Stone veneer chimney repair by local pros in Winter Park

Cleaning manufactured stone the gentle way

Dirt on cast stone needs a light touch. The instructions we follow say it can be removed with granulated soap or detergent in water and a bristle brush, rinsed right away with fresh water. They rule out wire brushes, acid or acid-containing products, power washing and sandblasting.

Those methods can strip the colored surface of cast stone and leave marks that do not come out. We clean with the gentle method first and never reach for pressure or acid on manufactured stone.

• Detergent, water and a bristle brush
• Rinse right away with fresh water
• No wire brush, acid, pressure or blasting

What cannot be seen from the surface

A surface inspection shows the stone, the joints and the details at the edges. It cannot show the condition of the barrier, lath and scratch coat behind intact veneer, or the core of a solid stone chimney.

We say so in writing. When a finding suggests a hidden problem, we explain what a small opening would involve and what it would cost, and nothing is opened without your approval.

Spot repointing or the whole face

When a few joints have failed in an otherwise sound wall, spot repointing is sensible. The brief notes that spot repointing is generally preferable, with some color difference acceptable.

Where soft, eroded mortar spreads across a wide area, or old and new joints would clash, repointing an entire face finishes more evenly. We explain which your chimney needs and price both when the answer is close.

Cutting stone safely around your home

Cutting and grinding stone raises fine dust. One maker's instructions caution that dust from cutting its product contains crystalline silica and call for eye protection and a properly fitted respirator when cutting.

We cut outdoors, away from open windows and doors, with wet cutting or dust collection where practical, and keep children and pets well away from the cutting area. Dust is cleaned from walkways and surfaces before we leave.

Our warranty and satisfaction guarantee on stone work

Our workmanship warranty backs the stone repairs we finish. If a stone we reset or a joint we repointed fails because of how we did it, we come back and correct it.

Our 100% satisfaction guarantee goes further, since if the finished work is not right in your eyes, you tell us and we make it right. Both promises are written on your paperwork, and both come from a family-owned team that intends to be here for the next inspection.