Stone masonry in Encinitas CA - mortar joints that match your old stone wall
Crumbling joints or loose stones in an older wall? We find the cause, match the old mortar and leave a wall that holds together.
Stone masonry that fixes the cause
Stone masonry is building and fixing stone walls, and most calls I get in Encinitas and the cities around it are about crumbling joints and loose stones. First we decide with you whether the wall needs repointing, which is raking out the broken-down mortar and packing in new, or a new stone face.
Price turns on how much of the wall needs work and which fix it gets. Timing turns on whether the city wants a permit, so your estimate gives you your own figure. Brick joints fall under our brick pointing work, and a wall that's cracking because its footing moved starts with foundation repair.
What our stone masonry covers
Most stone jobs come down to the joints, the mortar and the face of the wall, and here's what each of those involves.
Repointing
We rake the broken-down mortar out of the joints and pack them with new, so water stops finding its way in through the cracks and gaps.
Soft mortar
On older stone we match the old mortar and keep the mix soft, because high-lime mortar lets moisture vapor pass through more easily than dense cement mortar does.
Stone facing
If you want a new face, manufactured veneer is a lightweight cast product that looks like stone but carries no weight, so the wall behind it still does the structural work.
Loose sections
Where stones have worked loose or a section bulges, we take it down, reset the stones and relay them in matched mortar so the repair blends with the rest.
Tell us about your wall
Send photos of the wall, its rough age and whether it's near a slope or bluff. We reply within one business day to set a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
(760) 230-9799How we run stone masonry jobs
I'd rather spend time up front working out why a stone wall is failing than rush a patch that comes back.
- I see the wall myself. I come out to look at the wall in person, so the one who sizes up your job is the one who runs it.
- In masonry since 2017. I learned the trade under an experienced mason before starting this business in 2017, and careful repair on older stone is what we're known for.
- Fully licensed and insured. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to show you both when I come out to look at the job.
- Cause first, then repair. If water or a moving footing is behind the damage, I'll tell you plainly, because new mortar over an unfixed cause just fails again.
Encinitas and the cities around it
Advanced Encinitas Concrete and Masonry is based in Encinitas and works in Carlsbad, Solana Beach and many other cities nearby. If yours isn't listed, call (760) 230-9799.
From first call to finish
Before we start, you'll know what we're doing and why, and I'm on site while our crew works, so there's someone to ask.
The visit
You call or send the form, and we get back to you. I come out, look at the wall, ask what I need to know about its age and tell you straight whether the joints or the face are failing.
The estimate
You get a written estimate that says what we'll do and why, whether that's repointing, a new face or a rebuild. Once you say go, we check with the city's building office and handle the permit application if the job needs one.
The work
Our own crew does the work with me running the site, so nothing gets decided without someone who saw the wall first. When we're done, I walk the finished wall with you.
Encinitas stone masonry questions
How much does a masonry wall cost per square foot?
Across the US, installing a masonry wall usually costs about $35 to $45 per square foot, and that's a national figure for new wall work, not our price. On a stone job here, the size of the wall, how easy it is to reach and real versus manufactured stone move the number most, and the estimate gives you yours.
Do I need a permit to repair a stone wall in Encinitas?
Usually, yes, because the City of Encinitas requires a building permit to build, alter, repair or replace walls and structures. The city does list exempt projects, and an exempt job can still need a Planning, Engineering or Fire permit. We check with the city's Building Division before work starts and file the application when one's needed.
What is the best way to repoint an old stone wall?
Use a lime-based mortar no stronger than the stone or the original mix, which is what federal guidance for historic masonry calls for. Ask whether the old mortar will be lab-tested to set the new mix, and ask for a small test patch before the whole wall. In hot, dry spells, one restoration guide prefers light misting of new mortar for the first 24 to 48 hours.
How do I know a contractor can take on my stone masonry project in California?
Ask what state license they hold for the work. Under the state licensing board's guidance, a general building contractor can take the main contract on a specialty project only if it also holds that specialty classification. Otherwise it has to subcontract the work to a properly licensed specialty contractor.
What extra steps are there for a wall near a bluff or slope in Encinitas?
Coastal and slope sites usually add city steps. Most of Encinitas sits in the Coastal Zone, where the city issues coastal development permits, and city code bars structures within 40 feet of the top edge of a coastal bluff, with listed exceptions. A retaining wall next to a slope needs the city's retaining wall permit and a geotechnical report, a study of the soil.
Plan the work on your Encinitas home
Send a few photos through the form or call (760) 230-9799, and we'll set a time for me to come see the wall.