Mason work quality？

Jun 9th, 2018 5:38 pm

#1

TheOneBarton [OP]: Sr. Member; Sep 12, 2003; 658 posts; 100 upvotes; Toronto

Jun 9th, 2018 5:38 pm

I currently have a long stairway going to my front door, and the original plan was just to replace the capstone on top of the brick wall. After tearing down the original concrete cap, the masonry guys tells me the bricks are falling apart, and needs to be replaced. Consider the place is about 30 years old and the brick has life of 25 years or so and it’s not even maintained, I hesitantly decided tongi and replace it.

The wall is made with 2 layers of brick side by side, they tore down the inner layer first, build it up. My concern is that is this conisdered quality work? I thought the the brick should be angle all the same and create a nice diagonally line? Perhaps I’m too picky and it’s not suppose to be perfect because it’s handmade or cut?

Images

Heatware: TheOneBarton

Jun 9th, 2018 5:56 pm

#2

teoconca: Deal Guru; Oct 16, 2008; 10164 posts; 4435 upvotes; Vaughan

Jun 9th, 2018 5:56 pm

I don't know mason, but it looks messy and sloppy. Does he need to wipe excess cement when it was moist?

...

Jun 9th, 2018 6:26 pm

#3

MrFrugal1: Deal Addict; Jan 2, 2012; 4335 posts; 3485 upvotes; KINGSTON,ON

Jun 9th, 2018 6:26 pm

I'm going to assume that an outer layer will be applied?
If that's the case, then it doesn't matter. The inner portion will be hidden.

+1

Jun 9th, 2018 7:54 pm

#4

TheOneBarton [OP]: Sr. Member; Sep 12, 2003; 658 posts; 100 upvotes; Toronto

Jun 9th, 2018 7:54 pm

He’s going to put an outerlayer on the other side and then a capstone on top. But still, it does look sloppy.

Heatware: TheOneBarton

Jun 10th, 2018 3:14 am

#5

Chickinvic: Deal Fanatic; Dec 27, 2009; 7763 posts; 5245 upvotes; Victoria, BC

Jun 10th, 2018 3:14 am

Looks terrible. Please post pics of finished product so I can see how they clean up this mess.

Jun 10th, 2018 10:52 am

#6

Cas77: Banned; May 12, 2004; 9756 posts; 4135 upvotes; Ottawa

Jun 10th, 2018 10:52 am

That is absolutely horrendous. Where did you find these clowns?

Jun 10th, 2018 11:24 am

#7

cliff: Deal Addict; Aug 5, 2003; 2574 posts; 483 upvotes; North York

Jun 10th, 2018 11:24 am

OP, you've posted pics mostly of the unfinished side,

I'd judge by the the finished side work, and from what I can see it looks decent and clean. The tops don't need to be 100%, you won't see it if there is an overhang on the capstone.

Jun 10th, 2018 12:27 pm

#8

Cas77: Banned; May 12, 2004; 9756 posts; 4135 upvotes; Ottawa

Jun 10th, 2018 12:27 pm

cliff wrote: ↑ OP, you've posted pics mostly of the unfinished side,

I'd judge by the the finished side work, and from what I can see it looks decent and clean. The tops don't need to be 100%, you won't see it if there is an overhang on the capstone.

Tops should still be flat otherwise you’ll see thick chuncks of mortar under the sill in some places and barely any mortar in other areas.

Jun 10th, 2018 7:34 pm

#9

MrFrugal1: Deal Addict; Jan 2, 2012; 4335 posts; 3485 upvotes; KINGSTON,ON

Jun 10th, 2018 7:34 pm

Cas77 wrote: ↑ Tops should still be flat otherwise you’ll see thick chuncks of mortar under the sill in some places and barely any mortar in other areas.

You won't see it if the finished face comes up to meet the capping. More than likely the capping will be installed first, then the decorative stone cut to meet the cap at a consistent mortar line. It's way easier to do that than the other way around.

Jun 10th, 2018 8:57 pm

#10

Cas77: Banned; May 12, 2004; 9756 posts; 4135 upvotes; Ottawa

Jun 10th, 2018 8:57 pm

MrFrugal1 wrote: ↑ You won't see it if the finished face comes up to meet the capping. More than likely the capping will be installed first, then the decorative stone cut to meet the cap at a consistent mortar line. It's way easier to do that than the other way around.

