Category Archives: Brick Restoration

09
Dec
What Does Brick Replacement Involve?
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What Does Brick Replacement Involve?

Brick replacement in Toronto, Hamilton, Burllington and Oakville is a part of home restoration and upkeep that most homeowners will have to deal with at some point in their lives. Cold weather brings a lot of moisture and sub zero temperatures.  When brick and masonry is saturated with water and the temperature goes below zero, the expansion of the water leads to deterioration that gets worse and worse as it happens more and more.

Figuring Out Which Bricks To Replace

Often, there are bricks that are borderline in need of replacement, and figuring out exactly which bricks to replace is one of the difficulties of brick replacement in general. Our first job is to  ensure that the bricks we are breaking out of the wall are absolutely in need of replacement while leaving in bricks that may have some surface wear but, for the sake of budget, do not need to be replaced at this time.

Removing The Bricks

Using a handheld jackhammer or, if the mortar surrounding the bricks in soft enough, a carbide blade saw, the bricks are removed while limiting the damage to surrounding, healthy bricks, as much as possible. Also, we can only remove a certain amount of bricks at a time without having bricks above the area of replacement shifting or falling. Bricks support their counterparts above on a 45 degree angle and, depending on how many bricks are needed to be replaced, the project has to be done in stages to allow the new bricks to set and become load bearing.

Get in touch for a free estimate!

Give us a call or visit our WEBSITE to set up a free quote for the brick replacement you may need. You can also check out or glowing reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE. We look forward to hearing from you!

Original Wilkens Team

29
Oct
Masonry Repair in Etobicoke
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Masonry Repair in Etobicoke

Masonry repair is something that, in the GTHA, most home owners will have to think about at some point in the near future. Northern weather is extremely trying on brick and masonry walls and, while most houses can withstand it for decades, many homes are in need of some restoration.

Snow and ice deteriorates bricks and mortar when it has been exposed for too long. Freezing water expands and pushes the mortar and clay apart. This increases exponentially as the years wear on and eventually can become a problem for your home. This problem can manifest aesthetically, in how well your home is sealed and, eventually, structurally.

It is always a good idea to get your home in Etobicoke checked out for any masonry repair or restoration it may need.

Types of Masonry and Brick Repair In Etobicoke

The types of homes in Etobicoke are varied in brick selection and age. South Etobicoke has many homes that are “newer”. This “newer” means that the homes are only about 70-80 years old. This is still plenty of time to have a need for brick replacement, repointing or tuckpointing, parging and, of course, chimney repair or replacement.

In the more northern areas of Etobicoke, the homes are a couple decades older and we find that, that extra 20 years definitely makes a difference. Old, soft brick shows signs of deterioration even quicker in areas where water has pooled or disproportionately saturated parts of a home. So, pretty much every part of Etobicoke will have homes in need of some level of masonry repair, ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand in cost.

Get a Free Estimate

If you get in touch with us at our office or reach out to us via our WEBSITE, we can set you up with a free estimate. It is always a good idea to have someone come and look around your home and figure out ways to make your beautiful Etobicoke home last for another hundred years and more. Check out our photos and reviews on GOOGLE and HOMESTARS to see what our other customers are saying.

 

 

23
Oct
Masonry Repair in Bloor West Village
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Masonry Repair in Bloor West Village

There are many wonderful neighbourhoods in Toronto. Bloor West Village is no exception. Vibrant restaurants, wonderful schools and, of course, beautiful old brick houses. From Jane to Keele and Queensway to St Clair, most houses are pushing 100 years old, and are often in need of at least a small amount of masonry restoration or repair. Brick replacement, tuckpointing or repointing, parging and chimney rebuilds are the main types of work needed on the old houses in Bloor West Village. Harsh Canadian weather and the freeze/thaw cycle that it brings can slowly deteriorate bricks and mortar. It can be just a small amount of deterioration at first. If, for example, a downspout overflows in the weeks of winter thaw, it can speed up deterioration and create a more urgent need for restoration.

