| Pay no money upfront.
Serving
Galveston, Brazoria, Harris Counties
Friendswood, League City, Pearland,
Kemah, Seabrook, Clear Lake,
Alvin, Manvel, Santa Fe, Texas City,
Dickinson, and Galveston,Tx
Reviews
 AggieJoe 08/11/2013
We own an old home on Galveston Bay. Since 1976 when we did a major remodel, our fireplace hasn't worked right. Had it worked on two different times. Then we tried James with Craftsman Masonry. They did a great job and now we enjoy it every winter. They had to add on several feet and restore the firebox. James worked hard to match the brick, his crew is top notch. Did a good job on cleanup and protecting the landscape. We are glad we used them and would recommend their work to all. Aggie Joe
cowboysfan444 07/30/2013
James Neal and his talented staff don’t just make repairs, they make works of art. They trimmed down a rock chimney which serves two fireplaces and made it not only safe, but beautiful. The most beautiful work they have done was to replace Arkansas ledge stone with brick that was a perfect match, fitting segments of the wall around a curve and also creating a double wall space which served as good insulation. They charge reasonable prices for superior work. Also, they always leave everything clean and neat. -Cathy G.Texas City
Rickey-Callier 07/30/2013
Craftsman Masonry, Inc. helped troubleshoot and repair brickwork problems in two (2) of our residences in Galveston County, Texas. The company evaluated our problems using the symptoms we experienced and its hands-on site review of the existing brick work at no cost. A quote for the repairs indicated by its review was provided before any work was started. The repairs included the following; 1. Replacing corroded window and garage door lintels that caused cracks in the brick wall. 2. Adding expansion joints to brick walls that cracked due to the absence of expansion joints. 3. Adding brick ledge where it had been omitted by the builder. 4. Caulking windows and expansion joints with an industrial grade, long life sealer. 5. The brickwork was cleaned after completion. All work was conducted in a professional manner and the job site was left cleaner than it was found using a hot water pressure washer for added cleaning effectiveness. The solutions to the brick problems have withstood the test of time giving us confidence that the problems have been solved and that the solutions will last a long time. I have recommended Craftsman Masonry, Inc. to other homeowners and have received similar evaluations of its professionalism, knowledge, workmanship and overall effectiveness. I would use Craftsman Masonry, Inc. again for my brickwork and masonry needs. Tim & Ann P., League City
C.Mills 07/30/2013
My husband and I have used James Neal of Craftsman Masonry to repair our brick three different times over the past 12 years. He is very detail oriented, matched the color of the mortar perfectly and did a superb job with repointing!! His workmen are polite, professional, always on time, and work hard all day. Each time he delivered excellent service. I have recommended him to friends and will use him again if I need any masonry repairs. I wouldn’t consider using anyone else. He is very knowledgeable about brick and stops by frequently throughout the course of the repair to check on things. He is tops in his field!!! Linda A Galveston
kacolivia 04/04/2013
Don't look any further, this is the masonry company you need to use. Mr. Neal is detailed, knows how to communicate, works well with customers and goes the extra mile. His crew is always on time, professional, courteous, neat, and trustworthy. They all know what they are doing and they do it very, very well. Unlike most other contractors, Mr. Neal stops by the jobsite often to make sure the job is going as planned. We had windows replaced a few months ago (unrelated to the work we hired him to do) and he noticed some questionable caulk work; he educated me how to work with the window contractor to get them to correct their work. I'd refer him to all my friends and neighbors in a heart beat. Thank you Mr. Neal and crew for taking such great care of our home, our property, for giving us peace of mind and for a job well done.
michaelpiel 05/26/2011
If you are looking for a mason...
If you are looking for a mason who can match the existing work , this is the company. I have worked with James Neal over the last 15 years and he is the only brick restoration mason I would use. His Employees are always on time and on schedule. We have completed over 50 projects big and small together and I can not remember a single call back.
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Common Brick Repairs
We perform many brick repairs:
- Replacing damaged and rusted lintels
- Installing through-wall flashing
- Repairing stress cracks due to foundation issues or no expansion joints
- Repointing deteriorated mortar joints
- Cleaning brickwork.
