Throughout all the free masonry info I’m giving everyone, you’ll need a basic amount of tools. In masonry, the trowel is the most important. Find an eight inch mason’s trowel buy it, clean it after each use and you’ll have it for a life time. I still have my grandfather’s trowel he gave me when I was an apprentice. I no longer use the trowel because it got so worn down it’s too small to work with.
You’ll also need a brick hammer, one inch margin trowel, one inch stone chisel, a heavy two pound hammer, and a thin metal trowel called a slicker or brick tuck trowel. (used for smaller mortar joints).Grab yourself a soft tail brush and you’ll thank me later. There are other tools used in masonry but this will get you started.

Brick repointing Scale of difficulty 4 trowels (need image of 4 trowels here)
Most issue that comes across my table in regards to brick work is that the mortar joints eventually need to be repointed. Some mortar joints in original work could date back hundreds of years and still be in good shape. Some when not install properly could only last a few years. When it comes to brick repointing a qualified mason should be handling a larger job but a few mortar joints shouldn’t scare anyone away.

If you’re going to repair a cracked joint that maybe is allowing water into your property, then that joint will need to come out, at least 3/4 to 1 inch deep. If any unqualified mason tries to sell you on going right over the original joint, stop them in their tracks and send them on their way. It will be cheaper, but a good mason will be back to fix them once they’ve fallen out in two years.

The way I suggest you take those damaged joints out is with your brick hammer. Using the flat long end; chip away at only the mortar joint. Once you’ve broken the joint out you’ll need to clean out the joint with a nice soft brush. Even if you have to blow out the dust yourself, it’s got to be done. A clean mortar joint is a must for a good mortar bond.
Grab your trowel and it’s time to repoint. What’s my mix for my mortar you ask? Old school masons like myself, will be using three parts sand, one part type I cement. Check with your local supply house and I’m sure they have a premix mortar mix. Some supply houses will call the mix, “mortar mix”. These mixes will only require you to add water, but please only add a little at time. When the texture of the mortar is squeezable and you can shape it like a ball, then you’re ready. Using your mason’s trowel, lay some mortar on your trowel and flatten it out. Using your small slicker, then push the flat mortar off the trowel and right into the joint. If you’re right handed, you should be starting on the right side of the mortar joint. Each time you fill that joint, starting from your right, will bring the mortar into the last one you applied. This will pack each swipe of mortar into the other, making a tight bond.

Depending on what the original joint looks like, I would bring out the joint to just slightly below the brick face. (Just a 1/16) Keeping the joint back slightly from the face will prevent a mess “Plan and Simple”. Grab your soft tail brush and lightly brush your joints.

There are a few common types of joints that should be identified here. There’s the flush joint; the rake out joint and the concave joint. The first two speak for themselves. The other is a concave joint. The concave joint looks slightly rounded. My favorite joint, if anyone cares. This joint will require a rounded slicker call a joiner but a rounded piece of wood that you’ll run down the center of the joint right after you’ve installed it should do the trick. Make sure your rounded wood is close in size to the joint size. Don’t wait till it dries or you won’t get a nice concave look to the joint because it has already tighten up and it’s too late. The wood trick is your installment of tricks of the trade. Good luck pointer!!!

Brick restoration 3 trowels
Have you noticed brick dust at the base of a wall? Maybe even some chunks of brick have come down. Does the brick look like it might have lost its face? If you have noticed any of this, then you’ll probably need to replace or restore those brick. Not doing so in a timely fashion is only going to cause more damage and cause you to pay for a qualified mason.

Help with Masonry.com is here and not to worry. The best thing we can do in this situation is to remove the brick altogether and replace with a matching one. That will require you to first find a matching brick.
Most often a masonry supply house will have something close enough to make you happy. Some brick are often not made anymore and only used brick dealers will have your hard to find brick. (If you’re in the Philadelphia area, I can help) Remove the brick with your heavy hammer, chisel and go to town. Try not whacking the brick next to you that doesn’t need to come out. Use your chisel with the safety guard at the handle. All debris must come out any dust must be blown out. Grab your mortar mix and lightly wet the mix. Trowel in the mortar so that it’s slightly higher then the original mortar joint. Place your brick in the space and push down on the brick Keep the brick straight and at the same height as the brick next to yours. If you need to point the joint then grab your slicker and pack in some more mortar and lightly brush the joints.

Now of course, if you have numerous amount of damage this would be a time to call in a professional. If it’s only a few, then go for it!!!!!!

There are also times when you’re trying to do the job your self and it maybe a little too high up on the ladder for your comfort level. Taking out brick off a ladder is not recommended on this site. So what to do? Grab some yellow bar sand and type I cement. Your ratio will be three parts sand to two parts cement. Mix this together dry for about five minutes in a wheel barrow or five gallon bucket. The next step would be to add mortar dye that you’ll get at the local supply house. If you’re doing only one brick your probably only need a cap full of dye. Mix the dye directly into the dry mix of sand and cement. Mix again for five minutes and make sure the dye is not lumped up in one area. Add your water slowly and make the texture so that it’s spread able. You’ll need your Mortar hawk and margin trowel. Please be careful when climbing the ladder with the hawk in your hand. Flatten out the mortar on the hawk and apply to the cleaned surface of the damaged brick. Don’t pack on too much at first because you don’t want to go pasted the face of the surrounding brick. Add a little at a time until your right at the face. Try and not pack the colored mortar over the existing mortar joint that will probably need to be repointed. After the dye is nice and flush with the surrounding brick then grab your slicker and point the top and bottom joint around the dyed mortar. Keep everything nice and straight and I’m sure it will be fine. Light brush if necessary to smooth out edges.

