By Eric Moshier - Certified Heater Mason, Third-Generation Mason, MHA Technical Committee Member, ASTM E1602 Masonry Heater Group Member
Solid Rock Masonry LLC restores brick, stone, and chimney masonry in Duluth, Minnesota and throughout the surrounding region within about 1.5 hours, including the North Shore, the Iron Range, and northwest Wisconsin. Owner Eric Moshier is a Certified Heater Mason and third-generation mason with more than 25 years of experience and over 800 completed projects. We handle chimney restoration, brick repointing and tuckpointing, stone repair, fireplace restoration, and historic masonry. What sets our work apart is simple: we find and correct the reason the masonry is failing, then rebuild it to last. We do not put band-aids on masonry. A bead of caulk or a patch of the wrong mortar hides the problem for a season and makes the real damage worse. Tuckpointing is billed at $55 per square foot, with roof access charged separately. If your brick is flaking, your mortar joints are crumbling, or your chimney is letting water in, call 218-343-2978.
What does Solid Rock Masonry restore?
We restore the masonry that takes the most weather abuse in a northern climate. That means chimneys, brick walls and veneers, stone fireplaces, foundations and piers, and the historic masonry on older homes and buildings.
Our two most requested restoration services each have their own detailed guide:
» Brick Restoration and Repointing
» Stone Chimney and Fireplace Restoration
If you are not sure which category your project falls into, call and describe it. Most restoration jobs are a combination, such as a chimney that needs a new crown, fresh flashing, and repointing all at once.
Why do brick and stone fail?
Almost every masonry failure in this region traces back to one thing: water. Rain and snowmelt work into cracked joints, failed crowns, and bad flashing.
Then the freeze-thaw cycle takes over. Water expands about nine percent when it freezes, and it does that dozens of times over a northern Minnesota winter. That pressure breaks the face off brick, a failure called spalling, opens mortar joints, and lifts stone out of position. Once water has a path in, the damage accelerates every season until the cause is corrected.
How is our approach different? We fix the cause, not the symptom
Anyone can trowel new mortar over a failing joint or run a bead of caulk around a chimney. It looks fixed for a while. Then the water that was never stopped keeps working behind the patch, and the next time the wall is opened the damage is worse and the repair costs more.
We work the other way around. Before we rebuild anything, we find where the water is getting in and we correct it. The crown, the flashing, the cap, the grade, whatever is actually letting water reach the masonry gets fixed first. Then we rebuild with materials that match what is already there.
Matching matters more than most people realize. Old brick and stone were laid in soft lime mortar that flexes and breathes. Patch that with hard modern Portland cement and the cement traps moisture and cracks the surrounding brick faces off. The wrong mortar is not a neutral choice, it damages the wall. We match mortar type, color, and joint profile so the repair protects the masonry instead of destroying it. That is the difference between a restoration that lasts and a band-aid that fails.
How do you restore a chimney?
A chimney is the hardest-working masonry on the house and usually the first to fail. Restoration can involve replacing a cracked crown, installing or repairing the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, relining the flue, repointing open joints, or rebuilding from a sound course up.
We diagnose the whole chimney rather than the one spot you can see from the ground. The before and after below is a fieldstone chimney we rebuilt in Cable, Wisconsin.
The full process, with photos of more real projects, is in our detailed guide.
» Stone Chimney and Fireplace Restoration
What is tuckpointing, and when do you need it?
Tuckpointing, also called repointing, is the process of grinding out failed mortar joints and packing in fresh mortar. When the mortar between brick or stone has receded, cracked, or turned to sand you can rake out with a key, the joints are no longer keeping water out and the wall needs repointing.
We bill tuckpointing at $55 per square foot, with roof access charges applied separately when a job requires staging or lift access. Our brick guide explains how to tell when a wall needs it.
» Brick Restoration and Repointing
Do you restore historic masonry?
Yes. Historic brick, stone chimneys, churches, and older lake homes are some of our most rewarding work, and where correct technique matters most. Period masonry was built with soft lime mortar and needs to be restored the same way, not with the hardest modern products.
Our credentials come from a lifetime in the trade: third-generation mason, Certified Heater Mason, and membership on the ASTM E1602 committee. That background is what lets us restore old masonry without damaging its character or its structure.
What areas do you serve for restoration?
Restoration and chimney work is local work. We serve Duluth and the communities within about 1.5 hours, including Two Harbors and the North Shore, the Iron Range, Cloquet, and northwest Wisconsin including Cable and Hayward. Larger restoration projects farther out are considered case by case.
Restoration questions we hear most
Why is my brick flaking or crumbling?
That is spalling. Water soaked into the brick, froze, and popped the face off. It means water is getting in somewhere and the freeze-thaw cycle is breaking the masonry apart. It will keep spreading until the source of the water is corrected.
Can you match the brick and mortar on my old house?
Yes. We match mortar type, color, and joint profile, and we source brick and stone to match as closely as possible. On historic walls we use soft lime mortar so the repair moves with the wall instead of cracking it.
Why not just use regular cement mortar for everything?
Hard Portland cement mortar is stronger than old brick and traps moisture against it. On soft historic masonry that combination cracks brick faces off and does real damage. The right mortar is matched to the masonry, not just the strongest bag on the shelf.
Do you patch chimneys, or do you fix them for good?
We fix them. A patch over a chimney that is still letting water in fails again in a season or two. We correct the crown, flashing, and joints so water stays out, then rebuild what the water damaged.
How much does tuckpointing cost?
Tuckpointing is $55 per square foot. Roof access charges apply separately when the job needs staging or a lift. We will look at the wall and give you a firm number before any work starts.
How do I know if my chimney needs a repair or a full rebuild?
It depends on how far the damage has gone. If the crown, flashing, and joints have failed but the structure is sound, restoration is enough. If the masonry has broken down over many courses, a partial or full rebuild is the honest answer. We tell you which one you actually need.
How far will you travel for restoration work?
We regularly work within about 1.5 hours of Duluth. Larger historic or stone projects farther out are considered individually. Call and describe the job.
Get your masonry looked at before winter
The best time to correct masonry is before another freeze-thaw season works on it. If your brick is spalling, your joints are open, or your chimney is leaking, have it looked at now while the repair is still small. Call Solid Rock Masonry at 218-343-2978 or email eric@solidrockmasonry.com.
Solid Rock Masonry LLC
Eric Moshier, Certified Heater Mason
5347 Howard Gnesen Road, Duluth, MN 55803
218-343-2978
eric@solidrockmasonry.com
www.solidrockmasonry.com
Related pages
» Brick Restoration and Repointing
