Brick Masonry
We lay brick veneer on new houses, additions, garages and commercial buildings. We also build brick steps, stoops, patios, columns and mailboxes.
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M.O.E Masonry does stone masonry in Racine and the towns around it. We lay natural stone and manufactured stone veneer on houses, foundations, chimneys, columns and fireplace faces. We also build stone fronts, accent walls, steps, landings and mortared garden walls. Old stone gets repointed and repaired with mortar matched to the old joints.
We are based in Mount Pleasant on the south side of Racine and work about 40 miles around it. We do brick, block and stone under one roof, so a front mixing stone and brick veneer is one job. Call or text (262) 744-4688. We look at the job, or you send photos, and put the quote in writing.
Tell us about the wall, chimney, foundation or steps and where the job is. We look at it and put the quote in writing.
Full-bed stone is the whole stone, several inches deep, laid in mortar like brick. It is heavy, so it sits on the foundation, often on a ledge. Metal ties hold it to the wall behind. On a new house or addition, we can lay the block foundation with that ledge built in.
Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code (SPS 321.26) lets masonry veneer be anchored with ties or adhered with mortar. For full-bed stone over a frame wall, it calls for at least a 1-inch air space. Base flashing drains water outward, and weep holes at the bottom course sit no more than 2 feet apart.
Thin veneer is natural stone sawn thin, or manufactured stone veneer. It is adhered: mortar bonds each piece to the wall. A framed wall gets lath first, and clean block or concrete can take the mortar directly. That makes it a common way to add stone to an existing house.
Manufactured stone veneer is cast from cement and lightweight aggregate, with pigments for the color of natural stone. On a frame wall, the industry installation guide calls for two layers of water-resistive barrier, then metal lath. A half-inch scratch coat of mortar covers the lath and gets scored when it is thumbprint hard.
Each stone gets a full coat of mortar on its back and is pressed into place. On a grouted pattern, the joints are filled once the stones set, then tooled, with loose grout swept off. Flashing at windows and doors and a weep screed at the base send any water behind the stone back outside.
On a frame wall, the guide stops the stone at least 4 inches above soil and 2 inches above paving. It warns that long contact with de-icing salt can discolor or damage manufactured stone veneer. It also says to keep sprinkler spray and downspout water off the stone.
The Wisconsin Historical Society's inventory lists cobblestone and fieldstone houses in Racine County from the 1840s and 1850s. Cobblestone walls are faced with small, rounded stones laid in neat rows of mortar. Burlington's Kane Street Historic District includes a cobblestone house built in 1851.
In Kenosha, the Civic Center Historic District's public buildings are built with or faced with gray limestone. Lannon stone, a limestone quarried in Waukesha County, shows up on older foundations and fronts in Racine and Milwaukee. On an old stone house, new stone and mortar are picked to match what is there.
Stone repointing is the same repair as tuckpointing: old mortar out, new mortar in, matched in color and texture. Where stone joints are wide, the National Park Service says old mortar may need to come out several inches deep. Walls that hold back a slope are masonry retaining walls, built with drainage behind them.
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 stone 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 brick veneer on new houses, additions, garages and commercial buildings. We also build brick steps, stoops, patios, columns and mailboxes.
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Concrete block and mortared stone retaining walls around Racine, plus segmental block garden walls. Gravel backfill and a drain pipe go in as part of the wall.
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We repair and rebuild brick chimneys around Racine, with brick and mortar matched to the old. New crowns and rain caps are part of the work too.
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.