Stucco restoration is not easy but can be done by the homeowner and Help with masonry.com is on the way with help. When it comes to stucco restoration, sometimes the hardest part is to match the color and texture of the original stucco. But don’t let that stop you from trying, unless the area is just too big and will require scaffold. Larger areas will require a professional plaster for the best and longest lasting job.
Let’s try and tackle a smaller stucco issue. First, identify the problem areas or area. Most times a brick hammer can remove the damaged area but often this area may require a side winder with a diamond blade. Diamond blades are the only blade that will cut masonry properly. (Do not attempt to cut masonry with a wood blade, you’re only asking for an accident to happen). A four inch grinder can be purchased at a local hardware store or at a larger supply houses. They run about $100.00 and will save you huge amounts of your time.
Many times you’ll need to open up the damaged area farther on all sides to get to a sound base. Once you have cut out the damaged area, grab your soft brush (or any hard brush will do the trick.) Brush off all dust and make sure no loose stucco is remaining in the restored areas.
Depending on the surface we’re trying to fix, each method will be slightly different and we’ll discuss them in detail. Let’s start with masonry base. Most masonry bases will be cinderblock, brick or stone. If your base is one of these, then I recommend first applying a bonding agent to the surface. (After your surface is dust free) Most agents can be rolled on or simply painted onto the surface. I would stick with a large 4inch brush and slowly apply the agent to all surfaces. Start to apply the agent from top to bottom. I haven’t yet been able to find a bonding agent that didn’t want to run right down the wall. Go slow and get your “feet wet”. Most agents recommend that you apply the plaster coat after about twenty minutes of drying time. Now some might say, “why aren’t we attaching stucco wire?” Good bonding agents have been easier to apply for homeowners and the bonding agents that are available for homeowners are just fine for restoration. Now is not the time to get too complicated. Trust me when I say it’s a whole lot easier and less stressful. Life is too short.
As the bonding agent is drying, now the time to mix your base coat. Premixed base coats can be purchased at local masonry supply houses or big box stores. These are just add water and are fine for our base coat. My only issue with these premix bags is that the cement ratio seems to be too low and cracking may occur. It will depend on the size of the area. I would not recommend premixed bags for larger areas.
But since this site is also a teaching site, I’ll also give you the proper ratios. All stucco base coats must be three parts sand, (light aggregates sand or bar sand) one part type I cement and a half part of lime. There are also two other types of cements that have the lime already included, these are type S cement which is 50/50 or type N which is 60/40 cement to lime. If you’re headed in this direction then your mix will be 3 parts sand to 2 parts the premix. If any stucco areas are under grade at all, then use the type S cement which has waterproofing agents in the mix. Remember: Dry mix ratios first and then add water
Slowly add a little water then mix. Hopefully you’ll have a wheel barrow or mixing pan; if not a five gallon bucket will also do the trick if that all that’s available. The stucco can not get to wet or you’ll never get it on the wall. If you do, it will probably be a mess when you’re done. It has to be wet enough to apply a thin coat to the surface but not too wet that it will run right off your trowel or hawk. (A hawk is a flat metal tool with a wooden handle, a must buy item). Grab your margin trowel and slowly, with a sweeping motion try and remove the mortar from the hawk. A great trick is to tilt the hawk towards your body and sweep the mortar up towards the sky. Once it’s on the trowel then quickly apply it to the surface you’re trying to restore. If you’re right handed start on the right side and bring the mortar into the last one you applied. This method will ensure each application is being forced into the other. It is very important that you put a little muscle into each movement. After each movement then the next one should start very close to the last one but not on top of it. The thickness of each pass will be abut 3/8”. If you have a larger plastering trowel then feel free to guide it over the entire section for a uniformed and level surface.
After you’ve applied the base coat and it has dried slightly, then grab something that will allow you to put horizontal lines throughout the area. Lightly make these impressions but not to hard that you push down to the original surface. You now have accomplished the application of the all important base coat. Nice job!!!!
My recommendation for drying times will vary with every project and every climate. So a rule of thumb for me is never apply the final coat with out waiting 72 hours minimum and sometimes more if were using acrylic applications. Acrylic applications are not recommended for the homeowner but can be discussed in detail on the FAQ section of Help with masonry.com.
If it’s a basic yellow, gray, or white coat of stucco you’re trying to achieve, then I’ll give you the formula. If the color is “off the beaten track” then grab a color chart from your supply house and use the premix.
White plastering sand is readily available in the northeast and that’s what we use because it has a slight grit to it and the bonding is superior to basic bar sand. Not every supply house will have white plastering sand but I recommend asking for a plastering sand.
Your formulas will be 3 parts white sand to 2 parts white cement type N. This will be a great finish coat. Remember type N cements have lime already in the bag. Yellow sand mixed with white type N will give you a light yellow look that is very commonly called champagne. If you’re going for a light gray look than use the yellow or white sand mixed with the gray type N and you’ll have your gray steel look.
Now to apply the finish coat, don’t worry you’ll be fine. Like before, when adding your water take it easy. The same motions and methods will be the same for the final coat. Make sure you don’t apply too much finish coat and go past the existing plaster that surrounds your patch. After you’ve successfully applied the finish coat and have kept the lines in your stucco to a minimum than grab a coarse sponge and follow me. Now, they do sell plastering floats pretty cheap but a tough sponge will do the trick for a small job. After the stucco has become a little drier then grab a bucket of water and dip your sponge. Squeeze out the extra water and in a circular motion, lightly go over the patch. Now is the time to knock down those lines if any in the stucco patch. Try and bring your circular motion into the existing stucco and blend it in nice. You are an old pro now!!!! Make sure to always clean your tools once you’re done your stucco patch.
You can check out our how to video on using your hawk. Very important lesson!!

