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26
Jun
Wilkens Masonry Is Now In Oakville!
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Does Oakville Need A Lot Of Masonry Work?

Toronto has long been the main service area for most masonry companies due to the large amount of century homes that have needed masonry restoration for many decades. Southern Ontario’s harsh winter weather has been battering homes and caused a lot of wear and tear. Brick replacement, parging, repointing and chimney rebuilds are a common need for many places. Oakville and nearby areas have younger homes, generally, that have avoided the need for extensive repairs, until recently.

Many homes, if not all, need small to medium sized masonry and bricks repairs in Oakville now. Wilkens Masonry would love to be the outfit you bring in for any sized project!

Types Of Masonry Repair In Oakville

Most of the  brickwork we perform in Oakville are simple, small repairs like brick repair/replacement, tuckpointing and repointing, parging and chimney repair/rebuilds. As the vast majority of homes in Oakville are bungalows or two storeys, the job sites can be kept simple and are easy to setup. There is rarely a need for extensive scaffolding setups.

Many people look at the exterior masonry walls and structures of their home and see that they need some addressing, but are not sure what the right approach would be. It is our job to figure the next steps out and give you a firm quote that can outline exactly what work can be done.

CONTACT US NOW!

At Wilkens masonry, our estimates are always free. We serve the Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga 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.

26
Jun
Wilkens Masonry and Upper Gage Ave
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Wilkens Masonry and Upper Gage Ave

I was looking at getting the foundation of my house parged and also have a chimney taken down that was no longer needed. I am always skeptical when searching for a contractor online but when I came across the Wilkens Contracting website that put my mind at ease. It was an easy , clear and readable website to navigate. Although I was looking for someone local within Hamilton, upon reading through the website they did service the Hamilton area. I loved that it wasn’t a franchise but a long standing family run business ! That gets my first vote !
From my first phone call with Connor to his brother Jake coming out for the estimate, they were friendly, pleasant and did not talk to me like I didn’t know what I was looking for. Jake arrived on the morning after my dog was skunked and his suggestions were very helpful and welcoming as I was pretty frazzled !
Anyway, Jake was more than honest, he told me straight up I did not require any foundation parging done on my house.. it was in great shape, he said don’t let anyone tell you anything different. Well that was music to my ears after the morning I had had. We then discussed the chimney removal and he said he would forward the quote via email. I got the email later that evening and was more than pleased with it. There was no rush on my part, just whenever they could fit me in, which turned out to be the following Friday . Jonathan would be the contractor to do the work and he was great. He explained the whole process to me.
He was friendly, pleasant and answered any and all of my questions. He took the time to do the work and cleaned up with no issues left behind.
I’m sorry this is a long review but I wanted to capture the whole process from start to finish. In this day when people are getting scammed on very important and major decisions regarding their home it is truly refreshing to find genuine people that love what they do, love helping folks achieve their needs, Canadian company and a locally run family business !
It was just by chance that I found them when I was doing my research and I am so glad I did, these guys are the best. If you need masonry work done, gives these guys a call !
Thank you Connor, Jake, Jonathan and Olivia…

Get In Touch For Your Free Estimate!

At Wilkens masonry, our estimates are always free. We serve the Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga 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.

26
Jun
Wilkens Masonry Is Now In Burlington!
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Restoring Masonry and Brick in Burlington

Toronto has long been the bread basket for most trades in Southern Ontario. This is of course due to the population size as well as the plethora of old homes that have been victim to the harsh Canadian winters for so long, leading to massive amounts of deterioration to the masonry and brick. In 1977, when Wilkens Masonry first started, the suburban zones of Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington were much less populated and the homes were newer. This means that most companies wouldn’t have been able to establish themselves exclusively in these towns. Many homes in Burlington are now entering the stage of needing some upkeep as well as some larger restorative projects.

What Do Homes In Burlington Need?

Most of the time, the work we are performing in Burlington is isolated to basic brick replacement and repointing in the areas where the exterior walls are close to grade and find themselves exposed to salt, snow and rain. Also, many chimneys have seen 40-50 years of ice and snow and are now in need of repointing and, in many cases, a full rebuild. Deterioration generally happens over a long period of time, but reaches a point where it can exponentially increase. Fifty years of slight erosion on some brick surfaces can expose more surface area to ice and jump into a problem over a single winter.

Wilkens Masonry Is Now In Burlington!

Wilkens has been offering it’s masonry restoration services to Toronto for 47 years, Hamilton for 5 years, and is now available for free estimates in Burlington. People are always looking for honest, reliable and talented tradesmen to take care of their beautiful homes. Wilkens would like an opportunity to meet with you and offer our educated advice for all projects. Our motto is “Quality, Built on Referrals”. Get in touch with us at our office by calling 416 425 8055 or check out our WEBSITE. You can also read our glowing reviews on HOMESTARS as well as on GOOGLE.

24
Jun
How Much Does It Cost To Rebuild A Chimney
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How Much Does It Cost To Rebuild A Chimney?

