Category Archives: masonry

26
Jan
How Do I Know What Masonry Repairs Are Necessary?
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How Do I Know What Masonry Repairs Are Necessary?

One of the most common reservations people have these days is how expensive it can be to maintain your home. The price of living in the whole world has gone up, and Hamilton and Toronto are no exception. It is sometimes hard to determine if the work or repairs you are considering are completely necessary or if they can be left alone for a while. There are obviously important things, like water pooling against your home and pouring in to your basement, or a chimney crumbling and you find pieces of brick in your driveway. These usually require immediate attention. There are also repairs that are more aesthetic and could wait until the more important repairs are done. With all of this in mind,  you want a masonry contractor such as Wilkens that is going to help you understand the difference so that you can make an informed decision.

Figuring It Out

Your home is your haven. You want it to be safe and secure. Masonry is the backbone of a home and it should be in good condition. When considering repairs and their level of necessity, the first thing to consider would be the structure of the home and if the damage or potential repair will help maintain it. The next is aesthetics. While there can be damage to an exterior of a home that won’t necessarily lead to the house falling down any time soon, the visuals of a home are extremely important to most clients. You want to have pride in your home, and, if you are considering selling, your home should have curb appeal. These are just two factors to consider when trying to figure out what work should be done on your home.

Honesty And Ethics With Your Quote

The trades and restoration, with masonry as no exception, are home to all types of people and companies. When dealing with an outfit, you should always trust your gut with the person who is trying to sell you on having them perform your work. There are many people who can do good work, but there aren’t always people who are a pleasure to deal with. At Wilkens, we aim to show you that honesty and ethics in the world of masonry are not forgotten concepts or simply a banner to add to your website’s homepage. These are two ideas that are at our very core and philosophy as a company. You can learn more about us here

Give us a Call for a Free Estimate!

At Wilkens masonry, our estimates are always free. We serve the Toronto and Hamilton areas. We will come by and give you an honest assessment coupled with a fair price for the services we deliver. Also, if the scope of work is something we don’t cover, we can always point you in the right direction of a company that can service your needs.

Check us out on Homestars and Google! You can also Contact us now for a free, no-obligation consultation or call us at 416 425 8055.

 

23
Sep
Should I Get Masonry Work Done Before Winter?
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Should I Get Masonry Work Done Before Winter

For many home in Toronto and Hamilton. Masonry work can be unavoidable and needed as soon as possible. It can also be largely aesthetic and avoided until a convenient time arises to get it restored. We can help you out, at Wilkens Masonry, with both of those categories of repair. Before the winter time comes, you should get any masonry work done that may be exposed to rain and snow from the coming months. You should look for parts of your masonry that are in need of repair and could be made worse by another season of harsh weather. Sometimes it can be left alone for a while, sometimes it will get worse exponentially.

What To Look For

What to look for on the walls of your house are large cracks that usually step down the joints of the wall in a staircase pattern. These are called stress cracks and are usually straight through to the inside of your home. If there is direct exposure to weather at this part of your wall, water can find it’s way in and can cause more damage in the freeze and thaw. Another, very important part of your home to check is the chimney above the roof. If you see that the cap of the chimney has loose pieces or there are larger holes in the joints of the chimney ‘s main body, then you may want to get it tuckpointed or perhaps rebuilt. Chimneys are exposed to the harsh winds and weather of the winter and having the masonry be brand new or restored can be very important. Other than that, a good look around your home to identify any parging, brick repair or tuckpointing is a good idea before it get’s too cold!

Wilkens Masonry Is Now In Hamilton

Wilkens Masonry has officially set up shop in Hamilton, Ontario! We have been serving Toronto for 45 years and are excited to be in a new city where we can build our reputation as a full-service masonry restoration company. Get in touch for a free estimate to discuss your repointing, tuckpointing, parging, brick repair and chimney repair.

We are fully insured, our estimates are free and we can work closely with you or a hired general contractor to make sure that our quote will fit in with any blueprints or plans that may exist.

Check us out on Homestars and Google! You can also Contact us now for a free, no-obligation consultation or call us at 416 425 8055.

 

22
Aug
Wilkens is Family Owned and Operated Since 1977
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The Beginning of Wilkens Masonry

Since the beginning, Wilkens Masonry has strived to be a company the people of Toronto, Hamilton and the surrounding areas can rely on. We have always been family owned and operated and have a vision for the future which includes the expansion of our quality services into more regions of Southwestern Ontario.

