Santa Clara – Masonry

The time has come to work on your Santa Clara County home in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Milpitas, or San Jose. Maybe the retaining wall is sagging. Or you're thinking of building some outdoor living space. Or you'd like to update the existing driveway with something more attractive. When you need someone to work with brick, stone, concrete, or similar materials, you need a mason. Masonry is an ancient craft and science that involves working with these materials to construct buildings and outdoor spaces. Masonry construction has been uncovered dating to the time of the Romans, when extraordinary structures of brick and stone were built. Egypt's dramatic pyramids are samples of the mason's art. Masonry has a proud tradition, but you just need to get some stuff done around the house. Use the information below to help you find the best masonry firm to help you get your job done.
Make Sure Your Santa Clara County Masonry Company has a License to Build
As you look in Santa Clara County for your masonry company, whether you are looking in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, San Jose, Milpitas, Cupertino, Gilroy, or Campbell, be sure you find a licensed mason. California requires a license for all contractors who do more than $500 of work. Furthermore, the state also has a specific license for masons, the C29. The C29 license is for those who pass the test and who work with concrete, natural and manufactured stone, glass and clay block, terra cotta, firebrick, and similar materials. A mason creates and installs masonry units (i.e. bricks, stones, etc.) that constitute load-bearing or non-load bearing walls for buildings or fences. Note that mortar may or may not be used. A mason can also apply veneers, or facing, and may install paving. The mason can also clean, waterproof and apply caulking as part of the masonry job.
You may find yourself having masonry work done by someone without a C29 license. The state has ruled that anyone with a landscaping license, the C27 license, can also perform masonry work if that work is part of a landscape project. In the end, you as the consumer want to make sure you work with a licensed contractor. If you are having only masonry work done, find a licensed masonry contractor to install or repair your existing masonry structures. But if you find you are working on a landscaping project that might include some masonry work and you believe your contractor is capable of completing it, your landscaping contractor can also do the work, as long as he or she has the landscaping license. In short, look for a license.
Is Masonry Construction Safe for Santa Clara County?
You may be wondering if it's safe to use masonry construction to build a house or other free-standing structure. This is California after all. You're living in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Mountain View, San Jose, Cupertino, or Palo Alto. Some pretty famous faults lie in the backyard. You may have some concerns rising out of long-standing urban legends or myths. What about when earthquakes strike? Can you really use masonry components to construct buildings in California?
The unreinforced masonry building (URM), which consists of brick-only construction, is unsafe in earthquakes. This was proved very early in the twentieth century. Such URMs are no longer built, and the state requires any existing ones to be retrofitted. The problem was that earthquakes caused the masonry units in the structures to pull and tug against each other. As we Californians know, buildings withstand earthquakes better when the building moves as a single unit. Unreinforced masonry buildings are definitely not up to code. However, modern construction techniques use steel to reinforce the masonry material. Structures built using modern methods with reinforced masonry are safe, even in earthquake territory. Homes and commercial buildings throughout California are built incorporating masonry as structural components.
Masonry construction will yield you many benefits. Masonry materials like brick, concrete, and stone are very long lasting and need little maintenance. They can help reduce energy costs by maintaining the heat or coolness in the building. Masonry units are often produced by local firms. This local sourcing reduces transportation costs. To be clear, masonry units are bricks, or other material like bricks, that are assembled to build the structure.
Masonry material is environmentally friendly in other ways, too. Often, material from masonry structures is recycled for reuse. It is used as aggregate, which is the material included with cement in concrete. Because masonry structures wear well, they reduce the amount of rebuilding and thus the impact on the environment. Masonry materials such as concrete can be colored, so that no paints or other substances with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) need to be applied. Some masonry components are mold-resistant concrete, for example. There are many reasons why you might want to look into using masonry for buildings, now that you know it's safe.
How Can a Santa Clara County Masonry Firm Help You?
Masonry firms work on all types of projects, including outdoor living spaces and enhancements. These projects can range from the relatively small to multi-story buildings. We'll focus mostly on what consumers in Santa Clara County, whether in Santa Clara, Mountain View, Milpitas, San Jose, or Sunnyvale, might want ask a masonry firm to do.
The masonry mailbox is a popular option these days. These masonry mailboxes are not just a tin box stuck on a post. Instead, a design of bricks or stone or similar material is developed, and the post box is placed in this structure of masonry. The mailbox itself may be the standard post box set into the masonry work. Alternatively, it may be specially designed to suit its surroundings. Often, the masonry elements are chosen to match surrounding material. For example, a stone pillar with a mailbox on the top might be set into the end corner of a retaining wall. The masonry mailbox is becoming popular because it can provide a dignified and elegant look for this every-day object.