This is one of the most searched questions when it comes to masonry restoration and repair. Chimneys are used to vent harmful gases from your furnace or water heater, or the smoke from your wood burning fire, up and away from your house.  Because of their height and lack of protection from our harsh Canadian winters, chimneys are often the first part of the home that will have deterioration and a need for repair or replacement. Since they are hard to access, repairing or rebuilding them can be more expensive than some may expect, ranging usually from $2500 at a minimum. Generally, a per brick price is calculated with an added on cost for complicated access and specialty scaffolding construction.

Will My Chimney Fall Over?

This is another question that we get asked all the time. The answer is hard to guarantee and it’s thankfully something we have not witnessed many times in our long running service of the Toronto, Hamilton and surrounding areas. Chimneys are built with the design of having more than one point of support. If one brick is taken out of a chimney, the whole thing will not just topple over. This means that a little bit of degradation is not the end of the world. However, bricks can have a little bit of wear and tear at first and then be in dire straits quite quickly, so addressing the problem early, and having your chimney rebuilt, may save quite a bit of annoyance in the future.

How Long Does It Take To Rebuild A Chimney?

A chimney rebuild can take anywhere from one day to a week for a chimney on the average home in Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga. It usually takes about half a day to setup scaffolding and tear down around 300 bricks, which is the average size or a chimney. The building back up part is the most time consuming and, depending on the skill of the mason, will usually be done at a rate of 200 bricks per day.

GET IN TOUCH FOR A FREE ESTIMATE!

We are more than happy to come out and take a look at your chimney rebuild project and give you an honest and fair quote. You can reach us via our WEBSITE and can check out our stellar reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

 

13
May
Building a New Arch
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Building a New Arch

Before steel was able to be manufactured inexpensively for using as lintels over windows and doors, masons had to build arches over any openings in masonry walls. This was done using an arch shape which allowed the weight of the bricks and framing above the opening to be transferred to the sides and not down straight on to the wood and glass of the old windows. A curved piece of wood, known as a form, was used to stabilize the bricks while the mortar dried and was removed later once the structure was secure. There are many forms of arches including a soldier arch, a row lock arch and, what we will see here, a jack arch.

Jack Arches

Jack arches are sort of an optical illusion. The bricks are cut at an angle at the bottom and top to allow for a straight mortar joint on top as well as a straight opening at the bottom where the window will go. Because the bricks are still slanted as they would be in a regular arch, the weight is still transferred, but the appearance is what we achieve now using a steel lintel. This work takes a bit longer than using steel and is slightly more expensive, but if you are going for a traditional, beautiful look, it is definitely worth it.

Give Us A Call Or Visit Our Website 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.

A Photo Showing Previous Brickwork Replaced With New Brickwork

Brick Arch Over An Opening In A Wall

New Brick Arch Put Over A Window Opening

25
Apr
Wilkens Masonry and Durie St
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Wilkens Masonry and Durie St

We would easily choose you again.  We had great service.  We would love to spend thousands of dollars and have you redo our whole house to have uniformity but we can’t so we will just call you again when we have a concern and we will pass on your name. You didn’t upsell us once.  Can’t tell you how much that means!

Check out our work here

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.

20
Apr
Brick Restoration Hamilton and Burlington
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Brick Restoration Hamilton and Burlington

Hamilton is filled with older homes, just like Toronto, while Burlington has more “new” homes built in the last 50-60 years. Both cities are in need of good masonry restoration companies, however. Depending on how well the weather is controlled around your brick walls and structures, you may see brick deterioration on homes that are as young as 20 years old. Once an inordinate amount of water begins to saturate a wall, it will deteriorate in a few short years, leading to a need for brick repair and replacement, tuckpointing, parging and other types of masonry repairs.

Why Call Wilkens?

Wilkens Masonry is 47 years old. It is second generation family run and maintains a company slogan that has led it through decades of change and modernization in the restoration world: “Quality, Built on Referrals”. We are known for our friendly advice and for our willingness to give people pointers on how to do it themselves, or confidence that, if their budget doesn’t allow for it just now, to prioritize other projects and give us a call when they have the resources. We have been in business for almost 50 years, and plan to be in business for at least another 50. The way we will do that is by empowering our clients and demonstrating that not all industry is about money. It’s about garnering trust from a population of intelligent and proud homeowners.

What Kind Of Projects Do We Perform In Hamilton and Burlington?

Our bread and butter is basic brick repair and restoration. There are plenty of old houses with areas on their exterior walls in need of brick replacement of varying amounts, repointing the deteriorated mortar or patching in the parging in their foundation wall. We also restore and rebuild chimneys, which most people still use to vent harmful gases, from their furnaces, fireplaces or water heaters, up and away from their house. To be honest, it’s worth giving us a call to see if your project is in our wheel house, if it isn’t, we can try and point you in the right direction.

FREE ESTIMATES, Always!

