Tag Archives: brick repair

21 Dec

Getting Ahead Of The Spring Masonry Rush

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Getting Ahead of the Spring Masonry Rush

It’s the holidays here in Ontario and it’s a time to be with family, eat lots of food and try and regenerate before the new year arrives. The last thing you want to think about is repairing your home. However, there is a big plus side to having a look around your home now, and finding a company who can slot you in first thing in the spring for some masonry repairs such as tuckpointing or repointing, brick replacement and chimney restoration.

Slow Season

The winter time is the “slow season” for most masonry restoration companies. Mortar requires certain temperatures to cure (chemically harden) properly, so most companies hibernate throughout the winter. This is the time that a company, such as Wilkens Masonry, would be more than happy to come and give you a free estimate. We can outline work to be done the moment we have a warm spell and spring has sprung.

Why the Rush?

When spring begins, and almost everyone performs their home inspection to see what they need to get done, Wilkens will be flooded with calls and all of a sudden find ourselves with a six to eight week backlog of jobs to deliver. This is a great problem to have for us, however we all know that once the weather starts getting warmer, and the weekend plans start piling up, the necessary repairs to your home can get forgotten and lost in the shuffle. All of a sudden you find yourself at the end of the year again trying to find someone to squeeze you in.

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.

Mar

Creating Brick Openings For Windows and Doors

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New and Old Brick Openings

Old houses often need to have their windows upgraded, and brick openings are generally in need of updates to allow for new, modern, high-efficiency windows to be installed. Many older houses in Toronto, Hamilton and the GTA have brick arches above their windows which was the original way bricklayers would structure a wall to allow for support above the area where the bricks are absent. Nowadays, we use steel lintels to support the weight. They are much easier to install than brick arches and result in less trim work for the window installers to complete around the window after it has been installed. The arch is often considered more aesthetic as it has a traditional masonry look, but the clean and sharp lines of steel lintel-supported brick openings have a modern masonry appeal.

The Process

When altering a masonry opening on a house and changing the existing arch to a flat, steel lintel, the difficulty is in supporting the bricks above while you install the new support. We often use jack-posts and wedges which give us enough room to work. Once we have laid enough bricks on the lintel and the new mortar has hardened to offer support, we remove the posts and put on the finishing touches.

While some people want the brick arch to be recreated, which is something we can most definitely do, it takes quite a bit more time and, of course, more cost. We have to figure out a way to keep the original look but expand the arch further or contract it smaller so that the new window can fit seamlessly.

Working Together

At Wilkens, we have done both new brick-arched lintels and steel lintel installations hundreds of times and can be relied on to deliver the work you need to update your home and provide you with a sound and stable opening for your new windows.

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.

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.

Jun

Best Season For Masonry Repair In Toronto

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Best Season For Masonry Repair In Toronto

With summer quickly approaching, now is the time to think about the construction or repairs that your home is in dire need of. Have the long winter months of harsh snowstorms and onslaught of ice caused damage to your chimney? Maybe the melting snow caused water damage of your bricks that have created an aesthetically unappealing facade? Whatever the reason you are in need of high-quality masonry work, summer is the best season for masonry repair in Toronto. At Wilkens Contracting, our mission is to deliver nothing but the best brick repair services in the area! To learn more about our company, and how we can help you this upcoming summer season, take a look below.

Longer Days, Sunnier Skies

You might notice the copious amounts of road work and construction that takes place in the Toronto area, and across Ontario, when the warm months come sweeping in. The spring and summertime provide the best weather to complete construction and repair jobs successfully, on time and with beautiful results. As the nature of this job consists of being outdoors, the boon of longer daylight hours, clearer skies, and warmer weather that summer provides, means a more substantial amount of work can be completed in a day, providing faster results for you.

Why Hire Us?

As a fully licensed and insured family business, we strive to treat every customer as if they were a family member themselves. Our mission is to provide the highest quality services we can, ensuring that the job you hire us for is done on time and to your satisfaction. With over five decades of experience working in the Greater Toronto Area, we have the knowledge, skill, and expertise to facilitate repairs on chimneys, fireplaces, facades, and much more! We possess a vast inventory of bricks of all kinds, with mortar to match any colour used in Toronto homes, so our masonry repairs will seamlessly blend into your home’s aesthetic, showing no signs that you required repairs in the first place!

