Tag Archives: toronto

19
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.

Fireplace Room

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.

 

 

17
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.  

14
May
Fireplace Repairs 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. Feel free to call us and we will surely be able to help you have the fireplace you would like.

14
May
Chimneys

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.

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.

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