Stone pointing is by far my favorite masonry job to do. Stone pointing will require a good eye and a better sense of feel. The stone pointer is a budding artist who brings together fairly wet sand, cement and molds it into a beautiful focal point to any stone work.

There are three main types of stone pointing. The most popular type of stone pointing is the flush joint. This joint will come to the face of the stone and most likely be brushed. The next is a weather joint; a more difficult joint but a great one. This joint will often come past the face of the stone and then be cut on one side of the joint and at the top of the stone. The final joint is the labor intensive ribbon joint. The ribbon joint comes past the stone and each joint has two cuts that will need to be scrapped back to achieve the ribbon look.

If your ribbon joint project requires more than a handful of joints to be restored, now might be the time to call in an expert. If your not up for this project than proceed to the Questions to ask a masonry contractor page. This will help!!
Let’s get started with the stone pointing restoration lesson. If the stone joint is not already lying on the ground then you’ll probably need to remove the cracked joint. Grab your small hand held 4lb hammer and one inch chisel along with your safety glasses. Remove the damaged stone joint back two inches from the face of the stone and clean out the joint. Cleaning the joints out is key to a great bond with the new mortar and the original mortar. If you have a leaf blower and the work is at a safe height, then blow out the stone joints. I once even got a shop vac and sucked out the joints. Now that’s a clean joint!

Please don’t wet the joints because it actually takes away from the natural absorption of new mortar into original mortar. Pulling the moisture from the new mortar into the original mortar the original mortar is completing the bonding. Sorry to get to crazy there!
Stone pointing is going to require stone pointing mortar. First take a look at the color were going to try and match. Some colors may be out of your reach in simply mixing of sand and cement Masonry supply houses or big box store should carry dye that you can mix into your sand and cement. Later on that!! Most stone joints will be a four to one mix. Four parts sand one part cement. It will depend on the joint you’re trying to match as to what sand to purchase. Any joint that will require you to slice the mortar to achieve an edge will have to go with a bar sand. GOOD Tip!! If your joint is a flush joint then go with concrete sand but it will depend on what you’re trying to match. My opinion is that the courser the sand then the better bond you’ll have.

Get your mixing bucket or wheel barrow to mix your mud. (Mason Term for mortar) If you’re repointing only a small amount then better to grab a tin can for dividing your four to one mix. Add your four parts sand first, and then spread your cement evenly over the sand. Grab your mixing hoe or mason’s trowel “again depending on the amount mixing” and dry mix the sand and cement. You should mix the two until it becomes one color and then give it another quick mix. Slowly add your water and mix the mud together. Your mix should not be too wet or too dry. Adding the right amount of water is so important to a good pointing job. To wet and the mortar will run off your mortar hawk or trowel. To dry and the moisture needed to be absorbed by the original mortar won’t be there and your bond won’t be good. If you can hold the mortar in your hand and squeeze it and it stays together then add a little more water. I like my mortar on the wet side because it gives me a little more time to manipulate the mud around each stone. When the mortar is to dry then it’s a hassle trying to get it off your hawk. A little wetter mud will stick to the hawk better and when you angle the hawk towards the sky, it’s so much easier to cut and swipe the mortar off. (Check out the hawk video lesson before starting)

Let’s begin with your starting point: Your starting point will depend on what hand your going to use your margin trowel. Right-handed people will start on the right side of their bodies and joint. Using your margin trowel or slicker, flatten out your mud on the hawk. I would start out with a half inch thickness of mud on the hawk. Try and cut straight down on the mud and angle the hawk back. After you cut the mud then swipe forward and upward, hopefully the mud will be on your trowel. Bring it right over to the joint and push into the joint. Trowel the mud in tight and start over. With the next pass go right next to your last pass. Being right-handed each pass with the mud you’ll be troweling into the last mud you applied, thus packing one swipe into the next. Good Tip

