Masonry Rebuilding
When your masonry façade is deteriorated to the point that the only solution requires rebuilding, Ev-Air-Tight LLC’s longstanding relationships with industry partners and suppliers will help ensure that that the closest material matches are achieved to preserve the color, quality and appearance of your building, to obtain the most cohesive appearance possible. Often, we are able to salvage existing materials by cleaning and reusing them. We take the time to analyze your existing masonry’s color and composition, mixing the perfect mortar to seamlessly blend the new with the old.
Most modern buildings are constructed with at least some degree of masonry included among the building materials used in their construction. Masonry simply refers to the process of using cement mortar to hold stones or bricks together, and to produce at least a façade which is strong against weathering and other factors.
While masonry is very durable and tends to last a very long time, it will eventually wear down when exposed to the elements for a number of years. At this point, it becomes necessary to consider either some repairs or a more comprehensive restoration. Masonry restoration or rebuilding is generally a much larger project than simple masonry repair. Repairs generally only take in that part of a building which has been damaged, most commonly some part of the façade. On the other hand, restoration or rebuilding generally takes in the entire building.
When is Rebuilding Necessary?
For the most part, masonry repairs can significantly extend the life of any building which makes extensive use of masonry, but eventually repairs will simply not be enough to ensure the integrity of the structure. There will generally come a point where a complete rebuild is necessary in order to improve the appearance of a building, and to ensure that it maintains structural integrity, and can continue to withstand the elements it is subjected to.
Most often, masonry rebuilding is necessary when older and more historical buildings are involved, and it can preserve these types of buildings so that future generations can appreciate them. However, even those buildings which don’t have any specific historical significance can be improved in a major way, and can have their value significantly enhanced by masonry rebuilding.
What’s Involved in Masonry Rebuilding?
Whenever a masonry rebuilding project is being considered, it will be necessary to first remove all the existing worn-out materials. Those building materials will then be replaced by similar products which either match the originals, or are in some way an improvement upon them. For example, if a building was originally constructed with red bricks, it will most likely be rebuilt with the same type of red bricks, only newer ones. This kind of rebuilding project will restore structural soundness and integrity to the building once again, so that it can be occupied with confidence for many years.
The major difference between masonry repair and masonry rebuilding is that repair work generally only involves fixing chips, cracks, and mortar which is crumbling, whereas masonry rebuilding typically addresses a complete replacement of the masonry. The goal of rebuilding is to restore any structure to its original appearance and soundness, while masonry repair has more modest goals in simply fixing problems which are visible. It generally takes decades before any building requires complete masonry rebuilding, whereas masonry repairs will generally be needed much more frequently, perhaps every few years, in order to deal with the normal consequences of facing the elements.