Toronto - Wilkens Masonry

Category Archives: Toronto

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.

Jan

Benefits Of A Fireplace In My Home

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Benefits Of A Fireplace In My Home

Some things in life can’t be beaten; the pristine beauty of a winter’s first snowfall, being the first one to jump into that untouched snow, and the feeling you get after coming in from the cold outdoors, stripping off those wet clothes, and thawing out in front of a warm fire. Looking to indulge yourself this winter in much the same way, but your fireplace has fallen into disrepair? No need to worry! Wilkens Contracting offers the GTA expert fireplace repairs and builds for those looking to benefit from a fire this winter.

Heating

Eco-friendly heating, or just a great alternative to using electricity, a fireplace is a perfect way to heat your home. Light a fire to add a little extra warmth to your home, on top of your electricity, or use it as a sole source of heating and cut down on your energy costs!

What’s best, if the power ever goes out, especially during the winter, you will have your fireplace to keep you warm.

Cozy

What’s better than snuggling up to the fire with a big blanket, a cup of tea, and a great book? Not much, that’s what! Fireplaces offer a space to recline and unwind, letting the warmth seep through your bones and muscles to reach optimum relaxation.

Alone, or huddled around the crackling flames with family and friends, there is nothing cozier than spending some quality time in front of your fireplace.

Ambiance

The ambiance of a fireplace can completely change the dynamic of the room. Set a blazing fire to completely light up the room during those cold, dark winter nights, or keep a small flame alight for those romantic dinner plans of yours. Whatever your intentions, using a fireplace to set the mood will make your space feel that much more warm and inviting for you and your guests.

That’s where we come in, as Wilkens Contracting has decades of experience in repairing and maintaining the proper safety standards of fireplaces and chimneys across the GTA. Whether you are in the market for repairs, rebuilds, or a new fireplace, Wilkens Contracting has you covered!

Dec

Quality Chimney Repair in My Area

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Quality Chimney Repair In My Area

With the onset of winter, Toronto homes are turning to their fireplaces and heating systems to stay warm this season. Have you noticed the state of your chimney leaves something to be desired? Are you unable to use it this winter as it has fallen into disrepair? Wilkens Contracting offers quality chimney repair to the Toronto area, and beyond, to help those who need to keep warm this winter!

Continue to read through this article to learn how our masonry company can help you this season.

Expert Knowledge

Wilkens Contracting has been servicing Toronto since our establishment in 1977. We are a fully licensed and insured family based company that aims to treat every client as if they were part of the family! All work is performed by our own team, thoroughly trained and wholly qualified to take on any masonry job you may need help completing.

When you hire our company, for all of your masonry needs, you will obtain friendly and professional help, that will be able to extend the life of your chimney for many more decades to come. Whatever you may need; tuck pointing, replacing flue tiles, re-cementing chimney crowns, brick restoration, and more, our expert team has you covered.

Don’t just take our word for it, check out our testimonials to hear from our previously satisfied clients.

No Pressure

Unfortunately, chimney repair fraud is a very real thing. It is essential to understand this before contracting someone or some company to do the work for you. Some will attempt to frighten you into hiring them, using terms like carbon monoxide poisoning or house fires to pressure you into making a quick decision.

If you feel as if you are being pushed or harassed into making a decision, then make the decision to push them out the door and look for someone else. With Wilkens Contracting, we will communicate with you openly and honestly about what your chimney or masonry repair would need, how much it would cost, and how long it would take.

Free Estimate

We offer a free masonry estimate to all of our potential clients as a way to show our sincerity at transparency. Just provide us with your contact information and what you are looking to have repaired or replaced on your chimney, and we will get back to you in a timely manner.

Contact us online or visit our facility in person to get your repairs and builds underway with Wilkens Contracting today!

17 Dec

Where Can I Get My Brick Openings Repaired?

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Where Can I Get My Brick Openings Repaired?

Brick openings, whether they are windows, doors, archers, or the like, need to be accurately formed to provide the right support for the structure. If brick openings are compromised, so too is the safety of the building. The proper support is needed when dealing with any form of construction, especially so when that form is your home. If you are looking for a reliable and professional team of masons to repair your home’s brick openings, Wilkens Contracting can help!

Please read on to learn how our company can best serve you!

Lintel Use

For stone and brickwork to keep its structural integrity around openings, it needs the proper support. A lintel is a structural member placed over an opening in a wall, to allow for this stability, supporting the load above the opening.

Lintels can be constructed using an array of materials, as long as the proper design is adhered to, usually in the form of angles, flats, or T-sections. As the Wilkens Contracting team is made up of knowledgeable masons, we will be able to facilitate brick opening repairs on any of these lintel types.

The Support

There are five methods of supporting brickwork over an opening: brick arches, steel bars and angles, prefabricated reinforced concrete, prefabricated brickwork, and directly from the reinforced concrete structure.