Look at the surrounding stone joints first and see where the original mortar was set. Since we are learning about the flush joint then you’ll need to pack out the mortar to the face of the stone. Once you’ve packed out the mortar to the face then give it five minutes and lightly brush the joint. What I like to do is get my slicker or margin trowel and clean the mortar around the perimeter of the stone I just pointed. This light cut will expose the edges of the stone and looks awesome. Don’t forget that were trying to match the original joist and in some cases each method will be a little different. If there is a clean up issue or you got a little mortar on the stone? Remember that mortar joints can be cleaned but it does take a little chemical solution to clean it off. So if the jobs too big now would be the time to call in a stone Mason who specializes in stone pointing.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous now and what to tackle the famous weather joint then grab your hawk, margin trowel and let’s get this party started. (Remember bar sand only for cutting mortar) It’s really not that much different then the flush joint but you have to add a little more mortar to the joint and cut the lower part of every joint you applied. After the mortar is applied take your margin trowel and a straight edge that’s easy to hold. Place the straight edge piece against the mortar joint and cut along the straight edge. Some joints you’ll need to angle the cut and others you can go straight. Don’t cut down too deep or you’ll separate the joint and the original joint. Cut into the joint approximately a half inch or less. Once you’ve cut what you pointed then wait a few minutes and then the interesting part comes. You’ll need steady hands to scrape back at the line you just cut. Again you can scrape on an angle or straight back, what you should see is the lower portion of the joint is missing. If you see the original mortar then you’ve scraped too far back. Depending on the look of the joint you can brush the joint or leave it alone. When you have a vertical joint, in comparison to a horizontal joint that we spoke of in this lesson. Vertical joints will be cut on the left side of the stone face only.

With regards to the ribbon joint, you will want to cut both sides of the straight edge and then scrape off both sides of the joint. This joint is very difficult to achieve the first time but it’s your property and maybe you give it a try.

If you got to this page, than you’re either tired of looking at a sunken section of your patio or you’re ready to install a different material. Maybe your outdoor furniture is not leaving you much room and you need to extend. Some of this job will require professional help, depending on size and material. But you can certainly give it a try or at least restore the area that may be an issue. Be sure if it’s not for you, to check out our page on what to ask when hiring a masonry contractor.
I would say that most people who get to my site are willing to give it a try and maybe learn something for down the road. There is a great amount of material to pick from out in local quarries or even masonry supply houses. Your local landscaping store might also have a selection of stone. If it’s a big project and you’re not good with colors than maybe look for some help with what materials to use. My personal opinion would be that if the house is over, say, 60 years old, stay away from non-natural material. (it didn’t come out of the ground or a mountain) Newer homes will work better with the non-natural material. But on the flip side of that I just installed a patio for a client using imitation flagstone and it looks great. So what do I know!
Let’s start with how to restore a natural patio and a non- natural patio. They will generally will be restored the same way. Each project will vary slight depending on the situation. So grab your round mouth shovel, maybe a digging bar, or even a pick for digging.
Remove the stone from the damaged area and set it aside for later use. If the stone is set in mortar you’ll need a heavy hammer and a one inch chisel. Begin to chisel out the mortar joints and get your digging bar and pry under the stone. If the material is damaged beyond reuse then grab your sledge hammer and beat it out. Before you begin to whack at the cement base, chisel a line into and against the existing stones base. (These will create a stopping point.)When you whack the cement base, hopefully the chiseled line will stop the crack from running under a stone that doesn’t need to come out. Your job is to remove that base under the stone. If the stone is set in gravel, sand or just dropped on the dirt, then pick it up and set it aside. Remove the original base and dispose of properly. Maybe you need the earth or material somewhere on the property. Once you have out the material then dig down farther. The rule of thumb for patio bases is six inches for dry laid material. Even before I lay down my base I always tamp my earth. Whether repairing one stones or five stone a good base is a must.
After we tamp the earth then install your crushed stone base at six inches. If your area is larger than ten square feet than after you’ve installed three inches of stone run your tamper over the entire stone base. Starting from the outside of the area then working inward. Then add your next three inches and retamp. If it’s a small job then tamp down the entire six inches but really “give it hell”.
When choosing my bases, I like to use a modified stone which is made up of different size stone particles that compact awesome. Give it a little spray from the water hose and that stone will compact real nice for you. After installing my base and getting the proper amount of stone set, I like to install a geo fabric on top of my bases. I suggest the same for your project. Geo fabric allows water to filter thru but not your setting base material. GOOD TIP HERE!!
Let’s say that your base needs to be a concrete base because the stone above will be pointed to match the original stone. Remember this advice: no stone or masonry product can be pointed with mortar if that product is not set in mortar itself. It will move and the joint will separate and the beginning to the end begins for your mortar joint.
Bags of concrete mixed thoroughly and poured on top of two inches of crushed stone will do the job. Let it harden over night and your ready. If you can’t wait that long go grab some fast setting concrete mix.

Setting stone in a dry laid design.

Move down the page to see about concrete bases and setting.
Look at the thickness of your stone and determine if they are generally the same thickness. If they are, good for you; it’s going to be a little easier.

