Pendleton sits on Fall Creek, and its historic district holds a wide mix of Federal, Greek Revival and Craftsman houses, while streets like Broadway are lined with older homes. Away from that older core, the calls we get look like most of the cities around Noblesville, with brick fronts, block foundations, and walkways and patios that have settled or cracked.
We come out from Noblesville just as we do to Anderson and Tipton, and I'm the one who looks at your job first. On a house that's stood this long, the brick, the mortar and the ground under it have all moved some, so the first question is why something let go, not what to patch.
Older brick needs mortar that fits it
Older brick like Pendleton's was usually laid with softer mortar than what goes into a wall today, and that matters because the joint is meant to wear before the brick does. Repoint it with a hard modern mix and the brick takes the strain, so the faces start flaking off. I look at what's in the wall and why it let go, often water from a gutter, a downspout or ground that slopes toward the house, then we match the mortar and brick to what's there. That's most of what masonry restoration comes down to on these houses, and I'll tell you straight if a section can wait.
What sets the price and the start date
Price mostly turns on how much wall is involved, how easy it is to reach, and how closely we have to match old brick, stone or mortar. It also depends on what's behind the damage, because a crack from a settling footing is a bigger job than worn joints. The start date turns on our schedule, the weather and any historic district review or permit your job needs, so before we set one I check with the city or county office for your address, and we handle the application when a permit's needed. Your own number comes from the estimate, where I tell you what I think is causing the trouble and put the work in writing.
Getting your yard ready for our crew
Mostly we need room to work and a spot to mix and stack material. If you can move patio furniture, planters and anything leaning on the wall, and trim back shrubs growing tight to the brick, we get started sooner and less gets splashed. When your lot has a narrow side yard, a steep bank or access only from an alley, show me when I'm out so we can plan how materials come in. I'm on the job with our own crew of masons, not handing it off, and we're fully licensed and insured.