Stone Masonry
We lay natural stone and manufactured stone veneer on houses, chimneys, columns and fireplace faces. We also build stone steps and garden walls and repoint old stone.
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Building a house or adding a garage, and want it faced in brick? M.O.E Masonry lays brick veneer on new houses, additions and garages in the Racine area. Our brick masonry also covers brick fronts, columns, piers and entry walls. Brick steps, stoops, patios, mailboxes and planters are part of the work too.
On a new house, the brick sits on a ledge built into the foundation. We lay concrete block foundations too, so the block and the brick can come from one company. We also lay brick veneer on new commercial buildings, including brick over block. We are based in Mount Pleasant and work about 40 miles around Racine.
Tell us about the wall, chimney, foundation or steps and where the job is. We look at it and put the quote in writing.
House wrap or building paper goes on the wall first, as a water barrier. Then comes an air space at least 1 inch wide. Metal ties reach from the studs into the mortar joints. The Brick Industry Association calls for one tie per 2.67 square feet of wall.
Wind-driven rain can get through brick, and a veneer wall is built for it. The water runs down the air space to flashing at the base of the wall and at windows and doors. Weeps, small open joints above the flashing, let it drain out. Where a roof meets the brick, the roof flashing is a roofer's work.
Wisconsin sits in the severe weathering region on the Brick Industry Association's weathering map. For veneer, the Association recommends Grade SW brick, made to resist freeze-thaw damage when soaked. Type N mortar suits most veneer walls, and concave or V-shaped joints shed water best. We keep the air space clear of mortar droppings so the wall can drain.
Adding a room or a garage means new brick goes up next to old brick. Brick color comes from the clay and the heat of the kiln. Older kilns fired unevenly, so one old wall can run from pale to dark. New brick also shifts a little in color from one production run to the next.
Older brick around Racine and Milwaukee County includes Cream City brick and Chicago common brick. Cream City brick is Milwaukee's soft, golden-yellow brick, fired from clay high in calcium and magnesium. Its manufacture ended in the 1920s. Chicago common brick came out mottled, in salmon and buff shades, and was used on side and back walls.
A good match weighs color, size, texture and the mortar. We match the mortar color and the joint shape, because mortar shows on every course. Salvaged brick can look close, but the Brick Industry Association warns it may be less durable. Hard and soft brick get mixed together when old walls come down.
Brick steps, stoops and patios get wet more often than walls, so they call for paving brick. Class SX paving brick is made to take freezing while soaked. Steps sit on a concrete base with its own footing. Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code puts stoop footings below the frost line, at least 48 inches deep, with a few exceptions.
Each brick goes into a full bed of mortar. Step treads slope 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot so water runs off. A bricklayer tools the joints into a shallow concave shape that sheds water. A brick patio or landing goes down the same way, set in mortar on a concrete base.
Brick columns, piers and mailboxes stand on their own footings, set below the frost line. A cap that overhangs the brick with a drip edge keeps water off the face. The Postal Service's guide puts the bottom of a curbside box 41 to 45 inches above the road. It also asks you to show your local postmaster the plans for a custom mailbox.
Call or text for a written quote anywhere across Racine County, Kenosha County and the south side of Milwaukee County.
(262) 744-4688From the first call or text to the finished work, here is how it goes.
Call or text (262) 744-4688 and tell us about the job. Photos help, so send a few if you can.
We come out and look at the masonry and the mortar joints. Good photos can stand in for that first look.
You get the quote in writing, with the work spelled out. Once you say yes, we set a start date.
The brick, block or stone is delivered to the site, and scaffolding goes up where the height calls for it. Then we lay the new masonry or make the repair.
We take a final look at the work with you. The site is cleaned up before we leave.
Common questions about brick masonry across Racine County, Kenosha County and the south side of Milwaukee County. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
We lay natural stone and manufactured stone veneer on houses, chimneys, columns and fireplace faces. We also build stone steps and garden walls and repoint old stone.
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Spalled brick, rusted lintels, loose steps and failed wall sections repaired and matched to the wall. Historic brick buildings and churches restored with matching brick and mortar.
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We grind out crumbling mortar joints and pack in new mortar matched to the old. We tuckpoint brick, block and stone walls, chimneys, foundations and steps around Racine.
Learn MoreWe lay all three, for new work and for repairs. You deal with one masonry company, whatever the wall is made of.
A repair should look like part of the wall. We match the mortar to the old joints and pick brick to match the wall around it.
We look at the job before we price it, in person or through your photos. The quote comes to you in writing before any work starts.
Mount Pleasant sits on the south side of Racine, in Racine County. From there, we work in Racine, Kenosha and the south side of Milwaukee County.
Tell us about the job and where it is, and send photos if you have them. Call or text (262) 744-4688, or use the form, and we will get back to you.
Tell us about the wall, chimney, foundation or steps and where the job is. We look at it and put the quote in writing.
