Questions tagged [masonry]
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220
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25 views
Steel beam with masonry brick sitting on top of it on an elevated deck
I have a steel deck structure that has brickwork sitting on the support beam. There is a gap between the beam and the masonry that cracks over time. I have painted the exposed steel, but wanted to ...
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1answer
66 views
What kind of exterior paint has a fine sand paper-like backing, is it a primer?
I need to repair peeling flaking exterior paint on my stone window sill, so looking to find a suitable matching paint but I'm puzzled on what this stuff is.
Looking at the back of the paint, it looks ...
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1answer
64 views
How can I safely cut small limestone bricks?
I have a number of long limestone bricks leftover after breaking down a large limestone planter. They're 2.5"x4", vary in length from 6" to 18", and some are mortared together. I'd ...
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0answers
57 views
Help modifying window opening. American Concrete Institute standards? Building code?
I'm remodeling my kitchen and part of the work that I want to do involves modifying my window rough openings. Currently, the windows in my kitchen are lower than the countertop backsplash and I want ...
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29 views
Chased Conduit Bend through Exterior Wall
I am in the middle of a re-wiring project, part of which requires installing new light switches on the inside of an exterior wall (plaster directly on brick). I will be installing the switch box flush ...
2
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1answer
88 views
Stone veneer cracking and falling off
a large piece of the stone veneer has fallen off. What is the best way to reattach it?
The brick behind the veneer is not in good shape. It flakes off when I scratch it. Should I treat or seal the ...
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0answers
24 views
How to estimate how much mason mix I need for a wall?
I am building a wall using Quikrete Mason Mix Type S 60 lb (as I think that is the correct product for gluing bricks together to form a wall). The wall will in total have use 400 cinder blocks, ...
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1answer
44 views
Holes for HD Screw Anchors
I've ordered 5/8" x 4" Strong-Tie Titen HD Screw Anchors to secure a pull-up rig to a brick wall. See photos.
The brick wall is actually a solid 1 foot thick!
What's the best way to drill ...
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1answer
32 views
Expanding a window downwards in a brick face [closed]
I understand that expanding a brick window is an expensive operation, and I was wondering what went into such an operation. We have a window in the front of our house that we want to expand downwards, ...
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1answer
48 views
Replace fire bricks in fireplace
I have a masonry fireplace where about 8 fire bricks have fallen off of the back wall of the firebox. The fireplace was built in the late 1960's, then mostly unused for decades. I was told that the ...
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2answers
115 views
Suggestions for building plywood landing and connecting to concrete stoop?
I would like to add a plywood landing to the garage and kitchen door entryway from the concrete stoop. The Cinder block garage, which was built later and abuts the house, has a horizontal crack that ...
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1answer
79 views
Will repointing solve water leakage issue?
I have a detached garage that is getting water leakage through the back wall. There are no leaks coming from the roof, in fact the roof was replaced within the last year.
The walls of the garage are ...
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1answer
66 views
How to repair masonry porch riser
I usually enter and exit my home through the garage, but the other day I was by my front porch and noticed the riser was cracked and loose. The part in the image also flexes when you push on it. Is ...
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0answers
95 views
Can I safely drill a four inch hole in a brick load bearing wall?
I need to drill a four inch hole in a brick load bearing external wall for a kitchen fan. Is there much risk of affecting the structural integrity of the building?
It is a two storey building and the ...
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0answers
136 views
Best way to fill large (3") vertical crack in solid brick party wall?
I live in an East Coast row-house built in the early 1920s. There is a 3" crack in the solid brick party wall that I need to address (see photos). My neighbor's baby's room is on the other side ...
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2answers
49 views
Hanging hooks in a weak wall
I used to have some (guitar) hooks which were screwed into a brick wall, but 2/3 of them have fallen out. My only guess is that (since they are all at the same vertical height) they all went into a ...
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1answer
38 views
Concrete block water wall footing requirements
My wife and I would like to build a 6 foot high, 8 foot long fountain wall, using concrete cinder block that will then be covered with stone veneer.
