Brick, Block & Stone
Brick, block and stone are three different materials with three different jobs, and a lot of masonry problems start with one of them being used where another belongs, or all three being installed without the footings, ties and drainage that make masonry last. At Texas Stone Designs, masonry is the trade our whole business is built on. Whether it’s a full brick wall, a structural block foundation or a natural stone veneer, we plan every project the same way: understand what the structure actually needs to carry or resist before a single unit goes down, then build it to hold up for decades rather than just look right on move-out day.
What we build and repair. We work across all three masonry materials, on their own or combined:
- Brick walls, whether that’s a freestanding garden wall, a retaining wall or a structural wall on a new addition
- Concrete block foundations and structural walls, built for load-bearing strength where it isn’t seen
- Natural and manufactured stone veneer over block or framed walls
- Brick and stone columns, planters and pillars
- Structural brick and block repair, including bowing, leaning or separating walls
- Additions and repairs matched to your existing brick, block or stone so new work doesn’t look bolted on
Brick, block and stone: which does what. Brick gives you a classic look at a moderate cost and holds up well as long as the mortar joints are maintained. Concrete block is rarely the finished look you want, but it’s the workhorse behind foundations and structural walls where strength matters more than appearance, and it’s very often what sits underneath a stone veneer that gets all the visual credit. Natural and manufactured stone deliver the highest curb appeal and the longest lifespan of the three, at the highest material cost, and they’re usually applied as a veneer over a block or framed structure rather than built solid. Knowing which material actually belongs where, instead of defaulting to whatever looks best in a photo, is most of what separates masonry that lasts from masonry that needs redoing in ten years.
Built to need less repair, not just built to look repaired well. A lot of masonry failures trace back to what’s hidden behind the finished surface rather than the brick, block or stone itself. Stone and brick veneer needs proper weep holes and drainage behind it so trapped moisture doesn’t freeze, expand and push the surface off the wall. Block foundations need footings sized to the load and the soil, not just to what got the last job passed. Mortar mix has to match the substrate. Brick, block and stone all move differently through our freeze-thaw winters, and mismatched mortar is one of the most common causes of cracking we get called out to fix. We build all of that in from the start, the same overbuilt-for-durability standard we bring to our concrete work.
Signs you need masonry work. Any of the following is worth a look before it turns into a bigger structural repair:
- Cracking, bowing or leaning in a brick or block wall
- Spalling or flaking brick, or stone that’s separating from the wall behind it
- Missing or crumbling mortar joints
- Water staining, efflorescence (white chalky residue) or persistent dampness on an interior wall behind masonry
- A visibly separating patch repair from a previous contractor that doesn’t match the surrounding material
New builds and additions. When new masonry needs to tie into something already standing, whether that’s an addition, a new column beside an existing porch or a repaired section of a larger wall, matching matters as much as structural soundness. We match brick and stone sourcing, mortar color and joint style to what’s already there so the new work reads as part of the original structure rather than a visible patch, and we plan that matching before we quote the job rather than discovering a mismatch partway through.
Texas Stone Designs is based in Windsor, Ontario, and we take on brick, block and stone masonry projects throughout Windsor, Essex County and Southwestern Ontario, from single-wall repairs to full structural builds.
Reach out to us through our contact form below or call us and tell us about your project.