Give us a call or visit our website for a free consultation and to organize getting an always free estimate from us. If you still aren’t convinced, check out GOOGLE and HOMESTARS for a look at our glowing reviews or visit our TESTIMONIAL page

About Us | Wilkens Contracting Inc. | Masonry Toronto

29
Mar
Brick Repair Hamilton
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Brick Repair Hamilton

Hamilton is filled with beautiful old houses that, due to our harsh and polarizing weather, are in constant need of masonry repair and maintenance. Perhaps you need the mortar between your bricks restored, a process known as tuckpointing or repointing. If your bricks are spalling, or deteriorating, they should be replaced to avoid structural issues with your home. If your chimney is showing signs of degradation, a repair or rebuild may be in order. Masonry deterioration can happen slowly over time, but then one day become a more urgent problem.

Wilkens Masonry

Our family owned, and operated, company has been serving the GTA for 47 years. We have been expanding more and more into Hamilton and are looking forward to serving more and more Hamiltonians for all of their masonry restoration needs.

What We Offer

We repair and rebuild chimneys, fix parging along the exterior of your home, repoint the deep joints and holes in the brick walls of your house and replace any damaged or spalling bricks. Our free, in person, no obligation estimates will help prioritize your masonry projects and figure out exactly what your home needs.

GET IN TOUCH!

Give us a call at 416 425 8055 or fill our our free estimate form. You can also check out our glowing reviews on Homestars and on Google! We offer free estimates as well as friendly advice. Even if you end up with great pointers and a drive to DIY, we want to be a part of your masonry experience!

19
Mar
Wilkens Suggested Contractors
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The Word Of A Good Contractor

The word of a good contractor goes a long way. If you have found an outfit that you have had good experiences with, such as Wilkens Masonry, then our suggestions for other trades should bear some weight. We will be able to help our clients with all things related to masonry restoration, however, our talents run out at carpentry, roofing, siding etc.

Other Trades

There are plenty of occasions where someone has a home in perfect order but needs one thing addressed with their masonry. They call us, we go in, handle the situation, and the project is completed. However, in many other instances, we are helping a client who is renovating and improving their home in more ways than one. They are trying to figure out which way to turn with different trades. They want to find reliable, honest and talented workers. We have been in the construction business for a long time and have plenty of names to send people’s way!

Who We Recommend

Generally, Wilkens Masonry finds itself asked for recommendations in trades like roofing and exterior renovations like carpentry, eavestroughs and siding. For roof replacement we recommend E.W Smith Roofing. For carpentry such as fences and decks we recommend E and M Contractors, and for small exterior repairs we suggest Renaissance Restoration who can be reached at 416 826 3309.

Consultation

One of the qualities that sets Wilkens apart is that we are more than happy to give our free advice. We make a living off of the good will we generate from the homeowners of southern Ontario and believe whole heartedly in the value of benevolence. We are all regular people trying to take care of our homes and, in turn, take care of our families.

What we offer

For a full list of what we offer, check out our services page or give us a call at 416 425 8055.

26
Feb
Should You Keep An Unused Chimney?
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Should You Keep An Unused Chimney?

This is a question often asked by customers who,  looking at an old chimney up on their roof, are worried about the safety of an old chimney as well as the potential to need one down the road. At Wilkens, we often meet with customers to discuss the potential actions one can take, or not take, with their chimney.

A Chimney No Longer In Use

Chimneys are added to houses to vent harmful gases up and away from where people live and walk. Whether it is smoke from a wood-burning fireplace or gases from a furnace or hot water heater, safe ways to keep the air in your house clean is to have the hot air naturally rise in a sealed column. As people move more and more toward high efficiency furnaces and water heaters, chimneys are becoming less needed. The only thing that will always need a chimney is a wood-burning fireplace. Wilkens restores wood-burning fireplaces and renovates chimneys in order to comply with safety outlines and allow for a luxurious feature of your home.

Keeping An Unused Chimney

As we discussed above, if you are going to one day use or refurbish your fireplace, a chimney should be kept so that you have the option to do so. This applies to your own plans for your house, as well as for future owners if one day you consider selling. Having the option to restore a fireplace can be a selling point for some people.

Chimneys are also, to some, considered to be an aesthetic feature on a house. If a chimney is tall and stately, it can add a beautiful detail to a house which is important, as we have discovered with many of our clients.

Those are the two main reasons to keep an unused chimney.

Getting Rid of An Unused Chimney

For those who have no future plans to use their fireplace or who have no inclination toward a chimney as an aesthetic feature, the best course of action is to tear the chimney down to a safe level and have a new section of roof added over it.

Chimneys are exposed to the most extreme parts of Canadian weather. They generally get battered from all sides and, especially when they are no longer venting warm air, can stay soaked with snow and rain, leading to deterioration.

It can definitely be a good idea to tear down an unused chimney.

GIVE us a call with your questions

We offer free estimates as well as friendly advice for all  aspects of chimney restoration and demolition. Get in touch by visiting our WEBSITE or check us out on GOOGLE and HOMESTARS to see our glowing reviews.

 

 

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