My question is regarding the footing. We obviously ...
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36 views
Using edging where people walk across
I'm building a gravel patio inside my U-shaped gravel driveway. I will be using two different kinds of gravel, so I need a separator at the border to prevent the mixing of the two types of gravel. If ...
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2answers
364 views
Correct way to fix a broken block in a cinder block foundation
I have a 1954 built house with a cinder block crawlspace foundation with about a 1 1/2 foot clearance. I can squeeze in, but not easily. I'm in Cleveland, OH, so there is definitely a freeze-thaw ...
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1answer
174 views
Crushed cinder block a substitute for crushed stone?
I have two projects and I'm hoping there's a synergy between them. The first project is the demolition of a small cinder block wall that has just been completed. The second project is building a ...
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1answer
68 views
When to Repair Versus Replace Concrete Slab?
I am a first-time homebuyer and purchased an older home in the Northeastern US. While I've found great infomation here on my many DIY projects, I have not been able to determine whether or not my ...
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0answers
44 views
Is this brick knee wall tied in to the main wall?
We would like to remove the L-shaped brick "knee wall" in the picture on the left. The picture on the right shows the seam between the knee wall and the main wall of the house. Is the knee ...
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1answer
103 views
How to identify the wall type and studs for drilling
I need to anchor an Ikea bookcase and a drawer to the wall, but despite days of Internet research I am not able to identify where I can drill a hole in my wall. I have tried knocking on the wall to ...
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1answer
70 views
mice and sound traveling through brick party wall joist pockets
We live in a 1912 row house that I believe has joist pockets that allow sound and mice to travel freely between me and my neighbors' houses. For instance, my neighbor hired pest control to deal with ...
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3answers
300 views
Best way to fill gaps between lumber and masonry or rocks
We have built 4x4 retaining walls around existing rocks and concrete that we were unable to get rid of. The idea was - and is - use something fill the gaps between the lumber and the rocks / cements. ...
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79 views
How to fix and redrill stucco/concrete to install a new bib?
Replacing a hose bib and the new holes don't match the old holes. The exterior is stucco over concrete. Also, it looks like initially they stucco'ed after the hose was installed. I think I would like ...
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1answer
2k views
Safely drilling into a stone fireplace?
I have a stone fireplace in a cabin that I'd like to mount a television screen on. While I’d love to pay someone a reasonable fee to do so, the cabin is in a location where contractors are few and far ...
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1answer
83 views
What's going on with this chimney?
Tore the walls off and found the chimney looking like this:
It's seen a lot of leaking as you can see from the streaks. The exterior portion was rebuilt last year. That horizontal crack running ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
Best way to fix tile
One of our old tiles suddenly feel off, the others seem ok.
What's the best to fix back. I don't think I'll be able to get a new tile to match, and I don't think I can chisel the old mortar off ...
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2answers
678 views
How long should I wait to drill holes into brand new mortar?
I just repaired loose bricks on my house in preparation to install new window shutters. When would it be ok to drill holes into the mortar and install the shutters? From my other research I'm going to ...
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1answer
39 views
Fastening stone stair treads to a CMU base in a removable manner
I'm designing a very, very low set of landscape stairs (really more like a wide stoop) to transition two areas of my yard. My plan is to pour a concrete base slab, build a core with CMUs on top of ...
0
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1answer
44 views
Best way to attach trellis to brick
What is the correct way to attach a wooden trellis to brick? Should the mounting bolts (screws?) go into the brick or into the mortar between the bricks? What is the best practice?
If it matters and ...
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1answer
32 views
Poured door transition - Safe to dig around?
In the back of my house I have an addition that just sits on a perimeter foundation (no basement). I've got some moisture problems and some grading issues, so I'm putting a french drain around the ...
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1answer
32 views
Leveling first row of CMUs on uneven slab
So I may have a couple to many beers when pouring the slab for my new outdoor fireplace, and "forgot" that I needed to pour it level and not follow the slop of the patio. Whoops...
https://ibb.co/...