Our most common problems that we find include:
- Repairing mismatched mortar and brick that was done by unqualified masons or contractor accounts for about 20% of our gross sales every year.
- Anchoring loose walls with retro-fit stainless steel wall ties; 99% of houses in our area are built using wall ties that are 25ga milled galvanized, which is the thickness of a soda can and usually that is not an adequate number of them installed. Along the coast these ties have a life expectancy of 10 years, on the mainland approximately 20 years. Once they rust through, the wall become loose and are subject to cracking and movement.
- Replacing damaged and rusted lintels with galvanized lintels (angle iron). See our page on lintels.
Damaged Brick Staircase
Galveston,Tx
A car hit this 1930’s home. We were able to match the brick and mortar.
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Clean Before Matching Mortar Color
We have extensive experience in matching mortar texture and color. In some cases we recommend cleaning the brickwork prior to making mortar samples to get a better assessment of the mortar color. Over the years mortar can have different appearance on the each side of the house depending on the sun and rain exposure. In order to make the repairs match it’s important to have the existing brickwork as clean as possible so that it has a uniform appearance. Some people are reluctant to have power washing done because they think we will damage the masonry. This is possible with the wrong type of machine and an inexperienced operator. What makes our procedure different from others is that we have a special hot water machine that uses large volumes of 200 degree hot water and low pressure (1,500 PSI)- the same as a self-serve quarter car wash. It's the volume of hot water that does the cleaning not the pressure. By using this procedure we seldom have to use chemicals that can damage plants and are bad for the environment. This machine costs $10,000 and very few restoration contractors have them. Our operators have 10 years of experience.
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Most common brick repair mistakes
- Hiring unqualified masonry contractors
- Allowing a poorly matching brick to be used as replacement
Locating matching bricks is very difficult. There are 11 brickyards in Houston and other salvage yards who don’t deal with the general public.
We have the advantage of having our own brickyard with 50,000 new, antique and salvaged bricks. Over the past 20 years we have developed relationships with brick wholesalers and antique and salvaged brick dealers. We commonly order bricks from out of state or from Mexico. For example we have located new bricks in Oklahoma that haven’t been manufactured in 15 years and it only cost the customer $200 to have them shipped here.
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Fix “Handy Man Patches”
League City,Tx
People often hire unqualified contractors to patch cracks in homes. In this example, the material used did not match. We removed the patch and replaced with mortar that matched perfectly.
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Before |
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Damaged Garage Wall
Pearland,Tx
People running into garage walls is very common. A small error in judgement can cause significant damage.
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| Damage From The Accident |
After The Repair |
Deteriorated Mortar
Pearland,Tx
The mortar had deteriorated in so many places that it was not feasible to spot patch this work. It was more economically feasible to saw out and re-point all mortar joints on entire house. The uniform appearance of the house added value to the home.
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| Close Up View of Damage |
Removing Deteriorated Mortar |
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| Completed Job |
Foundation Failure
Friendswood,Tx
A significantly damaged brick wall due to foundation failure. The severity of which made necessary the use of expansion joints which were filled with a backer rod , a primer, and a high end colored petroleum based caulking. This will allow the walls to move independently to prevent cracking in the future.
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| Cracked Wall |
More Cracking |
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| Installed an Expansion Joint |
More Expansion Joints |
Window Installation
Friendswood,Tx
Removed bricks in order to install a new custom window.
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| Removing Old Window |
Completed Job |
Historic Brick Deterioration
Galveston,Tx
An historic Galveston home that developed issues from no through-wall flashing, rusted wall ties, and lack of maintenance. It was necessary to remove and salvage all brick and rebuild to current day building code standards.
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| Damaged Brick and Mortar |
Damaged Brick and Mortar |
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| Rebuilding |
Competed Job |
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| Competed Job |
Retrofitting
League City,Tx
Retro-Fitting stainless steel wall ties to structure
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| Removing Brick |
Wall Ties |
Cleaning Bricks
Galveston,Tx
Power washing with hot water eliminates the need for chemicals that are harmful to plants and the environment.
2215 Clark Dr.
La Marque, TX 77568
(409) 935-2060
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