Can anyone recommend a brick mason?
- Thread starter DRAG-ULA
- Start date
WhiteHawk
Club Member
I just had both my chimneys rebuilt by Madison Maintenance in Grosse Pointe. These guys are the real deal - instead of re-mortaring the limestone cap, they built forms and poured new concrete caps on the Chimneys, and rebuilt 12 layers of brick. I ask, and they do the whole metro area - no guarantees about M59 and 23 Ken, but maybe if the job was big enough.
-Geoff
-Geoff
wrath
Club Member
I went to have someone "reputable" out of Ann Arbor to re-build my chimney cap and re-seal the mortar above the flashing... and they showed up with some smear on crap and wanted to charge me $800 for it. I told him to put down the caulk gun, gave him $50, and told him to get the fuck off my property.
I sat there with an angle grinder and ground off the old cap, scrubbed the chimney with a tire brush and Scrubbing Bubbles, built a new set of forms, poured a new cap out of high temperature cement/concrete, and applied the sealer myself. Would have gladly given someone $800 to do that.
10 years later and it looks like brand new, except covered with creosote from burning 11-18 face cords of wood every year.
One of the few things I was going to hire a "professional" to do and regretted wasting my time. So yeah, find someone that doesn't suck.
I sat there with an angle grinder and ground off the old cap, scrubbed the chimney with a tire brush and Scrubbing Bubbles, built a new set of forms, poured a new cap out of high temperature cement/concrete, and applied the sealer myself. Would have gladly given someone $800 to do that.
10 years later and it looks like brand new, except covered with creosote from burning 11-18 face cords of wood every year.
One of the few things I was going to hire a "professional" to do and regretted wasting my time. So yeah, find someone that doesn't suck.
WhiteHawk
Club Member
When I moved into my house, I paid JohnQuick $800 to stop the leaking on my chimneys - just like you said with smearing some mortar on them. It held for a little while, and I am glad I did it, but having these guys do the full rebuild with a poured cap means I will never have to mess with it as long as I live. Warning though, not cheap!
-Geoff
wrath
Club Member
Yeah, it's not cheap if it's done well. Even me doing it, full on amateur, took me 6 hours total and $120 worth of material (probably be about $12,000 now with lumber and building materials being so high). $680 for 6 hours is a pretty good wage, especially for 2011.
Having some asshat with a caulk gun smear some $7 polyurethane on was not worth $800 I was quoted.
Looking back, I should have charged him $210 for removing the polyurethane instead of paying him $50 to go fuck someone else over.
Having some asshat with a caulk gun smear some $7 polyurethane on was not worth $800 I was quoted.
Looking back, I should have charged him $210 for removing the polyurethane instead of paying him $50 to go fuck someone else over.
Detroit Gearbox
Forum Member
I used this guy last year to install some glass block windows....
Jim McGukin 248-506-8041 .... so far I am happy with what they did.
Not the cheapest but trying to get anyone to come out during covid to work was a challenge.
He was suggested to me by a local guy (right by you- Hartwig?) that had a brick laying business.... they shifted into sales... easier on their body.
Jim McGukin 248-506-8041 .... so far I am happy with what they did.
Not the cheapest but trying to get anyone to come out during covid to work was a challenge.
He was suggested to me by a local guy (right by you- Hartwig?) that had a brick laying business.... they shifted into sales... easier on their body.
Wizeguy
Club Member
Like to help out but the guys I know are super slammed and no way they can get to it this year.. give Johnny Quick a shout out?
Construction is at an all time craziness! Feel bad for anyone wanting work done with these prices of materials and labor
dave89iroc
Club Member
I need someone in Taylor
.
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