Each support method has its own purposes and uses depending on the size, length, aesthetic design, and location of the opening. Whether the wall is a load bearing wall or not, will also play a key role in brick opening repairs.

Our Help

Wilkens Contracting and our team of professional and experienced masons will assess your home’s brick openings and lintels to see which of the five methods are being used. From there we will be able to perform the necessary repairs to revitalize your home and have it looking as good as new. Whatever issues you may be having with your brick openings, we will be able to help!

Visit Us

Here at Wilkens Contracting, we offer a free estimate to all potential clients so you can understand what your masonry repair or build will entail from the start, with zero hidden fees. Just provide us with your contact information and what you are looking to have repaired or replaced, and we will promptly get back to you.

Contact us online or visit our facility in person to get your masonry repairs underway today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Jul

Fireplace Repairs in Toronto

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Wilkens Contracting Inc. has been the leader in fireplace restoration in Toronto since 1977. We only work on masonry fireplaces only. Forty plus years of building and maintaining wood burning fireplaces only makes us very knowledgeable on the subject.

The main things to check on a fireplace are the condition of the hearth extension, the solidity of the firebrick interior and the operation of the damper. If your fireplace is smoking into the room it is usually caused by one of the following. The opening is too large for the chimney flue size, the damper is not high enough above the top of the opening or someone has placed a flue tile at the chimney top which is restricting the drought.

At Wilkens Contracting Inc. we are often asked to redesign the fireplace completely. With new renovations being done some of the older designs don’t fit in. We can completely rebuild the fireplace into the original structure giving you a fireplace that suits the new look of your home. That being said, many homes have stunning fireplaces and the design of the room can be worked around the fireplace itself.

Fireplaces have been around since before the wheel. They are not mysterious and properly used they are not dangerous. We don’t deal in gas or electric units because we are a masonry company, and personally, we feel a wood burning fireplace is simply the most pleasurable fireplace to have. Take a look at the main web site at Wilkens.ca and you will find the anatomy of a fireplace. This will help you understand the structure and will also help you check the various parts of your fireplace to ensure its operational design. If you are looking for fireplace repairs in the Toronto area, feel free to call us and we will surely be able to help you have the fireplace you are looking for.

Jul

Chimney Repair Toronto

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Chimney Repair Toronto

If you need a chimney repair in Toronto, call Wilkens Contracting Inc. Our team is made up of well experienced masons who can efficiently and safely handle the repair of your chimney. A well maintained chimney will last for years, but one that is crumbling or is otherwise unsafe puts you at risk of fires and other property damage. If the chimney needs pointing or other repairs we can get that done and extend the life of the existing structure. In this article by Wilkens Contracting Inc. we will talk about what some of the signs are that indicate that you need chimney repair on your home in Toronto. Read on for more information.

*Before*

What are the signs that your chimney needs repairs?

The first step in getting your chimney back in shape is being able to detect when there is a problem. Here are a few things to look out for:

Crumbling Brick or Mortar Joints:

If the mortar that joins the bricks together or the bricks themselves are starting to crumble, it’s time to give us a call. Brick has a long lifespan, but still needs some repairs now and then.

Rusted damper:

The damper is the mechanism that allows you to open and close the chimney above the fireplace If it starts to rust it is probably as simple as your chimney needing to be re-crowned or it may lack a chimney cap.

Full chimney replacement:

If you have an older house, the chimney may be too far gone to be repaired and thus may need to be re-built. This will be apparent if your chimney is leaning or showing signs of major brick deterioration and/or large voids between the bricks. another symptom is that the chimney is leaning or the sides of the structure are “swelling”. We do our best to find bricks that match your original ones, including antiques. We colour match the mortar and also finish the top of your chimney to replicate the period design.

*After*

Our goal is to provide homeowners with high quality chimney repairs for prices they can afford. Our rates are highly competitive, and we are constantly working to improve on our already excellent customer care. By trusting the professionals at Wilkens Contracting Inc. to take care of any repairs, your chimney can continue to work as it should well into the future. Click here to find our contact information and to request a quote.

May

Fireplace Repairs Toronto

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Fireplaces have been around since before the wheel. They are not mysterious and properly used they are not dangerous. We don’t deal in gas or electric units because we are a masonry company and personally we feel a wood burning fireplace is simply the most pleasurable fireplace to have. Take a look at the main web site at Wilkens.ca and you will find the anatomy of a fireplace. This will help you understand the structure and will also help you check the various parts of your fireplace to ensure its operational design. Feel free to call us and we will surely be able to help you have the fireplace you would like.

14 May

Chimneys

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Chimneys Toronto
Despite the fact that chimney maintenance is so important, people tend to either forget about them or neglect them. Often it is simply that they are not that noticeable when walking around the yard. In this article by Wilkens Contracting Inc. we will talk about the importance of chimneys in Toronto. Read on for more information.

