In residential masonry in Chicago, what most people fear about repairs is the cost that will be associated with it. Masonry is usually known as the art of building structures using brick, stone, stucco, and block, cement mortar, etc. Most damages to residential buildings in the Chicago area are caused by structural issues and natural disasters.
If you notice cracks on the exterior walls of your home, then you will be a homeowner who will be facing some serious structural issues. At a time like this, it is highly recommended that you contact a structural engineer to take a look at the damage caused and let you know whether you are really facing a big issue or not. Most structural engineers may charge anything from 200 to 500 dollars depending on the visit and extent of your problem.
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Therefore, it is best that you get an in detail description of the issue and what his or her recommendation will be for solving it. Brick repairs are among the most seen types of repairs a home may need. There are many types of brick repairs that may be needed on a home no matter whether it is old or new. The signs that your home needs repairs include broken bricks, hairline cracks, separation of bricks, as well as cracked mortar.
Almost all of these problems occur due to issues in the structure of a home. Therefore, the services of an experienced structural engineer will be needed to find out whether you are facing foundation issues as well. If the engineer finds that your home has such issues, pier setting will be the first thing you will have to do.
Piers are needed to elevate and level your home structure when its foundations crack, settle, or separate. Once you have the piers installed, you may contact a masonry contractor to carry out the brick repairs that have to be done. It is essential to contact a mason because such things are out of your hands and an expert is the only one that could carry them out.
Stone repairs are also a problem that is very similar to brick repairs. However, doing stone repairs is much more challenging and masons frequently charge more when doing this type of repair. Natural shaped stones are much sturdier than brick and are obviously harder to damage.
However, for some reason, if they get damaged, the consequences may be much more serious than with bricks and it is highly important that you take prompt action regarding its repair. The symptoms of damaged stone are much like the one appearing in brick damage. These include cracked stone, separation of stone, cracked mortar, hairline cracks, etc.
No one likes having anything to do with home repair simply because it could turn out to be time consuming and quite costly. Even though, it is highly important that you always refer to professionals for help regarding such issues. But make sure that if you are seeking residential masonry in Chicago, the contractor you hire is qualified for your type of repair and offers warranty for their work first.