Family Owned and Operated

Our owner, Ernie Wilkens, has worked hard over the past decades to build a company his children could be proud to be a part of. Olivia Wilkens, Ernie’s daughter, is the office manager and oversees all administrative parts of Wilkens. Richard Harris, Ernie’s nephew, is our lead estimator. Jake Wilkens, Ernie’s son, is our head mason. The rest of our team, while not bearing our last name, is very much a part of the family!

What Can Wilkens Masonry Do For You

Wilkens Masonry is your one stop shop for chimney rebuild and restoration, fireplace restoration, tuckpointing or repointing and all forms of brick repair and restoration. We serve the Greater Toronto Area as well as Hamilton and Burlington.

We are fully insured, our estimates are free and we can work closely with you or a hired general contractor to make sure that our quote will fit in with any blueprints or plans that may exist.

Wilkens Masonry Is Now In Hamilton

Wilkens Masonry has officially set up shop in Hamilton, Ontario! We have been serving Toronto for 45 years and are excited to be in a new city where we can build our reputation as a full-service masonry restoration company. Get in touch for a free estimate to discuss your repointing, tuckpointing, parging, brick repair and chimney repair.

We are fully insured, our estimates are free and we can work closely with you or a hired general contractor to make sure that our quote will fit in with any blueprints or plans that may exist.

Check us out on Homestars and Google! You can also Contact us now for a free, no-obligation consultation or call us at 416 425 8055.

01
Jul
I need professional brick repair in Toronto
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I need professional brick repair in Toronto

Giving your home a unique appeal, many will admire requires professional care and maintenance. Wilkens Contracting wants you to know that brick restoration can be an excellent way to extend the lifespan of your masonry, as well as ensure it looks its best, but it should always be performed by an experienced professional. If you need professional brick repair in Toronto, Wilkens Contracting is just a phone call away!

Safety

A brick restoration expert is trained to repair and restore your home’s masonry work in the safest way possible. When your bricks are cracking or crumbling, it can be a sign of structural damage that needs proper repairs. For this reason, it’s always best to hire a brick restoration professional who can inspect your masonry and determine whether your home’s structural integrity has been compromised.

Experience

Brick restoration work can be complicated; in most cases, a professional will need to scrape away existing mortar and install new mortar, as well as re-point damaged bricks. Performing this properly requires extensive, hands-on experience that only a seasoned professional has.

Expertise

The same way there are many different types of lumber, there are also many bricks that have been used over the years. Some bricks might have been composed of a different type of clay than others or fired at a lower temperature, meaning they’ll require an expert touch to avoid damaging them during the repair process. A reliable brick restoration expert can easily determine how old your existing brick structure is and the brick it was built with. Then, they develop a repair plan to meet your structure’s unique restoration requirements.

What exactly is a brick mason?

Brick masons work with brick, be it real, manufactured, solid or veneer. They are commonly referred to as “bricklayers.” The process takes care and attention because the lines are typically very uniform and don’t forgive mistakes. Common installations include chimneys and fireplaces, columns, walls and patios.

Finding professional brick repair for your home in Toronto is easy when you choose Wilkens Contracting. Click here to find our contact information or to speak with a representative.

 

 

 

 

 

01
May
Masonry Repairs In Toronto
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Masonry Repairs In Toronto

Residents looking for quality masonry repairs in Toronto should consider enlisting the help of professionals to produce results you can be happy with. At Wilkens Contracting, we have decades of masonry experience under our belt, specific to the Greater Toronto Area too, meaning we know how to deal with local materials, and damage created from Canadian climates. With spring in the air, and the summer months ahead of us, now is the time to make sure your home’s masonry is in excellent condition, and if it’s not, to get the attention and care it needs to keep you in a structurally sound home. To learn more about what we can do for you here at Wilkens Contracting, please continue reading below.

Repairs, Restorations, And More

When it comes to masonry work, our company is well equipped to provide services for an array of issues. Whether your brickwork or stonework is falling apart, you have water damage that needs to be repaired, you are thinking about adding a new opening to your home, or you want to make sure the integrity of your structure stable and supported, we can help! We understand the local climate, and the type of weather and environmental damage it can cause to buildings in the area, and how to fix it. From revitalizing aesthetics to extending the life of the building material in question, we have the knowledge and know how to get any repair, restoration, or build project done right!

Satisfied Customers

Much of the business we get is gained through word of mouth of our highly satisfied customers. Many of our projects are from repeat customers and their referrals, illustrating just how much stock we put in building and maintaining positive relationships with our clients. Attentive customer care, transparent dealings, and communication are the pillars of our business, using our skills, knowledge, and experience gained through decades of working in the industry, to help all of our customers attain quality masonry repairs.

