When looking for the best masonry restoration company in Brooklyn, you’ll find a myriad of contractors. The difficult part is all the work of sorting through that list and finding someone who knows how to work on the borough’s older buildings.
Masonry restoration isn’t the same as new construction. It takes an understanding of the original construction, material used and how the building can be repaired without creating new issues. But what makes the difference between a real restoration professional and a general contractor who can also do masonry work?
What Masonry Restoration Actually Means
There is a significant distinction between the two terms restoration and repair. Repair rectifies an urgent issue. The restoration of a building’s masonry involves returning it to a condition of soundness and durability through the use of materials and techniques that are suitable for the original construction.
That is a really big deal on a Brooklyn building built between the 1900s-1940s. The buildings were constructed in soft lime mortar, and, in many instances, brownstone facades are used to create buildings that react in very different ways than those built today.
If a contractor does not treat a brownstone built in 1805 as they would a 2010 brick veneer then they will cause some damage. Real restoration work takes into consideration the building’s age, original materials and the effect the materials have had over the years.
What Brooklyn Masonry Restoration Typically Covers
Brick Repointing and Brick Replacement
Replacement of deteriorated mortar and repair/replacement of damaged brick units, Replacement of mortar with a composition compatible with the existing mortar and repair/replacement of deteriorated brick.
Brownstone Restoration
Repairing soft sandstone facades with lime based compounds having a similar density and porosity to the stone. One of the masonry restoration’s most specialized skills.
Facade Crack and Water Damage Repair
Repairing cracks in the facade and addressing deterioration of the lintels and water leakage in the wall assembly over the years.
Parapet and Chimney Restoration
Reconstruction or repointing of the most weathered portions of a building’s masonry.
Stoop and Entry Restoration
Restoration of brick or stone steps and front entry, the restoration of the front steps and entry which receive the most foot traffic and weather exposure of any brick or stone surface.
These are all part of the building’s masonry system, not a series of individual jobs, and a true restoration company will deal with all of these.
What’s Costing You in Brooklyn?
Restoration work is more expensive than regular repair, as it involves the use of specialized materials and a more precise procedure.
- Brick repointing with lime mortar, full facade: $7,000 to $15,000
- Brownstone facade restoration: The cost is based on the extent of damage and ranges from $9,000 to $28,000
- Full building restoration (multi-story, all visible facades): $25,000 to $80,000+
- Parapet restoration: $2,500 to $8,000
- Stoop restoration in brick or brownstone: $4,000 to $12,000
Timeframe for a complete single-building facade restoration: 2-4 weeks, depending on scope and weather conditions.
Working in Brooklyn’s Landmark Districts
Many of the most important architectural properties in Brooklyn are located within the boundaries of landmark districts, such as Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene and Boerum Hill.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission is responsible for the restoration process in these districts. The materials and techniques should be compatible with the building, typically lime-based mortars, and color-matched patching compounds. Certain work needs prior approval from LPC to start.
The recovery business without the expertise dealing with LPC demands may place a homeowner at risk of fines or having to redo work carried out. This is one of the most obvious ways to tell if a company has experience with Brooklyn restoration or if they are performing general masonry repair.
How to Evaluate a Masonry Restoration Company
Specifically ask them about what they know about the materials. A real restoration expert speaks on the importance of lime mortar without being solicited to do so. When they just use Portland cement for all their work, they’re no longer a restoration company, they’re a general masonry contractor.
Seeing completed restorations, not just repairs, is better than a sales pitch.
If your building is located in a Historic District, confirm LPC experience. If you live in a regulated area, this is a MUST.
Before work starts, receive a written, itemized estimate.
Decades of work on building types unique to Brooklyn is worth more than a wide catchment area for a building type that has less local experience.
Why Gushi Construction Stands Out in Brooklyn
Gushi Construction’s specialty has been the restoration of pre-war row houses, brownstones and historic facades in the Borough of Brooklyn, having been working there for more than 30 years since 1993.
The team is aware of what is involved in the matching of lime mortars, brownstone repair compounds, and the requirements of the Landmarks Preservation Commission when they are applicable. Over 1,000 projects completed neighborhood by neighborhood, in homes and buildings.
When you need a masonry restoration company in Brooklyn that will respect your building’s history, this is the call to listen.
Since 1993, Gushi Construction has been Brooklyn’s reliable masonry restoration service — call us at (718) 259-7503 or visit our website, www.gushiconstruction.com for a complimentary quote!