The two products we use for setting dry laid (No cement) are call screenings and concrete sand. Spread your sand throughout the area and level as best as possible. Grab a straight piece of wood and your level and place the wood on the spread sand and run it along from side to side making sure when you move, your wood is level. This will make for a flat, and hopefully, level area to set your stone. If your area is bigger than the ten square feet we discussed, then try and find two straight pipes or similar products, lay them down on either side of the area. You’ll need to know where to lay the two pipes with regards to the height of your reset stone. Measure the thickness of your new stone to be set and measure down from an existing patio stone. The bottom of your new stone will need to sit right there so your base should come to just above that line you drew. Going above that line will allow for the stone to be set down into the bed you just made. Normally I like to be above around ¼ inch. If a stone is on the thin side (one inch or less) then I’ll “beef up” the bed and make sure I’m set at least 3/8” to a ½” deep.
Once your bed is in place then what I do like to do next (does require cement), is to mix water and cement together to make a paste. This paste will go on the back of our stone right before we set the stone. I’ll only do this procedure with a larger natural stone but not a paver stone, unless requested. If you’re restoring a field stone, then this method would be ideal for you. This method will also help to hold the stone in place.
Getting back to our pipes once you have the pipes at the right height add your sand between the pipes. Grab that straight wood and place it across the sand and on top of each pipe. Slide the wood down the pipe and it will level your base for you. If there are any gaps in the sand than place more sand in the gaps and relevel.
At this point you’re ready to lay the material. Begin to lay your material at your feet and work forward. If your base is good and tight then kneeling on the freshly set stone shouldn’t be problem. The reasoning is that once the bed is set level you don’t want to stand in it and disturb the flat bed. Most 4”x 8” pavers will be set in a uniform set pattern and you’ll be able to”go to town” on setting the pavers. That’s why it’s important to do good prep work before starting to lay your stone.
If you’re setting stone that are different thicknesses then each bed has to be a little different in regards to height. You’ll have to adjust for each bed after you’ve determined the thickness of the stone your about to set. Grab a rubber mallet and you’ll be fine. Get your bed set and paste the back of the stone. Set the stone in the bed and lightly set it level with the surrounding stone. Set a few stone then grab your level or even a straight piece of wood. Place the wood on two existing sides of the reset area and look at the bottom of the wood and determine if the stone is at the right height. If the wood is running across all the reset stone and meeting up with the other stone on a level plane, then you’re in business. If the wood is up on one end or up on both ends, then use your mallet and tap the stone into place. If you set the stone and it is a little bit below the stone and you don’t feel like redoing it, just do it; it only takes a few extra minutes and you can thank me later. You always want to be able to tap the stone down into the bed below for the best bond possible. When you have everything set, then depending upon the size of your joints (or if you set the pavers tight) will determine the final sand application. The sand helps to lock all the material together so it doesn’t move side to side. I use either screening stone or concrete sand when setting a field stone. Finer sand would need to be used on pavers that are set tight. You can use a bar sand or mortar setting sand for pavers. You spread the sand throughout all of the pavers and sweep the sand into the joints. Some of the sands that contain cement will need to be finely misted to set the mix. Make sure you do a great job of sweeping this product into the joints. If you have to use too much water then you might have a mess on your hands. Some applications require that you spray water on the sand lightly and this will lock in the sand between the paver joint. Check the bag for directions.

Setting stone in a concrete base

At this point you’ve removed your existing damaged base and you need to replace the base. Now you’ll need a wheel barrow, mixing hoe and a round mouth shovel. Go to your local supply house and purchase 80 lb bags of concrete mix. That would be the easiest way. If you’re so inclined to read on and are of the adventurous type then I’ll teach you to make your own concrete. How about that?
You’ll first need a good strong wheelbarrow. Go get ¾ inch crushed stone or even river rock. Basically all rocks will work. You’ll also need concrete sand. Do not use any fine sand; you will not get the strength out of finer sand. You’ll definitely need cement. Type I cement is recommended. The basic formula for 4000 PSI strength concrete is 1 part cement to 2 parts concrete sand and 3 parts stone. Piece of cake! Dry mix the sand and cement first, add your water and mix again. Don’t flood the mix; just enough water so you can move it around the wheel barrow without really struggling through the cement.
Once you have it mixed then go ahead and mix your stone in; a little at a time and you won’t kill yourself. Go ahead and pour it into your hole. Make the cement so that you can just about pour it. When you pour the concrete into the hole, tamp down on the concrete. It will level itself. Let me explain! What I mean about tamping down is to use a steel rake and lightly flatten out the concrete so that it becomes level. In the process, the concrete is leveling itself.
After you have given the base 24 hours to dry, then you’re ready to reset you stone. Grab that wheel barrow and hoe again. You’ll need concrete sand and cement. The cement should be type I cement. Your formula is 3 parts sand to 1 part cement. Dry mix together and add your water. This time the rules have changed a little and you won’t be adding that much water as before. Stone setting mortar is tighter because we need stability but a moveable base; too wet and the stone will sink and you’ll be all kinds of angry. So add a little water and mix a good amount of dry mix. Once your water is missing then add a little more. Your cement should be tight enough to hold in your hand and shape something.
Before you shovel in your mix, you have to look at how much cement you need to be a ¼ inch above the surrounding stones. Measure the thickness of your stone and then measure down from an already set stone. Use this as your measurement. Draw a line or just visualize it. Add enough cement mix so that your ¼ inch above the line. If you can do that all the time you’ll be golden. At this point, you’ll need to mix together type I cement and water in a 5 gallon bucket. Mix this until you have a paste like mix. Use this paste for the back of each stone you set. Only put this on after you’ve test run setting your stone. Set your stone down in your level base. Does it look like you’re a ¼ inch above the surrounding stones? If not, pick up the stone and either add cement or remove to get the base where it needs to be. Then pick up the stone and paste the back of it. Reset the stone down in the cement and grab your rubber mallet; lightly at first to get the feel of hitting down on the stone. Begin setting the stone down level with the other stone in the area. Check all points in the stone and make sure there all flush. If for some reason some of the original stone may be uneven but are staying set, then do your best and pick a few points to meet up with.
Once you’ve set the stones and given them a few hours to dry, then, depending on the weather conditions, I like to give the setting cement a little water so the cement doesn’t dry too fast. I only do this if it’s really hot and the sun is beating on it. Once the stone has set, then it’s time to point the stone.
I use the same 3 to 1 mix that I used for the setting mortar. Make sure that the joints are cleaned out and free of any debris before you point. Give it a quick brush and you’re ready to point. You’ll need your steel ½”inch slicker, a mason’s trowel and knee pads. What’s nice about using the same mortar is that the texture of the mortar is great for pointing the stone. When your stone mortar is not over wet but on the dry side, then you can trowel some mortar right next to the joint and slide it into the joint. Once you’ve trowel in the mortar, then press down into the joint and pack it tight down. Make sure you have the right size slicker; the slicker should be the same size as the joint size. If the slicker is close in size then that’s fine for using.
Come to the top of the stone flush or even a hair higher. Your final swipe on the joint should be of a uniformed look and evenness. Once it’s dry, and then lightly brush the joints. Try not to let the sun or hot temperatures burn the joint. Sometimes if the sun dries the joint too quickly, it can bleed the color and the joint will turn a lighter shade. There’s nothing worse than being overwhelmed with a white mortar joint. I like my joint color to be a compliment to my stone work not the other way around. So just sprinkle a little water on the joints and that will help slow down the drying time and that’s a good thing for retaining our color.