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1answer
72 views
What is the optimal method of dealing with leaking brick veneer?
My home is brick veneer (one layer). Interior is all drywall, mostly put up by the people who sold me the house 4 years ago (it was a flip).
We're in Tampa, so we get a lot of rain, but the only time ...
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2answers
56 views
How can I drill into cinder blocks and attack brackets?
I want to affix some shelves to some cinder block walls. The shelves would be 3000 x 400mm. I have been eyeing up these brackets as supports. The shelves will be to hold power tools and toolboxes and ...
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50 views
Having doubts about my mason
I have just hired a young mason for a few projects, one of which was to patch a hole in the brick wall and the other to build a low garden wall. I hired him on the basis of pictures that he texted me ...
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2answers
613 views
Can I cut a 2" thick marble slab myself?
I've picked up a 27"x27"x2" piece of marble countertop off the street. I'd like to clean it up and use it, but I'd also like to trim it down.
I don't mind doing it myself, but want to make sure I'm ...
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0answers
23 views
Weather barrier for concrete block to wood transition
I have a concrete block garage with a single-car-size door that I've framed in. The goal is to cover the whole area with siding. I've applied housewrap to the wood portion but I'm not certain how to ...
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3answers
1k views
Drilling into fireplace
Is it safe to drill a one inch deep hole for a small screw and anchor into the mortar area around the rock in my fireplace to hang something? Is there any risk to piercing the inner part and letting ...
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1answer
116 views
Is this joint between the foundation and first row of mortar typical
Just wondering if this is a normal appearance for the area where the foundation and first row of mortar/brick meet. There are no signs of any structural cracks or anything like that in the area. Is ...
2
votes
1answer
273 views
Filling gaps between bricks in pool deck
I am repairing the deck around my pool. Some bricks were loose, so I removed them, ground off old mortar and glued them back. Now I need to fill the gaps between the bricks with mortar, similar to how ...
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1answer
63 views
Does this wall look sound?
I want to hang pegboard and some French cleats on my garage walls, which have some cracks in the masonry. Are these likely to be cosmetic or structural defects? Assuming I hang everything from the ...
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5answers
8k views
Masonry bits dulling after 3-4 holes
I'm using an 18v makita hammer drill with a 3/16" Bosch blue granite turbo concrete bit to drill 2" deep holes into concrete-filled cinder blocks. With a fresh bit, it takes about 15 seconds to drill ...
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4answers
10k views
What bit should I use to drill a two inch hole in a solid concrete wall?
I am planning to install a 1.5-inch conduit through a poured concrete wall. I am planning on drilling a two-inch hole to accommodate the size of the conduit body. I have been searching up and down, ...
3
votes
1answer
315 views
Widening the stone entrance into a crawlspace
I've got a 200 year old house with a crawl space under one corner of the house. The entrance to that crawl space is very tight (pictured below), and I am a large man. I want to expand the entrance to ...
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74 views
Insulating or air sealing around pipes in brick
I recently moved into a single story double masonry house and discovered a rather noticeable amount of cold air coming from around the dishwasher in the kitchen. I pulled out the machine and found ...
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0answers
54 views
My granite foundation was underpinned and has load-bearing 6x6 posts around the perimeter of the basement. How to repoint behind them?
My building has a granite block foundation supporting a brick structure above it.
In the 80's, the building was gutted and the foundation was underpinned. They added load bearing posts around the ...
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2answers
2k views
How can I tell if this is a gas or wood burning fireplace
From what I've been able to determine what's pictured is a gas log lighter for wood burning fireplaces. The prior owner did some questionable stuff so I don't know if it was originally gas and he "...
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2answers
68 views
Trying to decide between these two types of masonry bits
I'm undecided if I need an SDS Max vs Plus for masonry drill bits. I've heard that drilling with SDS Plus can take a while with larger diameter bits. Anyone ever drill larger than 1" with an SDS Plus ...
