Restoration Register

Heritage masonry contractors in London, Windsor and Southwestern Ontario

Southwestern Ontario has some of the best Victorian brick stock in the province and the weakest specialist coverage to look after it. Four masons for a region running from Windsor to Brantford means the good ones are busy, and it means most owners here are quoted by general masons who have never worked with lime mortar.

The building stock is predominantly soft local brick, yellow and red, with stone sills, lintels and foundations. What that brick needs is a lime-based mortar softer than the brick itself, joints raked by hand, and salvaged brick matched by size and colour where units have to be replaced. What it usually gets is Portland cement, which is harder than the brick and pushes the failure into the masonry face where it cannot be reversed. Because coverage is thin, it is worth getting a quote from a heritage mason travelling in from outside the region rather than accepting a local general mason's price. The travel premium is almost always cheaper than a wall repointed twice.

What to ask before you hire

  1. Have you worked with lime mortar, and on what buildings? Ask for specific projects. General masonry experience is not the same qualification.
  2. What will you use to rake the joints? A wide angle grinder damages the brick arrises permanently, and this is the most common failure in this region.
  3. Will you travel, and what does that add? A heritage mason from outside the region is frequently the better value once you count the repeat repair.
Grant funding

Brantford funds 50% to $20,000 and St. Marys 50% to $7,500 architectural and $2,500 facade, both confirmed. London funds at 50% with no published cap. Windsor's Community Heritage Fund, Owen Sound, Chatham-Kent and Petrolia all run programs with unpublished terms.

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