Contact Us Today

You don’t have to just take our word for it though, as our website is chock full of positive reviews and satisfied customers! So please feel free to continue to browse our website at your leisure, or contact us online or by phone to enlist our help right away!

We look forward to facilitating the repairs you need to keep your home in excellent condition for many years to come. Please click here to find our contact information online, and let us know how Wilkens Contracting can help with your masonry repairs in Toronto today!

18
Jan
Masonry Repairs Near Me
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Masonry Repairs Near Me

If your home, or office, is made out of brick or stone walls, at some point you will need access to a professional mason. This is especially true if you are located in Canada, as weather exposure and elemental damage of brickwork are far worse during the nation’s prolonged winter months. If you are not actively keeping an eye on the brickwork of your home, and the seasonal damage acquired, the structural integrity could be compromised, resulting in disastrous consequences. Therefore, it is essential to you and your home’s safety, to routinely look for damaged brickwork and enlist the proper help for repairs. Here at Wilkens Contracting, we provide professional and expert masonry repairs to the GTA and beyond.

 Continue to read through this post to recognize the signs of repairs.

 Bowed Bricks

Bowed, or bulging, bricks that can be seen in your outer wall is a significant sign of needed repair. If you notice that the bricks in your wall are jutting out, or caving in, there must be excess moisture behind the material. This water damage can cause more structural problems if not dealt with, so if you notice deformed bricks in your wall, now is the time to call us at Wilkens Contracting!

To deal with this water damage, our team would remove the affected bricks, assess the problem, replace the damaged bricks with new, matching bricks, and rebuild the section.

Stress Cracks

Although they sound much more dangerous than they are, stress cracks occur on a regular basis. A crack in your foundation, within 30 degrees of vertical, signifies natural expansion. Cracks should still be repaired by a professional as soon as you notice them. Even though they may not cause an immediate structural problem, if left alone, water can seep into the cracks causing more severe damage, like bulging bricks.

If you call Wilkens Contracting for your masonry repairs, we can quickly fix your stress cracks. Our team will colour match the repair as close as possible.

Listed above are just a few of the adverse effects Canadian weather can have on masonry work. If you fear that your brickwork has fallen into disrepair and you need a professional and expert mason to facilitate the repair, our team can help.

Contact Us

Wilkens Contracting offers professional and expert masonry repairs for those seeking help in the GTA. We see the beauty in perfectly executed masonry. Our company takes pride in the work we do, and we want you to take pride in it with us.

Contact us online and fill out our free estimation form to get your restorations underway!

 

17
Nov
Wilkens Contracting and Masonry Repairs
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Wilkens Contracting and Masonry Repairs in Toronto

Here at Wilkens Contracting, we place emphasis on our relationship with our Toronto based clients when it comes to masonry repairs and all of their restoration needs. Fully licensed and insured, our company prides itself on our customer service.

Making sure your brickwork and masonry are structural sound is what we do best. Read on to learn how Wilkens Contracting can help you and your masonry needs!

Repairs and Restorations

Masonry refers to the building of structures using individual units, often bound together by mortar, and is a highly durable form of construction, as many structures throughout history have been built using this method. But all buildings need a touch up now and again to make sure the walls are structurally sound and performing their functions to the best of the materials’ abilities.

Missing, cracked, or broken mortar is not a repair you should take lightly. As mortar binds and protects the brick themselves, it is an essential aspect of a structure and must be given the respect and care it deserves. As part of masonry services, we focus on maintaining the integrity of this mortar, known as tuckpointing.

Whether you are looking for masonry repairs, brick restoration, or chimney and fireplace repairs and rebuilds in the Toronto area, Wilkens Contracting has you covered.

A Company for all Seasons

Our company understands local weather patterns and the elemental damage that comes with living in a country with four very distinct seasons. With over three decades of knowledge and experience in the Toronto area, you are in safe hands when you choose Wilkens Contracting to do all of your masonry repairs.

Testimonials

Much of our business is gained through repeat clients and their referrals, illustrating just how much Wilkens Contracting focuses on satisfying all of our customers’ needs. Not only do we get the job done right, but we also do it in a timely and friendly manner. We take our clients through a step by step process of their repair so they can understand everything we are doing and why.

But don’t just take our word for it, check out what our previous clients had to say about our workmanship and customer service. As a family-based company providing masonry repairs to the Toronto area, Wilkens Contracting can serve all of your restoration needs.

