Stonework Articles
Notes from the scaffold.
What four generations of stonemasons have learned about keeping stone houses dry, joints tight and patios and walls standing for the next family. Written for homeowners, straight from the job site.
Restoration · 7 min read
Why repointing your stone house is the best money you will spend on it
Failing mortar joints let water into stone walls, and from there into plaster, framing and floors. Here is why repointing on time protects the whole house, and what a proper job looks like.
Restoration · 5 min read
Seven signs your stone house needs repointing
Crumbling joints, salt on the walls, plants in the stonework, damp plaster. A mason's checklist for spotting failing mortar on a stone house before it turns into a structural repair.
Maintenance · 8 min read
A stonemason's yearly maintenance checklist for stone houses, walls and patios
A season-by-season checklist for keeping a stone house, chimney, retaining wall, flagstone patio and walkway in good shape for generations: what to look for, what to do yourself, and when to call a mason. From fourth-generation Bucks County stonemasons.
Restoration · 7 min read
Lime mortar vs. Portland cement: why the wrong mortar destroys old stone
Hard cement mortar on a soft, old stone wall traps water and cracks the stone. A mason explains why historic stone houses need lime-based mortar, and how to tell if your house was repointed wrong.
Sealing · 7 min read
Should you seal your flagstone or bluestone patio? A mason's honest answer
When sealing a flagstone or bluestone patio, walkway or pool surround helps, why breathable penetrating sealers beat glossy coatings, what has to be fixed first, and how often to reseal, from stonemasons who restore and seal patios across Bucks County.
Sealing · 7 min read
Weatherproofing stone walls: how to seal without trapping water
When to seal retaining walls, garden walls, wall caps and pillars, when not to seal the walls of an old stone house, and why breathable water repellents and sound repointing beat waterproof coatings. Advice from Bucks County stonemasons.
Maintenance · 6 min read
What Pennsylvania winters do to stone, and how to protect yours
How freeze-thaw cycles, de-icing salt and trapped water crack mortar, heave patios, push out walls and spall stone in Pennsylvania, and the repointing, drainage and sealing that protect stonework through winter.
Repointing · 6 min read
Stone chimney repointing: why chimneys fail first and how to catch it early
Why stone and brick chimneys lose mortar before the rest of the house, the warning signs to look for from the ground, and what repointing, crown and cap repair involve, from Bucks County stonemasons.
Repointing · 6 min read
What does repointing a stone house cost? The factors that decide the price
What drives the price of repointing a stone house, chimney, wall or patio: joint depth and width, mortar type, access and scaffolding, stone condition and how much is repaired. Why cheap repointing often costs more, and how to compare estimates.
Restoration · 6 min read
Restore or rebuild? Why maintaining stonework saves you a fortune
Most tired stone walls, steps, chimneys and patios do not need to be torn down. A fourth-generation mason explains when restoration is the smart call, when rebuilding really is necessary, and why maintenance costs a fraction of replacement.
Restoration · 7 min read
Owning a Bucks County fieldstone house: a mason's guide to caring for it
What makes Bucks County's 18th- and 19th-century fieldstone farmhouses special, how their thick lime-mortared walls handle water, and the yearly care that keeps them standing for another two hundred years.
Restoration · 7 min read
Is your stone farmhouse hiding under stucco? What to know before you uncover it
Many Bucks County fieldstone houses were stuccoed or plastered over. A mason explains why owners uncover the stone, the risks of trapped moisture under modern stucco, when to leave stucco on, and how the work is done properly.
Patios · 6 min read
Cracked joints and wobbly stones: how to save a flagstone patio
Loose flagstones, crumbling joints and standing water usually mean a base or drainage problem, not bad stone. A mason explains how flagstone and bluestone patios fail in freeze-thaw country and how to repair them instead of starting over.
Walls · 7 min read
Why stone retaining walls fail, and how to tell if yours can be repaired
Water, not weight, brings down most retaining walls. A mason explains hydrostatic pressure, drainage, footings and frost, the warning signs of a failing wall, and when repair beats a full rebuild.
Hiring · 6 min read
How to choose a stone restoration contractor: 10 questions to ask before you hire
Not every mason is a stonemason, and not every stonemason does restoration. The questions to ask about repointing methods, mortar, sealing, drainage, insurance and who will actually be on your job, from a fourth-generation masonry family in Bucks County.