Schedule Today

With summer quickly approaching, now is the time to inquire about our free masonry estimates. With the best season for masonry repairs in Toronto upon us, secure our professional expertise before we become fully booked up! Whatever brick related services you require, we here at Wilkens Contracting can help!

Please click here to find our contact information online, and schedule your free estimate before it’s too late!

May

Trusted Brick Repair In Toronto

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Trusted Brick Repair In Toronto

Did you know bricks are considered one of the most durable building products on earth, as they can withstand extreme temperature changes, and have been used to construct shelters since before 7500 BC? With a long history of use, enduring thousands of years of technical innovations and architectural breakthroughs, this building material is still being used today because of its strength and resilience. Even when crumbling, the right repair services can help keep bricks stable, and structures strong, therefore, if you are in need of trusted brick repair in Toronto, think Wilkens Contracting.

Industry Experience

Our fully licensed and insured family based company has been in the business or repairing and rebuilding brick structures since 1977. With decades of experience facilitating successful jobs in the GTA, our company is well equipped to provide you with the quality services you and your home need to revitalize the life of your bricks and keep your structure strong. With our expertise, we will make sure every project is completed successfully, on time and within budget, to produce a finished product you can be happy with.

Extensive Knowledge

No job is too big or too small for us, as we have the knowledge and know-how to get any job done right. If your bricks are crumbling apart, or spalling, we have the expertise to facilitate quality tuckpointing services, restoring the aesthetic of your bricks, and blending the new work with the old, for a unified look. We can also build and rebuild structures if you are thinking about redesigning, as well as place new openings, whether windows or doors, into the wall.

The Perfect Match

We offer an extensive inventory of quality bricks of all types, so we can easily match our bricks to yours, to create a unified whole. With a vast collection of new and antique bricks, our products can match an array of bricks that have been used across the GTA to build Toronto homes for many years. No need to let the world know you have had repairs done on your home with bright patchwork and noticeable updates. Instead, enlist our professional services, and the integrity of your structure will be strengthened, and the aesthetic improved, with none the wiser!

So if you are looking for a contracting company that can facilitate trusted brick repair in Toronto, then consider working with us here at Wilkens Contracting.

Please click here to find our contact information online, and let us know how we can help you today!

Nov

Brick Repairs at Wilkens Contracting

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Wilkens Contracting and Toronto Based Brick Repairs

Bricks date back to 7000 BC, making them one of the oldest construction materials on the planet. Bricks, deriving from clay found in the ground, have served an essential function in our homes for centuries. Wilkens Contracting, helping the Toronto area, understands the importance of brick repairs in maintaining the integrity of your home.

To learn if you are in need of brick repairs with Wilkens Contracting, continue to read this article or peruse our website.

Spalling

Widely used, bricks should be kept in good repair to get the most out of this material. If your bricks are chipping, or breaking off in fragments, your bricks are spalling. When this happens, your structure is falling into disrepair. Spalling can lead to structurally weak buildings and are unpleasing to the eye.

Here at Willkens Contracting, we offer brick repairs in the Toronto area. It is of utmost importance to restore your bricks to their optimum state as a means to keep your buildings structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. So put a stop to your spalling bricks today by hiring our knowledgeable team at Wilkens Contracting.

Tuck Pointing

Bricks also denote any rectangular units laid in mortar and can be constructed from an array of materials- whether it clay, sand, lime, or concrete materials. Our tuck pointing processes focus on the mortar, repairing and maintaining the joints and holes within this hardened substance.

At Wilkens Contracting we tint all of our mortar before applying to the joints to match it to the existing colouring as a means to produce seamless brick repairs for our Toronto based clients.

Moisture

The primary cause of all brick and mortar deterioration is due to moisture. This condensation hits hardest along the base of the wall, at the windowsill level, by the downpipes and pillars, as well as in the chimney area.

Structures built before the 1950s did not seal their foundations, like many buildings in the Toronto area that were constructed before this time period, these brick facades are beginning to fall apart. Moisture from the soil creeps into the bricks and spreads up the wall causing destruction. Wilkens Contracting can stop this spread of decay and repair your brick facade back to its original glory! To see how well Wilkens Contracting executes our brick repairs in the Toronto area, take a look at our gallery!

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Dec