In-ground pools are another area where homeowners may find themselves calling in the mason. Masons sometimes specialize in pools, and some pool firms sometimes have masons on staff or on call. The in-ground pool starts with a deep hole in the ground. The bottom of the pool is then laid. It often consists of sand or vermiculite or a combination of the two. The walls and floors of the pool may be either poured concrete or steel walls with concrete footings that keep them from wavering. There is some debate over which is the better choice for pool construction. Concrete walls cost a bit more than steel to put in, but many favor concrete walls for their ability to withstand destruction over time, as steel may rust. On the other hand, owners have had steel-walled pools that last a long time as long as the vinyl liners are kept up.
As you decide on your outdoor features, take a good look at where you plan to place them. Is the ground where you want to place the structure level? Or will you want to hire someone to grade it? One of the benefits of masonry construction is that it adapts well when the land has a grade. In addition, you will want to be sure that water can drain away from the structure and not into your home's foundations. The type of ground where you live may have some bearing on the project. The earth may be harder or easier to dig into to create the bed that sits under the masonry construction, and more loosely or tightly compacted earth may have to be accounted for to resist settlement over time. If you plan to replace an existing structure for example, upgrading a patio or driveway, be sure you and your mason both agree on how much demolition must be done before the mason comes in. Will the mason perform any of the demolition or only build the new structure? Depending on your project, you may need permits to complete the work you are hiring the mason to perform. Find out if you do need the permit, and ask if the masonry company helps in getting permits.
No matter what you have in mind, whether you are building pools, ponds, patios, outdoor fireplaces, or outdoor kitchens, you and your mason may both contribute to the aesthetic design. Some customers have firm ideas and strong opinions. With a design in mind, they want a masonry firm that will comprehend their design and execute it. Other customers want to take a look at aesthetic designs from the masonry firm. No matter which way you go, a good mason should be able to understand what your design sense. Many masons undergo apprenticeships and have long experience in the field. They can make useful recommendations about design and materials. You should listen to them when it comes to recommendations about the structure's technical requirements, even if you want to have the majority say in the aesthetic design.
Build a Home or Make Repairs With a Santa Clara County Masonry Firm
A masonry firm can build and repair your house and indoor structures, as well as build outdoor structures, whether you are living in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Milpitas, or San Jose. You might find yourself calling in a mason to re-do stone steps or reface the house fa ade. Masons often perform chimney repair or reconstruction. When you need repairs to your chimney or other structures, ask your mason about his or her expertise in matching colors. People often want a repair that appears seamless with the existing structure. Masons can achieve this matching to some degree by sourcing matching material and by coloring any grout used so that it comes very close to matching the existing colors. Fences made of brick or stone are attractive and popular with some.
Masons can be helpful when you are constructing from the ground up, too. Masonry construction often costs less than walls built from glass curtains, metal panel curtains, and architectural precast concrete. With masonry construction, you can reduce construction times because you are reducing the number of trades involved in the project and reduce the amount of coordination required. Construction products are typically produced locally, so you do not have to wait for them to arrive. If you use cavity construction, you will have a built-in fire barrier and energy-efficient walls. Maintenance over the long term is minimal.
The centuries-old technique of the cavity wall highlights some of the benefits of masonry construction. The cavity wall is a masonry construction method that has been around for centuries. A cavity wall has two sides connected together around a cavity, or space, in the middle of them. The two sides of masonry material are referred to as wythes in the trade. The wythes, or sides, are bound together with masonry ties. You may choose to add insulation in the cavity or not. In modern buildings, steel reinforces the masonry. The steel is grouted to the masonry to form a unit that combines masonry's ability to resist compression with steel's ability to resist tension, making the building able to withstand both lateral and vertical forces.
Of course, professional architects and masons must produce designs that are structurally sound and comply with building codes. As a consumer, you may want to pay attention to information about the flashing. Flashing makes a water barrier that is installed to prevent moisture from seeping into the masonry components. The flashing must provide the water with a path to drip down and weep away from the building. It's especially critical that the flashing be well designed around windows and doors, to prevent water entry. Masonry offers strong structural capabilities, in addition to the beauty it provides. On the commercial side, masons also perform work building and repairing buildings and especially for churches made of masonry materials.