The short answer
American Stone LS is a Bucks County stonework restoration company based in Doylestown, run by fourth-generation stonemasons Luciano and Alex Sansalone. We restore existing stone rather than replace it: repointing failed mortar joints with lime-rich mortar matched to the original, restoring 18th- and 19th-century fieldstone houses and removing stucco, repairing and rebuilding stone walls with the original stone, restoring flagstone patios, walkways and steps, repointing chimneys, and sealing patios and walls with breathable sealers. We serve all of Bucks County and surrounding areas, and estimates are free.
Bucks County has some of the finest old stonework in America: fieldstone farmhouses from the 1700s, bank barns, springhouses, miles of stone walls, and flagstone walks worn smooth by generations. Our family has been caring for it for over forty years, and before that, Luciano learned the trade from his father and grandfather in Italy. Restoration is the work we love most, because it means keeping something beautiful standing for the next family.
Our stonework restoration services
Stone repointing
Failed mortar joints raked out by hand to sound material and refilled with mortar matched to your stone. Repointing in time is the most important thing you can do to keep water out of a stone house, chimney or wall.
Historic stone house restoration
18th- and 19th-century fieldstone farmhouses, bank barns and outbuildings restored with lime mortar and a light hand. That includes removing the hard cement and stucco that damage old stone, so the original stone can be seen and can breathe again.
Patio, walkway and step restoration
Flagstone and bluestone patios, walks and historic steps repointed, reset, re-pitched to drain, and brought back for a fraction of the cost of replacing them.
Stone wall and pillar restoration
Retaining walls, garden walls, field walls and entrance pillars repointed and recapped, with failed sections rebuilt using the original stone and proper drainage.
Chimney restoration
Chimneys take more weather than any other part of a stone house. We repoint them, repair crowns and caps, and rebuild failed tops with the original stone.
Stone sealing and weatherproofing
Breathable, penetrating sealers for patios, walkways, steps, wall caps and garden walls, applied after the joints are sound so the stone sheds water, salt and stains.
Why restore instead of rebuild
The stone in a Bucks County wall will outlast all of us. What wears out is the mortar between the stones, and it is meant to. The National Park Service describes mortar joints as sacrificial: they wear so the stone does not. Renewing them on time keeps water out and keeps the structure sound. Wait too long, and water gets behind the stone, freezes, and turns a repointing job into a rebuild.
That is why we always look for the repair first. Repointing a wall, resetting a few stones, or fixing a downspout costs a fraction of taking stonework apart, and it keeps the original material that makes an old property special. Read restore or rebuild? for the full reasoning.
How we restore stonework
- Inspect. A free visit. We look at every elevation, every joint, and where the water comes from: gutters, grading, caps and drainage.
- Explain it straight. What needs doing now, what can wait, and what does not need doing at all.
- Match the mortar. Lime-rich mortar for historic stone, matched in strength, color, sand and texture, and always softer than the stone around it. See lime mortar vs. Portland cement.
- Repair by hand. Joints raked out by hand, never ground into old stone. Loose stones reset, broken ones replaced with matching stone.
- Fix the water. Pitch, caps, drainage and downspouts, so the restoration lasts.
- Protect it. A breathable sealer where it helps, and an honest note on how to keep it that way with our yearly maintenance checklist.
Stonework restoration across Bucks County
We are based in Doylestown, and most of our restorations are close to home:
- Doylestown, Doylestown Township, Plumstead and Warwick
- New Hope and Solebury, Lahaska, Carversville and Lumberville
- Buckingham and Furlong, Holicong and Mechanicsville
- Newtown, Yardley, Lower and Upper Makefield and Wrightstown
- Chalfont and New Britain, Warrington and Hilltown
- Upper Bucks: Bedminster, Tinicum, Nockamixon, Perkasie, Sellersville and Quakertown
We also restore stonework in Montgomery County and the Main Line, Lambertville and Hunterdon County, NJ, and Princeton, where we completed three phases of stonework at Princeton University's Cannon Club.
Why Bucks County homeowners call us
- Four generations in the trade. Luciano learned stonework at fifteen in Italy and has worked on Bucks County stone for over forty years. His son Alex is the fourth generation.
- The owners do the work. Luciano and Alex inspect every job and are on site with their crew.
- The right materials for old stone. Lime mortar, hand tools, and original stone kept wherever it can be.
- Honest advice. We will tell you when you do not need the work, or when the real problem is your gutters.
- Clean job sites. Clients tell us the same thing every time: the property was kept immaculate.
In our clients' words: "Easily the top mason contractor in Bucks County," says Peter Wallach of Buckingham. Joe and Tana Damino of New Hope call us "highly experienced and pleasurable to work with." See the work in our portfolio, or watch Alex's videos from real Bucks County job sites on Instagram.
Questions we hear on site
What does stonework restoration include?
Who does stone restoration in Bucks County?
Is it cheaper to restore stonework or replace it?
Do you use lime mortar?
Which towns do you serve?
How do I get an estimate?
Our other restoration services
Who does the work
Luciano Sansalone learned stonework at fifteen beside his father and grandfather in Italy and has worked on Bucks County stone for over forty years. His son Alex is the fourth generation. The two of them inspect every property and do the work themselves. Read our story.
