New walls, foundations, steps, and outdoor features, plus repairs that match your existing brick. Zavala Masonry and Concrete Contractor LLC provides masonry services Greenville NC homeowners use for new brick, block, and stone work and repairs on older homes. Our masons serve Greenville NC and Pitt County, and the same crew pours the footings under every wall and step.
Masonry is construction with brick, concrete block, or stone set in mortar. Brick veneer is a single layer of brick held up by the house wall behind it. Solid masonry, like a garden wall, sits on its own footing and supports itself. As a brick mason Greenville NC families call, our crew builds both and repairs both.
Here is the masonry construction Greenville NC homeowners ask us for most.
| Material | Good for | Strengths | Downsides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brick | Garden walls, mailboxes, steps, fire pits, veneer | Weather resistant faces, easy to match on older homes | Laid one small unit at a time, so labor adds up on large walls |
| Concrete block (CMU) | Foundations, retaining walls, kitchen frames | Strong, fast to lay, can take rebar and grout | Plain face, usually covered with brick, stone, or stucco |
| Stone (natural or manufactured) | Veneer, columns, fire features | Natural texture and color range | Natural stone takes longer to fit; manufactured stone is lighter |
Many projects pair a block core with brick or stone facing. For brick masonry Greenville NC weather exposes, we use brick graded for outdoor use under ASTM C216.
Stronger mortar is not always better. The Brick Industry Association says mortar should be chosen mainly for durability and workability (BIA Technical Note 8B). Type N mortar is the BIA pick for most veneer. Suppliers recommend Type S where soil and moisture press on the wall, such as retaining walls.
Older brick needs softer mortar. Older homes like those in College View near East Carolina University were often laid with lime rich mortar. Repair mortar harder than the brick cracks the brick, so every masonry repair we do matches hardness and color. BIA guidance assumes 40 to 100 degrees F, so we time mortar work around Greenville NC summer heat.
| What you see | Likely cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy or missing mortar joints | Weathered mortar | Repoint with matched mortar |
| White staining that returns | Water moving through the wall | Stop the water source, then clean |
| Stair step cracks | Settlement under the footing | Check footing and soil, then repair |
| Loose or spalling brick | Trapped moisture or mortar that is too hard | Replace brick, repoint with softer mortar |
| Leaning or bowing wall | Soil or water pressure, weak footing | Rebuild on a proper footing with drainage |
A site visit decides the fix. For most masonry work Greenville NC homes need, early mortar repair costs far less than a rebuild. See brick mailboxes and columns for impact damage.
Greenville NC averages about 49 inches of rain a year, plus hurricane season storms. Brick is not waterproof, so water that soaks into veneer must drain out through flashing and weep holes.
The International Residential Code allows weep holes spaced up to 33 inches apart above the flashing. The BIA recommends about every 24 inches, with base flashing no more than 10 inches above grade to stop ground moisture wicking up (BIA Technical Note 7).
White powder on brick is efflorescence, a sign of moving water, so our fix starts at the source. On retaining walls, drainage stone does that job.
Every wall, column, and set of steps sits on a concrete footing, and when the footing moves, the masonry cracks. The Pitt County Soil Survey shows many local soils with shifting clay and a seasonal high water table, so depth and drainage come first. Zavala Masonry and Concrete Contractor LLC pours its own footings through our concrete services, including under block foundations. Builders:
From our base in Greenville NC, we offer residential masonry services Greenville NC families use across three counties, including:
Plus surrounding communities in Beaufort County and Pitt County.
Brick suits walls, mailboxes, steps, and veneer that must match a house. Concrete block works for foundations and retaining walls. Stone adds natural texture. Many jobs use block inside with brick or stone outside.
Old brick needs mortar softer than the brick, often a lime rich mix. Hard modern mortar can crack older brick, so match the original hardness and color.
White powder on brick is efflorescence, salt left when water moves through the wall. Cleaning removes it briefly; stopping the water source fixes it.
Yes. Brick veneer needs weep holes so water behind it can drain. The IRC allows spacing up to 33 inches; the Brick Industry Association recommends about 24 inches.
Most cracked joints can be repointed. Stair step cracks or leaning point to a footing or water problem, and a moving wall often needs a rebuild.
Our masons check the site and your existing brick before we price anything. Call Zavala Masonry and Concrete Contractor LLC or request your free estimate online.