Getting A Free Estimate

When you notice something out of the ordinary on the walls and masonry structures of your home, the best thing to do is, at first, a little bit of research. Using the internet to find a reliable contractor can be tricky. It’s hard to determine if a company’s reputation is genuine or manufactured. Once you feel that you have found one, most likely they offer free estimates.

The contractor will come out, hopefully in a timely manner, and discuss the problems you may or may not have with your home. If the contractor is honest, they will not be too pushy on things and explain the nuances of the various types of work your home may need. Most homes need at least a little bit of work, but if the story being told is that you have a short period of time, all of a sudden, too get something addressed before you have a serious problem, you should take a breath and seek a second opinion. At Wilkens, we have built up a reputatation (just check out our reviews on Google and Homestars) and can be relied on you deliver an honest  assessment followed by a fair quote.

Hiring Local

Wilkens Masonry serves most areas of the GTA as well as Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga. However, the founder of the company, Ernie Wilkens, raised his family in Bloor West Village for 25 years with his children attending Humberside and Runnymede schools. Our yellow vehicles are still a regular staple in the area and our head of sales, Ernie’s nephew Richard, resides in the Junction, just a stones throw away from the main drag of Bloor West Village. We have an appreciation for the neighbourhood and the pride people have for their homes and we hope to be a part of keeping those homes in tact for many more years to come.

Contact Us For a Free quote

You can peruse our website galleries and fill out a free estimate request form HERE. We offer plenty of free advice and our family run business is here to help as we have been for the past 47 years.

Original Wilkens Team

29
Jul
Brick Restoration Toronto
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Brick Restoration Toronto

Brick restoration in Toronto is an extremely important subject. Most homeowners find that some portion of their house has a section of brick exposed to the harsh elements of Southern Ontario.

Brick walls are battered each year in the colder stretches of the late and early months and are often in need of restoration. It is hard to know exactly how far to go when restoring the average brick wall. Should you rebuild the entire thing? Should you do a small patch job? The answer is hard to be sure of, but we will do our best to help answer it.

Brick Replacement

Brick replacement is exactly what it sounds like. When a brick becomes so deteriorated that it is no longer structurally sound and perhaps creating a larger problem on a wall, the brick can be removed and a new one can be put there in it’s stead. This can be easy, or extremely difficult.

If a brick is “newer”, under around 50 years old, it can be harder to remove from the wall and replacing bricks can be more tedious and therefore more costly. If is older and softer, bricks can be taken out in no time at all. Sometimes the bricks are cut out of the wall with plunge blades on a tool called the Arbortech, or it can be chiseled out with a hand held jackhammer.

The masonry company that you request an estimate from would judge on site the degree of difficulty in taking out the bricks.

Parging Bricks

Parging bricks is a “band-aid” solution. It is a coat of reinforced mortar that is intended to hold deteriorating bricks together for a short amount of time until the problem has to be properly addressed. Parging is not a structural solution for deteriorating masonry and should always be considered a temporary solution.

Accessing The Work Area

If the bricks that need to be restored are near the ground, the work is made much more easy. If scaffolding or ladders are required, the scope of work is greatly increased due to the added labour needed and at the level of safety now required to perform the restorative work safely.

Get In TOuch for a free quote!

The easiest course of action, if you have deteriorating brick that you think needs to be restored, is to contact us at Wilkens Masonry and have us come take a look, free of charge. We will give you detailed insight into the process of the work and exactly what is needed and why. Visit our website and fill out our form. In the meantime, check out or reviews on HOMESTARS and GOOGLE.

10
Jul
Cost Of Brick Repair Toronto
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What Is The Cost Of Brick Repair In Toronto?

Toronto is an old city filled with thousands of old brick homes. As harsh weather slowly wears away at their brick walls,  they find themselves in need of brick repair. The freeze/thaw cycle of the fall and winter months degrades the faces of bricks leading to exponential increases in deterioration.

