your chimney rebuild project and give you an honest and fair quote. You can reach us via our WEBSITE and can check out our stellar reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

 

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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

Our Location

30 Canvarco Road, Unit 5
Toronto, Ontario M4G 1L3

Phone: 416-425-8055
Alt: 416-423-5099

Testimonials & Reviews


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“From our first contact, to the friendly service, the work completed, the clean up, and customer follow-up, we are very pleased, and impressed. I would not hesitate to recommend Wilkens Contracting Inc. to anyone.”
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