You will as you’re walking up to it. Look at the mortar joints in the finished front facing pieces...the joints are huge. The mason is in way above his head. He might be a good bricklayer but installing stone is an art. There’s a reason you can get brick installed for $8 and stone is $13+ because not many can do it right.

Edit: look at how out of plumb that wall is. There’s probably 8” of play on either side. You can’t hide shit and make it look pretty.

+1

Jun 11th, 2018 7:58 am

#11

TheOneBarton [OP]: Sr. Member; Sep 12, 2003; 658 posts; 100 upvotes; Toronto

Jun 11th, 2018 7:58 am

“Edit: look at how out of plumb that wall is. There’s probably 8” of play on either side. You can’t hide shit and make it look pretty.”

Can you elaborate on the 8” of play or what you mean?

I know it looks sloppy, I will tell the guy and hope they do it better. It looks like they did this before, not sure why? Hold for support?

Images

Heatware: TheOneBarton

Jun 11th, 2018 2:11 pm

#12

Cas77: Banned; May 12, 2004; 9756 posts; 4135 upvotes; Ottawa

Jun 11th, 2018 2:11 pm

TheOneBarton wrote: ↑ “Edit: look at how out of plumb that wall is. There’s probably 8” of play on either side. You can’t hide shit and make it look pretty.”

Can you elaborate on the 8” of play or what you mean?

I know it looks sloppy, I will tell the guy and hope they do it better. It looks like they did this before, not sure why? Hold for support?

Look at the joints above my purple line. they should all be uniform. It looks like a Brampton Brick Artiste Shoreline or Ariscraft Citadel. This is what the joints should look like installed:

They should have been stretching strings to make everything plumb which they obviously didn't do. The gaps where the red arrows are pointing should be very minimal. The stone might be textured but it is still square on all sides so that's no excuse. In their defense it's a type of stone that's very hard (and expensive) to install correctly...funny enough even their brochure pictures on these stones are hit and miss.

+1

Jun 11th, 2018 2:23 pm

#13

Cas77: Banned; May 12, 2004; 9756 posts; 4135 upvotes; Ottawa

Jun 11th, 2018 2:23 pm

MrFrugal1 wrote: ↑ I'm going to assume that an outer layer will be applied?
If that's the case, then it doesn't matter. The inner portion will be hidden.

These are cultured stones that are exactly the same thickness.

Aside from the mortar spills you can't tell me the small stone circled in red is flush with the one to it's right. Or the blue circled stone is flush with the one above and below it. It might be the back but from the front it'll look exactly the opposite with some sticking out more than they should.

Jun 11th, 2018 2:38 pm

#14

rogerrabbit168: Deal Addict; Feb 25, 2007; 3052 posts; 744 upvotes

Jun 11th, 2018 2:38 pm

wow, I'm no expert or even close to being one, but even I think I might be able to do a better job, couple of those stones slope doesn't even look straight, get a string and go from top to bottom and see if its even straight angle

Jun 11th, 2018 9:04 pm

#15

TheOneBarton [OP]: Sr. Member; Sep 12, 2003; 658 posts; 100 upvotes; Toronto

Jun 11th, 2018 9:04 pm

Update today with pics

Images

Heatware: TheOneBarton

Jun 13th, 2018 8:34 am

#16

TheOneBarton [OP]: Sr. Member; Sep 12, 2003; 658 posts; 100 upvotes; Toronto

Jun 13th, 2018 8:34 am

More pics, I really hope these guys are good. Had good reviews on homestar. Speaking of which, on the base of the planter, would it better for it to be concrete or change it to stones to match it all the way?

Images

Heatware: TheOneBarton

Jun 13th, 2018 9:41 am

#17

cowbunpants: Deal Addict; Feb 16, 2013; 1565 posts; 1326 upvotes; Toronto

Jun 13th, 2018 9:41 am

rogerrabbit168 wrote: ↑wow, I'm no expert or even close to being one, but even I think I might be able to do a better job, couple of those stones slope doesn't even look straight, get a string and go from top to bottom and see if its even straight angle

Oh Lord.
I hate to be a douche but you have to trust in the process sometimes. But of course, someone on the internet can do it better for less money...

Do you have a contact number?
I'd like you to do some masonry for me...

It'll turn out if these people know what they are doing.

....