Installing a stone patio

If your thinking of installing a stone patio or a brick paver patio it is some times a good idea when the project is too big to bring in a professional. If that’s the case then go to what to ask a masonry contractor page on this site. If the project is on the smaller size, then the above info is all you need.

But let’s suppose you have a small 6’x 6’ patio that you would like to install. First grab yourself a 4’level, tape measure and locate where you would like your patio to sit. If it’s against the house then measure off the corner where your patio will sit. Measure out from the house out 6’6. (Six inches larger for added strength in our base). Drive a pin, stake or make a good measurable mark in the earth. From that point, measure down the house 6’6,”make a mark and measure out 6’ 6” again. This will give you a square corner to start.
Begin to dig out the area and set aside the dirt. Be sure you’re going down at least 4 to 6 inches down from where you’d like your stone patio height to be set. If at all possible, try and begin to think about pitching the patio away from your property. If this can be done while you set your stone base, it will be a lot easier later. After installing your base, spread the stone on a slight pitch away from the property. Once you’ve installed the base then tamp down the stone. Grab yourself a wood stake or steel pin. Sometimes I’ll use some old steel rebar. If it’s straight and long enough then you should be fine. You’ll also need a string line. I now recommend that you start at the house. Determine the height of the patio and make a mark on the wood stake exactly where your patio height will be. If your back door opens onto the patio and you’re stepping down, then you need to measure down from your threshold (bottom of door).From the threshold down to the patio’s surface should measure 6 to 8 inches. Mark the spot. From that point, to the outside of the patio you need to mark your 6 feet. This outside 6’ mark will need to be level with the first mark you made on the wall or stake. Very Important!
Hopefully you’ll also own a steel 2’ square. This part is where some help should be asked. Grab your string line and hand it over to your helper to hold the other end. Tie your string line around the pin at the 6’ mark. From your house at the 6’ mark, place your square against the house and make sure the string line is following the square out. It must run right next to the square and not be hitting the square. Place another pin at the 6’ mark. Drive the pin in at that mark and tie your string. You now have to get your pitch running away from the house. A small line level will do the trick. Any hardware store will have one. Attach the line level and looking down at the level you’ll see two black lines. The bubble would be in the middle of those two lines if we wanted a level patio but we want a slightly pitched patio. So the bubble should cross over the black line and be on the side of the house. This is telling you that the patio is higher against the house and lower away from the house. Tie your string line to that stake. Go back to the opposite end of the patio against the house and repeat the process. Once you have two marks on the outside stakes then attach another string line across and you should be level on the outside width. Always, always pitch away from the property. Make sure your lines are tight and not sagging or you may get a false reading in your line level.
Once you’ve set your lines up around the outside perimeter of your base. Then installing your setting base is next. It will depend on your material what your setting base will be. If the patio is pavers then a screening stone can be used. If the patio is a natural stone and will be pointed then a wet bed must be used.
In this section remember that the square footage could be a lot larger and may be just too much material for a homeowner to handle.
But I want to give you the info just in case. If pavers are to be used then grab your pipes and lay them on opposite sides of one another. Make sure the top of each pipe is where you want your base to be. Laying one of the stones lightly on top of one of the pipes will give you an idea where your stone will sit after you’ve installed your screenings. When you set your stone on the pipe and if the stone is higher than your line than it needs to come down. Once you have it right at the string line, you’re in business. Now do the other pipe and you’ll be ready. Add your screening in between the two pipes and drag a straight board down the two pipes. Pick up the pipes and fill in any gaps. Start on one side and begin to lay your pavers on top of the screenings. Once you’ve laid all the brick then install your outside edge. Outside edge restraints will need to be installed to prevent lateral movement in the patio. Edge restraints are installed with 8” spikes that can be purchased along with your materials. Drive the stakes down thru the holes you’ll see in the edge restraints. Make sure when you place the edge restraints against the paver that they sit tight against the stone and set down about ¾ of an inch from the top of the paver. Install the spikes ever other hole (normal flat area) and you’ll never have a problem. If the patio had to be raised above the grass or the base stone is somewhat showing then I recommend every hole and you’ll be fine. Grab finer sand and spread the sand throughout the patio. Sweep the sand between the joints, give it a little water, let it dry and do it again. This should settle down the sand and make for a great lock.

