Stone masonry in Tallahassee FL - mortar joints that spare the stone around them
Crumbling joints, a loose stone or a new veneer wall to plan? We match the mortar and the method to your stone so the work holds.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Do I need a stone mason for my wall in Tallahassee?
If the joints in your stone wall are crumbling or you want a wall faced in stone, stone masonry in Tallahassee, FL is the work for it. That means either repointing, which is raking out worn mortar and packing in fresh, or setting new stone veneer. On an older wall, sound joints are what carry moisture away from the stone, so getting them right protects the whole wall.
Most calls start with something you can see, such as mortar sanding out of the joints, a stone that rocks when you push it, or a damp patch on an old wall. The price turns mostly on how much wall there is, how far the joints have gone, the stone you choose for new work and how easy the wall is to reach, and the schedule turns on the weather, because fresh mortar shouldn't go in during a hard rain, and on whether a permit applies. Your own figure comes in a written estimate once I've looked at the wall with you.
How we do stone masonry on old walls and new
On older stone, we take the worn mortar out by hand with chisels and a short, heavy mash hammer, which is slower than a grinder but carries the least risk to the stone's edges and leaves a cleaner joint. We then repoint with a softer mortar suited to the old lime work, so the joint takes the wear instead of the stone, and we tool each joint to match the wall around it, the way I was taught to redo any joint that isn't right. On new veneer, I explain before we start whether your stone should be set in mortar or anchored to the wall, based on the wall it's going on and the stone you've picked.
Plenty of older houses here pair stone with brick, so if the brick joints are going too, we can take on the brick pointing with the same care about mortar. If a stone wall has cracked because the ground under it moved, repointing alone usually won't hold, and we'll talk about foundation repair before we touch the joints.
Repointing older stone
This suits a stone house, chimney or garden wall whose joints are sanding out while the stones themselves are still sound. It keeps the wall you have and its character, because we replace only the mortar that has given out.
New stone veneer
This suits a block or framed wall you'd like faced in natural stone, inside or out. Whether it's set in mortar or anchored depends on what's behind it and the stone you choose, and I'll walk you through that choice on site.
If a stone has come loose or water is coming through the wall, call rather than wait. We answer calls and messages within one business day.
What happens when you call us about stone work in Tallahassee?
Here's how a stone job runs with us, from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll see and what you'll have in hand before any work starts.
Call or send the form
Call (850) 391-6065 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. I look the job over with you myself and explain what I see before I write anything down.
Get a plain written estimate
You get a written estimate in plain words, so you know what you'd be paying for before you decide. If you go ahead, we set a start that suits you and take care of the permit side where one applies.
Work, clean up, walk through
I work alongside the small crew I trained, and we clean up as we go. When the last joint is done, we walk the finished work with you before we call it finished.
Get a free on-site estimate for your stone wall
Send the form and expect a reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look the wall over with you and give you a written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(850) 391-6065Stone masonry in Tallahassee and the permits that apply
In Tallahassee, the city's Building Inspection Division issues permits to build, renovate or expand a structure, and it requires a retaining wall permit when the change in ground height is more than 2 feet. That second rule is the one to watch if your stone wall holds back a slope. For repointing or new veneer, what we have on hand doesn't settle whether your job needs a permit, so it's worth asking the division, and we'll help you find out which office handles your property and take care of the paperwork for our part of the work.
The ground is the other thing I watch on new walls, because pipe clay, the most expansive clay in the region, sits near the surface in many parts of north Florida. If you're planning a wall that holds back soil, a soil test may be recommended before the design is settled, and it's fair to ask whether one fits your project. We're based in Tallahassee and meet the same clay on walls in Bradfordville and Crawfordville.
Stone masonry questions from Tallahassee homeowners
What is the best mortar for repointing an old stone wall?
Use a mortar that is softer than the stone and lets more water through, matched as closely as you can to the old lime mortar, rather than a hard Portland cement mix. Harder mortar can leave the stone soaking up the moisture instead, and the stone can then fail in ways that are structural as well as cosmetic. Ask any mason how their new mortar compares with the lime mortar coming out.
Should my stone veneer be adhesive or anchored?
Choose by the wall and the stone, not by habit, because the support behind the veneer, the load it will carry, the type of stone and the local climate give the most objective answer. Ask your installer to explain the choice in those terms before any stone goes up.
How much does stone veneer cost in Tallahassee, FL?
Installed stone veneer across the US usually costs about $15 to $45 per square foot, which is a national range for the work and not our price. Where your wall falls in that range turns on the things covered above, mainly the stone and what the wall needs before stone goes on, and your own figure comes in the written estimate. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
What causes damp in an old stone wall?
Damp in an old stone wall usually comes from rain soaking into the face, water splashing onto the lower stones and moisture drawn back in from the ground. Guidance for historic stone walls calls for turning water away as much as possible before it gets into the wall, so I look for which of those is at work before we touch the joints.
How do I make sure stone veneer is installed without gaps behind it?
Ask the installer how each stone gets fully bedded in mortar, because one industry guide calls complete bedding behind every stone essential. Even small gaps can collect water and lead to early failure, and they're hard to see once the wall is finished.
How do I check that a stone mason is licensed in Florida?
Ask which kind of license they hold, because a certified contractor license in Florida covers the whole state, while a registered license only allows work in the cities or counties where the contractor holds a certificate of competency. If it's registered, check that it covers where you live. We're licensed and fully insured.
Related masonry services for stone homes
If your house pairs brick with stone, the brick joints usually wear out alongside the stone ones, and the same care with soft, matched mortar applies there.
When a stone wall or chimney cracks in a line or starts to lean, the cause is usually below ground, and fixing the footing comes before new mortar.
Send us photos of your stone wall
A few photos, the rough size in square feet and whether the wall holds back soil let me come out ready to talk about the right mortar or method, so call (850) 391-6065 or use the form.