Masonry contractor in Delray Beach, FL - brick and block that hold up near the coast
BR West Palm Beach Masonry & Concrete is a masonry contractor based in West Palm Beach. In Delray Beach we repoint brick, fix cracked block walls and lay pavers, walkways and garden walls.
Masonry work on Delray Beach homes
Most Delray Beach houses I walk around are concrete block under stucco, often with a paver driveway, a pool deck and a low garden wall out back, and some have brick or stone trim that's been patched more than once. Homes a short walk from the municipal beach live with salt air every day, and that wears down mortar joints and rusts the steel inside block faster than it does a few miles inland.
It's much the same work we do up the coast in Boynton Beach and over in Westgate. The city's Building Division issues permits for repairs and alterations to homes and anything attached to them, and when a job needs one we handle the application and the inspections. The price turns on how much is damaged and what we find underneath, and the schedule turns mostly on that permit, so your own numbers come from the estimate I write at your house. The ground here is sandy fill that drains fast but shifts when water runs under a slab or footing, and that's usually what's behind a sinking driveway or a leaning wall.
Our masonry services in Delray Beach
Foundation repair
When a slab or footing settles in Delray's sandy ground, you'll see it first as a stair-step crack in the block, and that's where we start looking.
Chimney repair
Fewer homes here have a chimney, and the ones that do take hard rain on top, so we rebuild cracked crowns, the concrete cap, and loose brick.
Tuckpointing
On brick-faced homes and trim, worn joints let rain soak behind the face, so we grind out the soft mortar and pack in new mortar matched in color.
Brick repair
Near the coast, a brick that's cracked or flaking usually means water and salt got in, so we cut it out and set a matching one.
Driveway pavers
Paver driveways are common here, and when a section sinks or rocks underfoot we lift it, rebuild the base underneath and lay the same pavers back.
Retaining wall construction
Lots here are mostly flat, so our retaining walls tend to be low ones holding back a raised planter or the edge of a pool deck.
Masonry restoration
For older brick or stone patched with the wrong mortar over the years, we remove the bad repairs and rebuild it with mortar that suits the brick.
Fireplace installation
Most fireplaces we build here are outdoors, on a patio or pool deck, set on a proper footing so the weight doesn't crack the slab around it.
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone set over block dresses up a stucco front or entry column, and we set it so rain that gets behind it can drain out.
Concrete block walls
Block walls around yards and pools here crack when the footing shifts or rusted rebar swells inside, and we fix that cause before we touch the crack.
Foundation block wall installation
For an addition or a rebuilt garage, we lay foundation block on a footing suited to sandy ground, reinforced where the plans call for it.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Backyards here get used most of the year, so we build outdoor kitchens in block and stone with counters that take sun and rain.
Walkway construction
We build paver walkways to the front door or the pool on a packed base, since a soft one is what makes them dip and hold water.
Brick wall installation
A brick garden or entry wall needs a real footing and a cap that sheds rain, because those two are what keep it standing straight for years.
Stone masonry
Coral stone and other natural stone show up on planters, steps and pool surrounds here, and we set it in mortar softer than the stone itself.
Brick pointing
Low brick walls, steps and planters by the pool lose their joints first, and pointing them means filling the open joints before water works the bricks loose.
What should Delray Beach homeowners watch for on masonry?
Water does most of the damage to masonry here, so the small changes below are worth catching early, while the fix is usually still small.
- Mortar crumbling out of the joints
- Stair-step crack in a block wall
- Rust stains running down stucco
- Pavers sinking or rocking underfoot
- White powder on brick or stone
- Garden wall starting to lean
If you spot one of these at your house, call or send a message and I'll come look at it with you before anything gets decided.
Should you repair the wall or rebuild it?
On a Delray Beach home it usually comes down to what's under the damage, so I check the footing, the base and how far water has gone before I say which.
When a repair is enough
If the footing is sound and the wall still stands straight, we can usually cut out the bad mortar or broken bricks and leave the rest alone. The same goes for a paver driveway with one sunken patch, where we relay just that section on a rebuilt base.
When it's time to rebuild
When a wall leans, a crack keeps opening after it's been patched, or the base under a driveway has washed out across the whole thing, patching just hides the problem for a while. In those cases rebuilding is usually the better use of your money, and I'll show you why.
What Delray Beach homes ask of masonry
What I care about most is that the work holds up for years after we've packed up, and that you're at ease having us at your house.
I write your estimate
I come out myself, look at the wall and the ground under it, and write the estimate.
Our own crew of masons
Our own masons do the work at your house, and I check on it as the job goes along.
The cause before the crack
We find out why a joint failed or a wall moved before we fix it, so the repair isn't hiding the problem.
Licensed, insured on your job
We're licensed and fully insured, and the city wants a contractor's current license on file before any permit is submitted.
Since 2013 on lived-in homes
I started this business in 2013 to work on homes people already live in, and it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Call us about your Delray Beach masonry
Call (561) 268-0285 any day of the week, ideally while you're looking at the wall, and tell us what you see.
Other cities we work in
We work across Palm Beach County, including the cities listed here, so if yours isn't on the list, call (561) 268-0285 and ask.