Let me start off by saying that ever waterproofing issue that I’ve come across was just little different then the last one. That’s not to say that water issues in general will have many similar reasons for being a water issue. But water problems are sometimes tough to solve.
Please have no fear Help with Masonry.com is here. In this section you will find different scenario’s on how the water is coming in your property and how maybe I can help.

Water coming thru the floor

If you are seeing water coming through your concrete or wood floor then in most cases the water can not be stopped but can certainly be controlled. Some cases that I’ve seen there may be a high water table and your property is in that general area. So when it rains, your ground can only take so much before the rain water hits that water table under ground and can’t go anywhere else. The area becomes extremely wet and will always head for a low point around your property.
If you live in a house with a basement, you know what I’m talking about. Water will come between the cracks in the floor or most likely around your perimeter walls where the bottom of the wall meets the concrete floor. What a Nightmare!!!! Sometimes, if it rains hard enough the water will flow onto the floor until it finds a low point. How do you deal with this?
If you have a large basement and no one to help you with the waterproofing job. It will be better if you call in a pro for the job. Go to: what to ask a masonry contractor page on this site and you’ll be cool. But as always in this site we are not afraid of a little manual labor. If you can dig down deep inside your mind and body you’ll save a bundle of cash, if you do it yourself. Let’s try!!!!!

In my professional opinion, the number one solution to water coming up from the ground is a basement perimeter drain and sump pump. Hands down; if properly installed will give you a piece of mind whether you’re there or away from your property. All investment properties with the slightest water issue should have a perimeter drain and sump pump system installed.
You first have to determine the low point in your basement. One way would be to look for where the water most frequently pools when it enters the basement floor. If the water flow is enough then you should see evidence in corners or where you see mud or dirt piles on the floor. This is usually sediment that the water carried and stopped at the low point. But sometimes it’s not that easy. Using a good eye and a straight piece of wood grab your 4’ level. Find an area to lay your wood on the floor and place the level on top of the wood. Make sure when you lay the wood down that it’s placed on the skinning side. Look down at the level and read the bubble direction. Is it level? If it is, then move around the floor with the wood. Always start at that point you just worked from and get numerous readings on the floor pitch. If you have a transient, you’ll be in great shape to find your low point. Sometimes, I’ll even measure down from the floor joints above. I’ll get a couple of readings and determine my low point.
The low point is crucial to proper installation of the sump pump pit. All drains must run to the pit or it’s going to fail.
Once you’ve determined the low point in the floor. Mark that area as where your pit will be. Most basements we come across are made of concrete. Most of the homes we work on are older homes with 2” thick concrete floor. There pretty easy to get thru with a sledge hammer. Most pits are going to need a 2’x2’ round opening and about 30” down. When purchasing your water basin read the dimension and it will tell you what size you’ll need. If you want to go low budget, you can make your own pit out of a terra cotta flue liner that you can buy at a masonry supply house. Make sure that the flue is wide enough to hold your sump –pump. Dig out your pit so that you leave extra room around the perimeter of the basin for crushed stone. About three inches around should do the job.
After you’ve dug your pit and removed the earth from your basement now will be the time to mark your trench for your pipes. You’re going to need to cut the concrete out 6” from the walls in your basement. To do this job a diamond blade saw will certainly come in handy. If you’re comfortable enough to use the saw then go for it. Get someone to spray water on the blade as you cut the concrete and it will keep the dust to a minimum. If you can’t do the cutting it is possible to break the concrete with either a sledge hammer or better yet an electric demo hammer. Demo hammers can be rented at every tool rental store. Demo the perimeter out 6”from the basement walls and remove all concrete. Begin to remove the earth where you cut the concrete. Be sure to remove a minimum of 8” at the high point and maybe even more as you get closer to your pit. We always want our pipes flowing downward towards our pit.
Once you’ve removed the earth (Save for outside of house) then we add our crushed stone on top of the dirt in the trench. Depending on the slope you’ll need more at the high point and less at the low point. Don’t add more then a few inches at the bottom.
Begin to install your 4” p.v.c “with holes of course “in your trenches. The holes in the pipes should be facing downward toward the crushed stone. If water is coming up thru your floors, then the quicker it’s gets into your pipes the better you’ll be protected. Remember that you’ll need 90% elbows for your corners and glue for your seams. What you can also do for added protection against the holes ever clogging up with debris is to add a nylon sleeve that will go around your pipes. Install a section of pipe at a time and install your sleeve. Once you’ve attached your pipe then go ahead and drop in your water basin in the pit you dug. Make sure your pit is somewhat level and your basin will sit level. You’ll need to cut two holes in the side of you’re basin for the pipes to enter. Cut a little more then four inches around and leave yourself a little room to adjust. Insert your pipes and you’re almost done.
Before we close up the trenches, I want to tell you that some water issues seem like they are coming up thru the floor but are actually coming in at the point where the basement wall meet the footer of the wall. In this instance, I would recommend drilling relief holes along that point to allow the water to drain into pipes and not sit behind the wall and slower deteriorate your masonry.
The next step would be to install your sump –pump. The sump-pump will actually remove the water from the basement. A ½ horse power pump should do the job but I would tell the sales person your water issue and they should be able to help you. More water, bigger pump. I’m telling you about the things you’ll need for the basin but were going to hold off assembling the sump pump until we have everything attached outside and your trenches filled back with concrete. Before I add my concrete to my trenches I like to have a layer a stone on top of my pipes for the concrete to sit on. Two inches of concrete throughout the top of the pipes should be fine. The thicknesses of the concrete will depend on what’s gong on top of the concrete.
Before I close up my trenches with concrete I like to add a ½ inch gap against the wall for possible water that may someday get in through the foundation wall. This gap against the wall will allow possible wall water to run into the drain and be carried outside. My goal is never to allow water to make it to the surface of the floor. I like to use a drain board backer wall with rigids but that may not be the easiest things to locate in your area. You can use anything that’s somewhat flexible or even a piece of expansion joint. Make sure after your done pouring your concrete and it sets over night that you pull that expansion joint. It doesn’t have to be to far down in the drain as long as it touches the crushed stone, then the water can filter into the drain. One hint when pouring the concrete in the trenches don’t make the concrete to wet and give a slight slope to the concrete into the ½ inch gap. If water ever got to the surface from another issue then at least the water would run into the drain.
. Now getting back to your sump pump. I skipped around because I want you to lay out where you new pump will go in the basin before you pour your concrete. Make sure your pump has room to operate without hitting the sides of the basin.
You’ll need 1 ½” p.v.c pipe, eight to ten feet, glue, back flow check value, and an extra extension cord. The pump should be centered in the basin and somewhat level. Attach two feet of the 1 ½ p.v.c. to the pump, then attach the check off valve to the p.v.c pipe. Then attach the remaining piece of p.v.c and determine the height where you’ll be exiting the basement. Once you’re at the ceiling height then attach one 90 degree p.v.c elbow to the vertical pipe coming out of the basin.
If you can go next to a window without to much demo then great. If you need to bore a hole through masonry then you might want to call a mason or rent a boring drill and go for it. Once you’ve gotten through the wall then make sure you’re far enough away from your property and hopefully sloping away also. Rule of thumb is at least five feet from the property. This amount will differ from property to property. Once all the pipes have been glued and attached properly then add some water to your basin and do a test run. Make sure there are no leaks and you just saved thousands of dollars. It won’t be easy but you’ll be so happy when you’re done

