| 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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Fireplace and Chimney Repairs
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We perform many repairs to fireplaces and chimneys:
- Reconstructing crowns on top of chimney
- Replacing loose firebricks in firebox
- Replacing damaged dampers
- Replacing damaged flue liners
- Solving water leaks
- Replacing rusted and damaged prefabricated fireboxes and flues
Incorrectly Installed Flue Liners
League City,Tx
This is an example of the flue tile being too low and allowing rain to enter the chimney.
The crown had deteriorated and cracked. The flue liner needs to be extended and the crown resurfaced with a high strength special concrete sloped to shed water. The extended flue liner will allow use of a standard chimney cap. If this is not repaired, it will eventually rust the damper and replacement will be necessary and very expensive. This is one of our most common repairs.
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| Flue Needs Extending |
Cracked Mortar |
Repairing Deteriorated Mortar Joints
Clear lake,Tx
This is an example of deteriorated mortar joints with antique brick. Due to excessive deterioration, it became cost effective to re-point the entire chimney. We re-surfaced the crown, painted the flashing, and caulked with a specialty masonry caulk.
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| Repairing Deteriorated Mortar Joints |
Incorrectly Installed Flue Liners |
Replacing Crown
Crown replacement, another common repair, was necessary because original construction utilized re-bar in the masonry to support the crown until it dried (in other cases, wood was used). Over time, the rusted re-bar expanded and cracked the brickwork, allowing moisture to penetrate the chimney. We installed galvanized angle irons and concrete block to support the crown. This is a permanent solution to the problem.
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No Chimney Sweeps!
All of our fireplace repairs are done by master bricklayers. We do not employee chimney sweeps. 20% of the fireplace and chimney repairs we perform each year are correcting what was done by chimney sweepers.
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The Wrong Mortar?
When masonry fireplaces are built, many masons use the same mortar on the crown as they use to lay the bricks. Even when this technique is done correctly, it only lasts about 10 years.
Ordinary mortar cannot stand up to the rain and weather. When the crown fails and moisture starts infiltrating the chimney, we remove the existing mortar and rebuild the crown using high-strength concrete with fiberglass reinforcing and a special adhesive and then slope it to shed water.
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Flue Liners and Chimney Caps
About 50% of our repair jobs, we find that the flue liner is not high enough to have a standard chimney cap bolted on. In those cases we extend the flue liners up so a standard chimney cap can be bolted on.
Approximately 20% of the time - especially on larger chimneys - when we remove the crown we find plywood or rebar was used to support the crown until it dried. As moisture leaks through the crown it rots the wood or rusts the rebar and it expands causing the brickwork to crack and sometimes allows the crown to fall into the cavity of the chimney.
When we repair the top of the chimney we build an interior support for the crown using galvanized angle iron and concrete blocks underneath it. Then we repair the brickwork as needed.
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| Rusted Rebar Separated from the Brick |
Removed Crown and Repaired Mortar |
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| Replacing Crown with Proper Materials |
Finished Job |
Rebuilding Damaged Firebox
Pearland,Tx
This firebox was deteriorated and the bricks were loose on the back wall. We rebuilt it with new fire brick and refactory high-heat mortar.
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| Damaged Firebox |
Repaired Firebox |
Repairing Chimney After Lighting Strike With Custom Scaffolding
Friendswood,Tx
This is an example of cracked flue tiles. One of the main reasons for cracking was due to a lack of fill brick around flue tiles (not up to current building codes). Slight movement will get the flue tiles out of alignment. If flue tiles are cracked or broken, fire and smoke are able to fill the interior cavity of the chimney, causing a potential fire hazard. Repair work included sealing new flue tiles with 4” concrete block and brick around the flue tiles.
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| Chimney After Lightning Strike |
Close Up Of Damaged Chimney |
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| After Repair |
Custom Scaffolding and New Crown |
Replacing Damaged Flue Tile
Pearland,Tx
This is an example of cracked flue tiles. One of the main reasons for cracking was due to a lack of fill brick around flue tiles (not up to current building codes). Slight movement will get the flue tiles out of alignment. If flue tiles are cracked or broken, fire and smoke are able to fill the interior cavity of the chimney, causing a potential fire hazard. Repair work included sealing new flue tiles with 4” concrete block and brick around the flue tiles.
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| Cracked Flue Is Not Evident |
After Exposing, The Damage is Evident |
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| Replacing Cracked Flue and Rebuilding |
Finished Job |
Repairing a Lightning Strike
League City,Tx
This custom chimney was struck by lightning. We re-built the chimney and created a custom concrete cap to match.
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| After Lightning Strike, Before Repair |
Close Up View of Damage |
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| Rebuilding the Chimney |
Finished Job |
Renovating Historic Fireplace
Galveston,Tx
This historic home had a deteriorated firebox. We completely re-built and modified the firebox to allow wood burning throughout.
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| Beginning the Repair Job |
Finished Job |
Pre-fab Firebox Deterioration
Santa Fe,Tx
This is a pre-fab firebox. The refractory panels have deteriorated over the years. These walls can be replaced from inside the house.
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| Deteriorated Refractory Panels |
Close Up View |
Installing Damper Caps
Galveston,Tx
These are damper caps that can be controlled with a cable located inside the firebox, which is an economical way to open and close flues. These are used when the original dampers have rusted, or were never originally installed. This prevents AC and Heat from escaping house, reducing energy costs.
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| Damper Cap |
Cable Controller |
Repairing Firebox
Friendswood,Tx
We shored up the throat and flues above this firebox and completely re-built a new firebox with a cast iron damper.
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Deteriorated Firebox
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Rebuilt Firebox |
New Fireplace Construction
Santa Fe,Tx
This is a new masonry fireplace that we constructed.
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Firebox
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Building the Chimney |
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Scaffolding for the Project
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Finished Job |
Stucco Repair on Historic Chimney
Galveston,Tx
Originally built in 1898, the stucco on this chimney had deteriorated. We made structural repairs and stuccoed with modern materials.
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Before
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After |
2215 Clark Dr.
La Marque, TX 77568
(409) 935-2060
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