The most common problem with chimneys in Toronto is wear and tear due to the elements and the exhaust of your heating system. As the chimney is completely unprotected from the weather it gets deteriorated more rapidly than the house walls. Since the advent of more efficient heating systems chimneys in Toronto are subject to condensation from the warm exhaust of the furnace or boiler coming into contact with the cooler air of the exposed chimney above the roof. The damage shows up as either the mortar joints wearing out or the bricks crumbling or spalling. If the mortar joints are eroding the repair could be as easy as simple tuck pointing. Once the bricks begin to rot the chimney usually needs rebuilding. The reason for rebuilding at that point is that the spalling bricks are the worst and easily visible. The adjacent bricks will have degraded as well so replacing just the few obvious ones will still leave you with an unsound structure. Most chimneys can be rebuilt from the roof up as below the roofline they are well protected by the eaves and haven’t been worn out.

As a note, when having your chimney rebuilt many people are sold precast concrete caps. These are fine but were not in use until the 50s as well. On older homes Wilkens Contracting Inc. prefers to corbel the top of the chimney to maintain the period design. Many homeowners are told the reason for the chimneys wear was the lack of the precast cap which is simply not the case. The reasons are stated above. To verify this for yourself you simply need to go to an older part of town and look at the chimneys. These homes are older than most of the homes in Toronto and are still in good condition and were mostly have a corbel at the top. It is wear and tear that deteriorates the chimney, not the crown design. I think a corbel, in keeping with the design of your home, looks much better.

If your chimney is in need of repairs, you can trust the professionals at Wilkens Contracting Inc. to get things back in shape. With years of experience, no chimney is too damaged for our skilled team. For more information about how we can repair and restore chimneys in Toronto, please feel free to continue browsing through our website. Click here to find our contact information and to request a quote.

14 May

Brick Restorations Toronto

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Since 1977 Wilkens Contracting Inc has been doing brick restorations in Toronto.
One could say “I’ve seen it all.” The following are articles written from first hand observation and information gathered by me.

The major cause of brick and mortar deterioration is basically moisture. The deterioration usually shows first (a) along the base of the walls, (b) in and below window sills, (c) by the downpipes of the eavestrough system, (d) porch walls and pillars and (e) in the chimney above the roof line.

The reasons are as follows:

(a) Before the early 1950s foundations weren’t sealed. the moisture in the soil sits right against the foundation masonry and tends to wick up the wall. The end of the “wick” is where the masonry tends to degrade most rapidly. Brick restoration and pointing is needed here to maintain the integrity of the foundation.

(b) The areas below the windows get a beating in the late fall and early spring. This is mainly due to snow accumulation on the sill and its slow melt from heat loss through the opening, saturating the sill and the bricks below. Added to this is the freeze/thaw which occurs when the temperature drops and rises and when the sun melts it on a cold day. Brick restoration and pointing is needed here to keep the moisture from getting to the inner wall.

(c) Over the years there have been times when the troughs were not cleaned and have overflowed. The down pipes are at the lowest points of the trough system so are the points that the water would spill over. If the down pipe is on the north side of the house it also has the problem of freezing solid in the winter. Snow melt, on a cold but sunny day, will tend to freeze in the down pipe and split the seams. When the ambient temperature rises it takes a while for the solid mass of ice in the pipe to thaw and the current run off will leak through the split seams onto the masonry wall and saturating it. Brick restoration and pointing is needed here to keep the moisture from getting to the inner wall.

(d) Porch walls and pillars wear more rapidly than the house walls because they are exposed to more weather and they don’t have the advantage of being dried out by the heat of the interior of the house. They get wet and/or saturated more often and then are subject to the freeze/thaw cycle. Brick restoration and pointing is needed here to maintain their structural integrity as well as aesthetics.

(e) Ah, the poor chimney. Chimneys really get the most wear and tear. Not only are they exposed to the elements no matter which way the wind blows but they also have to deal with temperature differentials and condensation.

In inclement weather they get saturated no matter what. Then the furnace comes on and dries them out. Then the furnace shuts down and they get wet. Then the furnace comes on and they dry out. Then the furnace shuts down and….you get the idea. Now imagine that happening over the span of your homes existence.

In the old days of coal there was really not a condensation problem. With the introduction of oil heating the stack (chimney exhaust) temperature decreased as the oil furnace was more efficient and less heart was going up the flue but with the outside temperature in winter being very cold there would be a bit of condensation in the chimney above the roof where it is totally exposed. In the 1950s terra cotta flue tiles were introduced to handle this problem. Then came natural gas heating. Now the stack temperature was very cool compared to coal or oil and condensation occurred a great deal more even with the terra cotta flue tile. Here the aluminum gas chimney liner came in to both prevent condensation due to the resizing of the exhaust path and also to keep any condensation from the bricks.

So over the years chimneys have taken the worst of it. Most new furnaces no longer use the chimney but wood burning fireplaces still do. Brick restoration,pointing or rebuilding is needed on chimneys to maintain their structural integrity, allow them to safely function and exhaust the products of combustion and to keep you home looking like it should look.

18

Jan