You are walking around your house when you notice gaps in the mortar near the bottom of the brick wall. Then you see something crawling into one. Well, that can't be right. 😶

You notice something during construction that does not look right. Maybe a support post is sitting near the edge of a pier. Brickwork is crooked. Mortar joints are inconsistent. Water is collecting where it should drain. There is a gap beside a window, a crack in a wall, or a piece of flashing that looks more decorative than functional. You ask the builder about it. “It’s fine.” “It’s only cosmetic.” “It passed inspection.” “We build them like this all the time.” Those answer

“I thought I was in a healthy, happy relationship until we built a house.” I saw a homeowner say that once, and judging by the responses, she was not alone. Building a house can put enormous pressure on a relationship. It combines large amounts of money, hundreds of decisions, changing deadlines, temporary living arrangements, and a steady parade of people needing answers. Then it asks two tired human beings to agree on all of it. What could possibly go wrong? Quick answer Bu

You paid the retainer. Then you made the first draw payment. Now the contractor is asking for more money, but when you look at the jobsite, the amount of completed work does not seem to match the amount you have paid.

We prepared a detailed four-page proposal outlining exactly what would be required to restore the masonry to a consistent historical appearance. A few days later, I received an email from the general contractor that said: "The two other bricklayers were about one-third of your price for the same scope. Can you get closer to their pricing?" The answer was simple. No. Because they were not the same scope.

One of the most common questions I hear from homeowners is: "Should I be worried about this crack?" Sometimes the answer is yes. Most of the time, the answer is no. Brick is an incredibly strong building material. Many brick structures have survived for hundreds of years. I've worked on buildings that were standing long before any of us were born and, with proper maintenance, will likely outlive us all. So if brick is so durable, why does it crack? The answer is surprisingl

Worst case scenerio When I was about 16, my family took one of our annual vacations. We didn’t go far; money was usually tight, but that year, we were headed to the Texas Hill Country. The Alamo, a few stops along the way… nothing fancy, just something different. We left around 4 in the morning in our tank of a car, a Ford Granada station wagon. That part matters. We hit I-35 South, half awake, a little excited. And I still remember the exact moment everything changed. The so