The face of a brick is generally harder than the interior. Once that has been removed, brick repair is needed to ensure that the integrity of your home is not compromised. This ranges in cost from a few hundred dollars to many thousands, depending on how extensive the damage has become. Addressing it early can limit the amount of brick repair needed to be done. Toronto brick repair is generally priced on a per brick cost as a guideline, with adjustments to the final quote made based on access to the work area, type of brick needed etc.

Is Brick Repair Necessary In Toronto?

People often ask weather or not brick repair in Toronto is necessary with homeowners being divided into two categories. First are the people who see minor deterioration on their bricks and request a quote for brick repair ASAP. Then there are people who see bricks deteriorating and feel that there is no rush to get brick repair performed. They may leave it for many years. The correct approach lies somewhere in the middle of these two philosophies. It is very rare that brick repair is needed on an emergency basis. From time to time, if bricks have fallen from a chimney for example, a mason will be needed as soon as possible to secure a home and ensure no more immediate damage will take place.

Generally, brick repair is something that you want to have done sooner rather than later as it will have an influence on the final cost. If there are a dozen bricks to replace on a wall and a few areas in need of tuckpointing, a repair can be performed for under a thousand dollars. However, brick deterioration can spread exponentially out from the original spot, turning a dozen bricks into over a hundred and all of a sudden you are spending thousands of dollars on something that should have been handled sooner. That is why brick repair is definitely necessary.

Hiring A Brick Repair Contractor In Toronto

For your brick repair needs in Toronto, you should always turn to Wilkens Masonry. We are family owned and operated and have been since 1977. We offer free quotes, friendly advice and excellent customer service. You can read our reviews online at HOMESTARS and GOOGLE and can reach us on our WEBSITE or call us at 416 425 8055

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

06
Jul
Finding A Local Mason For Restoration Toronto
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Finding A Local Mason For Restoration Toronto

There are many ways to find a mason who you can hire to perform restoration around your home in Toronto. You can search online, you can check local forums and groups or you can ask your neighbours and friends. Most people have had to hire a masonry contractor in the past. There are a few things to look for when deciding on who to call.

Online Reviews

The more reputable masonry companies you will find online have many reviews that anyone can filter through. Look for reviews that mention the type of work you are looking to have performed. See if anyone mentions price and customer service (This is something that Wilkens prides itself on). If enough people have reviewed and the reviews seem honest then this is something to use as an informative tool.

Word Of Mouth

Your neighbours and friends are the most reliable source for recommendations when it comes to taking care of your home. These are people you can trust and people who will generally know what you want in terms of quality and experience. Also, if the work you are looking to have done is something they have already had delivered, you can look at photos or take a look in person, knowing that the photos are genuine representations of the product.

Free Estimates and friendly advice

Wilkens Masonry is well known as a company that doesn’t always try and sell you on doing restoration work. We want to chat with you and learn about your needs. Masonry repairs can be necessary and immediately needed, but they can also just be good due diligence that can be put off for now until one’s budget allows for it. Either way, we want you to be informed when making a decision on how to take care of your house. Contact us now for a FREE ESTIMATE or check us out on GOOGLE to see our reviews.

17
May
Finding The Best Brick Match
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Finding The Best Brick Match

In an ideal world, when you are renovating your home, you would be able to find the same brick used in the original construction for any changes or repairs you wanted to make to the masonry walls. Also, in this ideal world, that brick would have the same weathering and patina that comes with decades of dealing with Canadian weather. While this is not exactly possible, we are able to find many bricks that match or blend quite well with the wall.

Brick Sizes

There are many different sizes of brick that are found throughout the world. When considering the size of a brick, you need to think of all three dimensions. The height and length of the brick face, of course, but also the depth of the brick. In Ontario, we have many brick sizes, but the most commonly found brick in older homes is the Ontario sized brick. This is the brick of the Annex, High Park, Leaside and many more old Toronto neighbourhoods. Other common brick sizes are: Metric Modular, CSR and Jumbo. The latter two are mostly found in newer homes.

