Repointing a Stone Foundation

If you have ever seen a stone foundation, it is likely that you have noticed worn out or missing mortar between the stones. What has happened is that spaces in the joints between the stones have eroded due to weathering and decay of the mortar. Once these voids are created, they become open pathways for water to get into the walls

Masonry Adds Charm And Character To Any New England Home

Styles and designs in your house would get out of fashion that is why many homeowners are trying to consider selling or purchasing a new house. It gets a little bit expensive to do that and pretty much a hassle too. You would also leave your close and dear neighbors that you have made camaraderie with through many years.

Chimney Repair What You Should Know

The chimney is an integral part of many New England homes since it provides you warmth during the cold days. It also draws the smoke from the fire that you burn to keep you warm. Now the chimney does not last forever. It needs a little help for it to last long together with your house.

Before you learn how to perform a Groton ma chimney repair, you should be able to identify first what the possible problems you will encounter. Knowing the possible problems will help you prevent them from happening or from getting worse. One of those problems you will encounter is and the building up of creosote that was emitted when you burn wood and anything solid. If they are left unclear, it could ignite which will cause fire. You might also want to watch out for blockage. Blockage is when certain debris as well as animal nests is found in the chimney. This will prevent the smoke from going up the flue, out of the house.

Those are just some of the simple problems you might encounter. You can then do initial steps for repairing your chimney. You can check the chimney from the outside of your house. Look for gaps and cracks. Even the smallest gap or the smallest crack will eventually lead to a big problem. If you happen to find one, fix them right away. You don’t want to make a small problem even bigger. Also have a carbon monoxide detector at home. Don’t have just one but have plenty. This will help you detect in cases where venting problems will exist. Have your chimney be checked at least once a year. Have it also cleaned at least once a year too. However, if you and your family are using the fireplace quite often, you might want to do the checking and the cleaning every three to four months.

In looking for somebody who can help you keeping the maintenance of your chimney, you might end up being a victim of a con. You might not want to believe it but con artists are now making way in your house as a helping hand in maintaining your house. You should only contact chimney repairmen from authentic companies. Once the repairmen arrive, ask for some proof like an identification card. Don’t also fall for those people who offer lesser prices. Average price is $75 for inspection and $150 for cleaning.

The best way to repair your chimney is to clean it regularly. If the chimney is not clean, it may lead you to damages that need repairs. Once you call a professional to help you, make sure that they really are professional chimney repairmen and not professional con artists.

Repointing Look Outs

There are quite a few New England homes and buildings with weather worn chimneys, walls and foundations. In a lot of instances the structures are still solid, its only the mortar joints that have washed out. This is certainly a much simpler and cost effective repair then a total replacement. What needs to be done is whats called repointing.  Repointing is the replacement of the mortar ranging from a depth of 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches. The mortar on the face of the masonry surface is removed by grinding with a power tool, hand chiseled or a hand air tool can be used. Weathering and decay can cause voids in the joint in between masonry units. Those voids can cause undesirable ingress of water which in turn washes out more mortar. This can cause significant damage through the freezing and the thawing cycles.

It is very important to detect right away the signs of failure in your foundation. It will not only increase safety in your environment it will also help you save money. You should watch out if the drywall is ripping and/or tearing (usually diagonally); doors that won’t close or even stick and pinch shut; windows that will not open or even close; your floors having cracks; cracks in the bricks or block with a stair-step pattern; and a wide crack somewhere at the top or a small crack somewhere down below from settling.

The process of foundation repair Marlborough ma does not really need to remove the mortar joints that are still sound. You can use new mortar and design it to blend in with the old mortar by matching the color and the texture. This begins by removing the damaged pointing in a certain depth or until a sound mortar is already reached. 

Poor repointing may cause some problems with the rest of the structure.  If the mortar is too thin, it will quickly erode. And if the mortar rises above a certain level can damage the corner of the unit. It can also lead of feathering of the edge of the masonry unit. If this happens, the deteriorated mortar has not been removed in a sufficient depth. You should also watch out for soft materials in much older buildings. They are usually easy to remove using your hands so that you can avoid damage. However, if these materials are not properly removed, they can cause further damage to the whole of the masonry unit.

Repointing the old foundation needs a technical skill that is high in level. You need to get it done properly so that you will not have further problems with your foundation. You can do it yourself if you have the time and the skill, but you should just leave it to the professionals.

The Benefits Of Being Able To Heat With A Wood Stove

During winter season, having a wood stove chimney for your heat source would make a comfortable home. The fuel you use for this masonry heater is a money saver and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, it would also spruce up the design by adding some creative masonry brickwork and makes your house more artistic. Most importantly,

Chimneys – Importance Of Doing Proper Maintenance

Chimneys are useful especially for homeowners who do have a fireplace. It channels the smoke up and release it into the air. A functioning chimney enables a homeowner to be warm and cozy during the holiday season without worrying about smoke.