frequently asked questions

It depends on scope and location. Retaining walls 4 feet or taller require a permit in Michigan, and exterior changes inside one of Ann Arbor's 14 local historic districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness before any work starts.

Brick and stone set on sound footings with the right mortar can serve for generations. Mortar joints wear faster than the units around, so repointing usually comes up long before any brick or stone itself actually needs replacing.

Walk the exterior once each spring and again before winter. Look for open joints, spalling faces, white staining and pooling water at the base. Catching those early keeps a repointing job from turning into a full section rebuild later.

Vertical hairline cracks in a poured wall are often shrinkage and stay stable. Horizontal cracks, stair-step patterns and any wall bowing inward suggest soil pressure and deserve a close look before any finishing work goes over the wall.

Brick is a smaller solid unit chosen largely for appearance and weathering. Concrete block is hollow, larger and faster to lay, and cores can be grouted and reinforced, which makes block the usual choice for structural and below-grade work.

Mortar is the bedding that bonds units together and is designed to be the weaker, sacrificial element. Concrete is a structural material poured in mass with coarse aggregate, and it carries load rather than transferring it between bricks.

Most exterior work goes ahead with the household in place. Interior tile and floor projects need the room cleared and closed off, and we contain dust and stage materials so the rest of the house stays fully usable.

Clear vehicles, furniture and planters from the work zone, and leave room for a materials drop close to the site. Anything fragile near the wall should move indoors, since mixing, cutting and demolition throw dust a fair distance.

At Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration we start with a call, then meet on site anywhere in Ann Arbor, MI to look at the structure, discuss design preferences, review material options and put together a project estimate before anything is scheduled.

Cold is the main one. Mortar work needs wall temperatures between 40 and 95 degrees, and concrete has to be placed and held above 55 degrees in Michigan, then protected for at least 7 days. Heavy rain pauses pours too.

Scope of damage decides it. Localized failures on an otherwise sound structure repair well and cost less. Widespread cracking combined with settlement, bowing or a compromised base usually means rebuilding is the better long-term investment for the property.

Keep gutters and downspouts moving water away from the base, reseal concrete only after 30 days and again every 3 to 5 years, and skip deicing chemicals entirely through a slab's first winter. Rinse salt residue off masonry each spring.

Brick, stone and concrete improvements hold value because the materials last. At Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration we have spent 40 years of combined experience rebuilding porches and restoring facades that change how a property in Ann Arbor, MI reads from the curb.

Flaking brick faces, mortar you can scrape out with a key, white powder blooming on the surface, daylight through a joint, leaning sections and damp patches on interior walls all point to water getting in somewhere it should not.

A general contractor coordinates several trades across a whole project. A mason does the brick, block, stone and concrete work directly, which is why hiring one for masonry means the people quoting the job are the ones building it.