Brick Faces

The next thing to consider for a brick match, is the face. You are looking at two things: colour and texture. Most homes in Toronto and the surrounding areas have bricks that are either red, orange, or yellow. With age, we have to add in the shade of the brick, darker versions of the aforementioned three colours. At most masonry suppliers, you can find these bricks in various shades of all three. While there are times when you can find an almost exact match, you may have to settle for something that, upon close inspection, will show that a repair has been done.

Give us a Call for a Free Estimate!

At Wilkens, our estimates are always free. We work in the Toronto and Hamilton as well as the in between areas. We will drop by and give you an honest estimate coupled with a fair price for the services we deliver. Also, if the type 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.

Take a look on Homestars and Google! You can Contact us  for a free consultation or give us a call at 416 425 8055.

 

03
May
The Masonry Season Well Under Way!
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The Masonry Season Well Under Way!

Every year, the question we ask at Wilkens Masonry is: when can we get back to work!? The main barrier we face in the masonry repair and restoration industry is the weather. For larger jobs, we can avoid the cold and wet weather of the winter months by closing jobs in with a series of tarps and scaffolding and then install job site heaters. For smaller repair jobs, the cost would be too high. So, we find ourselves waking up in March and April, and checking the weather before we even have our first cup of coffee.

This year though, we’ve had a streak of good luck! The masonry season has begun and we are off and running. The weather turned in our favour at the beginning of April and we are finally able to get to all of our wonderful customers who have been waiting for Mother Nature to play ball! We are so happy to be back at it and can’t wait for the weather to get warmer and warmer.

What To Look For On My House

Now that the weather has stabilized, it is a good time to take a walk around your home and look for signs of brick, mortar and other forms of masonry deterioration. Look for discolourations that show where water has saturated the wall. Identify areas where the brick and mortar appear to be softer or seem to be flaking off. These are spots on the wall that are being effected by the weather and, while the cause of the deterioration needs to be addressed, reinforcing the masonry is a good idea.

Honesty And Ethics With Your Quote

The trades and restoration, with masonry as no exception, are home to all types of people and companies. When dealing with any company, you should always trust your feelings with the person who is trying to sell you on having them perform your work. There are many outfits that can do good work, but they aren’t always  a pleasure to deal with. At Wilkens, we aim to show you that honesty and ethics in the world of masonry are not forgotten concepts or simply a banner to add to your website’s homepage. These are two ideas that are at our very core and philosophy as a company. You can learn more about us 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.

 

23
Feb
Small Masonry Repairs Toronto And Hamilton
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Small Masonry Repairs Toronto And Hamilton

There is no shortage of masonry restoration companies in Toronto and Hamilton. Masonry is an age old trade, people have been laying bricks as long as homes have been properly made. However, many companies seek larger, longer jobs to keep them busy for greater periods of time. It is a fair need as many companies have larger crews that they want to keep busy. It is because of this that not every company though, unlike Wilkens, will perform small repairs.

Big Repairs vs Small Repairs

Many people are on the hunt for a masonry contractor that can help them with a quick fix. Not everyone has it within their budget to hire a company to do a full rebuild of a chimney, or replace hundreds of bricks. Not everyone has the luxury of restoring their masonry to its former glory. This means that small repairs are something sought after.

The nature of the industry, however, is that some contractors won’t even come and take a look when they hear that all you need is a few holes filled or a few bricks replaced. Wilkens Masonry is known as a leader in the small repairs part of masonry. Our trained masons can be in an out in a few hours and we can do it for a fair price that won’t break your budget. A few holes tuckpointed, some spalling bricks replaced, a small section of your foundation parged or your chimney repaired rather than fully rebuilt, we are your guys.

For the record though, while we are more than happy to come out for the small things, we will also come out for the bigger jobs.

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.

 

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