Water coming through my walls

If water is coming through the walls of your basements foundation than it’s an exterior problem that most likely will be a poor drainage issue or gutter issue. Let’s look at the poor drainage issue first. Most of the problems that I see at peoples homes are that the grade around the base of their property is pitched towards the house. Not a good idea!!! If your getting only moisture issue on the interior walls (paint stained or paint peeling) than regrading in that area will most likely be the answer. But wait please don’t throw more mulch to regrade. Mulch will absorb the water and send it down the foundation walls into your basement. You’re going to need a good compactable soil to tamp down tight. A clay mix (not all clay) and native soil will do the trick. Check with the local landscaping store. Stay away from getting top soil. Top soil will also absorb the water and not be good regrading dirt.

If your property has a good amount of trees or your close neighbor has trees that are sending leaves in your gutters, than your problems could be that they need to be cleaned out more regularly. Leaves will clog the area around the downspout and pour the water right over the gutter next to your foundation and into the property. Now if your gutters are old and sagging forward, then it might be time to have them looked at to be straightened out or replaced. Sagging gutters don’t catch much water.

What I see a lot out in the field is that many downspouts release their water next to the foundation walls. Not a good idea!!! Any big box store will sell you an extension for the bottom of the downspout so that you can get the water far enough away from the property. A good rule of thumb would be at least six feet if possible. If you don’t want to see the extension and you have a slope around your property. Then you can go under ground with p.v.c pipe and come thru at the slope in your property. You must be able to have the new pipe release the water thru an open end. First you’ll have to dig straight down from where the downspout releases the existing water. Next to the house will be your high point so you only need to dig down approximately ten inches but this will vary depending on the slope. Purchase one 90% 4” pipe and one 8’ pipe. You’ll need to make one cut maybe two. You’ll need a saw with small teeth to cut thru the p.v.c. I like to use a hack saw to cut my p.v.c.
If you’re new drain will be farther down then 12”(from grade), then I recommend using schedule 40 p.v.c it’s thicker and will take the wait of the earth for quite some time.
After you’ve dug down and you have slope in the trench you just dug, then cut a piece of p.v.c around 8” in length to go up under your exiting downspout. At the bottom of that piece is where you’ll attach the 90 angle which will turn your water away from the house. Then attach your remaining piece of p.v.c. If you’re going to use schedule forty then you should glue all connections with pipe glue. Ask a sales rep. Back fill the trench and make sure that nothing clogs the open end of the pipe. I sometimes will place native stones around the end so as not to see the water pipe coming thru the earth.

If a lot of water is coming thru the walls and these steps have only slowed down the process than it maybe that the walls are moisture filled and any amount of rain causes issues. It maybe time to remove the earth around the problem area down to the base of the footer. This is a costly job and will require a trained professional. Many older homes that we deal with are made of stone foundations and were never waterproofed from the outside. If this is the case, then removing the earth and cleaning the stonewalls from debris and applying new foundation coating would most likely cure the problem. We will sometimes even apply a waterproofing cement plaster to the area. We let it dry and then apply our waterproofing to our new plaster. I’ll give some necessary steps in what to ask a masonry contractor page. This type of job is not homeowner friendly!!