Give us a call at 416-425-8055, or contact us online to get the process underway!

27
Oct
Masonry with Wilkens Contracting
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Masonry with Wilkens Contracting

At Wilkens Contracting, we take all of our masonry repairs seriously and give each client, and their homes, the care and attention they deserve. So if you live in the Greater Toronto Area and are in need of structural repairs, Wilkens Contracting is here for you!

Continue to read on to learn why Wilkens Contracting is one of the most trusted masonic contractors in the GTA!

Climate Consciousness

Having worked in Toronto for the whole of our existence, Wilkens Contracting understands the Canadian climate and the damage it can create on masonry construction. The country’s distinct four seasons can wreak havoc on brickwork, chimneys, fireplaces, and the like, especially in winter! We know what is needed to create structurally sound repairs and rebuilds that can withstand the volatile Canadian seasons.

Services

Wilkens Contracting can cover all of your masonry restorations in the GTA. Whether your chimney needs to be repaired or rebuilt, your fireplace refurbished or remodelled, or your bricks restored or tuckpointed, we are here for you!

Spalling damage is prominent in older buildings. This means that the brickwork and mortar are falling into disrepair, as the joints crumble and the bricks break apart, a building will become structurally unsound. When this happens, the masonry will need to be repaired, or even replaced, to keep the integrity of the structure. If you notice your brickwork is spalling, than contact us here at Wilkens Contracting, and we can bring your building back to its original condition, with our top of the line tuckpointing process.

Individual Care

Wilkens Contracting is a family run and family oriented company. This means we treat each of our clients like family. We will provide top of the line services, backed by over four decades of experience in the contracting industry, to all those who place their trust in our hands. Our masons are fully licensed and insured, and wholly knowledgeable about the industry so you can be sure you are getting the best of the best when you hire us!

Wilkens Contracting masonry testimonials speak for themselves, so have a look at what our previous clients have had to say! We look forward to adding you to our ever-growing list of satisfied customers.

Our company promises to provide all of our clients with the best services possible. We take pride in our friendly and open manner, and the knowledge and experience we have gained through our decades of existence. We will do everything in our power to complete your project on time and to the best of our ability.

So enlist the help of our masons here at Wilkens Contracting by giving us a call (416-425-8055), or contacting us online!

12
Oct
Masonry Restoration with Wilkens Contracting
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Masonry Restoration at Wilkens Contracting

Wilkens Contracting sees the art and beauty behind perfectly executed masonry restoration. If you are in the Greater Toronto area and are looking for someone to repair your walls, fireplaces, or chimneys, look no further than Wilkens Contracting.

Read on to learn why Wilkens Contracting is leagues above the rest!

Centuries-Old Knowledge

Technological progression of stonework and architectural integrity is what has propelled humanity into the future. With a focus on building bigger, better, and stronger structures, our history is filled with buildings that have lasted generations. This is all thanks to the builders who spearheaded innovative stone techniques and dared to try new materials and architectural forms.

Here at Wilkens Contracting, we take the knowledge gathered through centuries of masonry work and use it in our twenty-first-century jobs to produce the highest quality stonework our clients can be proud of.

Tuckpointing

Here at Wilkens Contracting tuckpointing is just one of the masonry restoration projects we can undertake. Tuckpointing is most often used for aesthetic repairs and maintenance when the bricks begin to spall (crumble and break apart on the surface).  We focus on evening out the mortar joints of older brickwork to give an even and unified look to the structure.

Our masons tint the mortar before applying directly to the joints, so the new material can blend evenly with the existing colours and shadowing. By doing it this way, Wilkens Contracting will leave your brickwork looking seamlessly vibrant so you won’t have to worry about the eyesore of patchwork or mismatched bricks. Take a look at all of our tuckpointing testimonials from our previous satisfied clients.

Renovations

Wilkens Contracting also offers other types of masonry restoration. We can create new openings in your walls for all of your renovation projects, whether they are window size, door size, or any size in between. Our company can also resize openings to fit new frames.

Our masons have access to many types of antique bricks, so we can easily match the materials used on many older structures in Toronto, so you won’t have to worry about any unsightly repairs. Have a look at our photo gallery to see the seamless work with your own eyes!

Wilkens Contracting brings that knowledge and understanding to every one of our masonry restoration jobs. We see the beauty in perfectly executed masonry. Our company takes pride in the work we do, and we want you to take pride in it with us.

Contact us online and fill out our free estimation form to get your restorations underway!

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