Masonry contractor in Anamosa, IA - careful repairs for older brick and stone
R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Cedar Rapids. In Anamosa, Iowa, we repair brick, stone and chimneys and build walls, walkways and fireplaces for homeowners.
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Older brick and stone throughout Anamosa
Anamosa is the Jones County seat, northeast of us past Marion. On the older streets around downtown, many of the buildings and houses are brick and stone that have stood a long time. Farther out, the homes are newer, with poured foundations, block walls, patios and paver walks, and some lots sit close to the river. Much of what we're asked to look at here is the older work, with joints that have worn back and chimneys that need attention.
Older walls were usually laid with softer mortar than what's sold today, so a repair has to suit the wall it goes into. On the newer lots, the ground and the way water moves across it matter as much as the masonry, because a wall or walk is only as sound as the base under it.
What we check before starting work in Anamosa
In Anamosa, the city's zoning and building administrator issues a development permit for building, moving or adding to a structure over 150 square feet or on a permanent foundation, and you apply through the City Clerk. That review can set the start date, so I check with the city about what your job needs before we begin. For the contractor, Iowa requires anyone who earns at least $2,000 a year from construction to register with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, and you can look up anyone you're thinking of hiring there. We're licensed and insured.
We're based in Cedar Rapids, and Anamosa is a straightforward drive up Highway 151, so we plan jobs here the same way we plan them at home. The price turns on the size of the job, how far the damage runs once old mortar or a failed wall is opened up, and whether a permit or floodplain review adds steps. The schedule mostly follows that review and what we find. After I've seen the job, I write up what I'd do and why, with the price for your project.
What do older houses in Anamosa need most?
Most older houses here need their mortar looked after more than their brick or stone. Once the joints wear back, water gets into the wall behind them, and over time that loosens brick, stains the inside and works on the top of the chimney, where it's most exposed. We rake out the worn mortar to a sound depth and repoint with a mix that suits the wall, because mortar harder than the brick pushes the damage into the brick itself. If a few cracks can wait, I'll tell you so.
On newer lots, the calls are more often for retaining walls, walks and patios where the yard slopes or water collects. Those jobs depend on what's underneath, so we dig out, pack a firm base and give water a way out before the first block goes down.
- Call (319) 536-8125
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Masonry we do in Anamosa
Tuckpointing
Older brick homes in Anamosa often have joints worn back from years of water. We grind out the tired mortar and repoint with a mix suited to that wall.
Chimney repair
Chimneys on older houses here take the most weather and usually show it first in the top rows of brick. We rebuild what's loose and seal the cap.
Fireplace installation
Some homeowners here want a masonry fireplace in a house that never had one. Our fireplace installation work starts with a sound footing and safe spacing from the framing.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards here often need a wall to hold the ground. We build on a packed base with drainage behind it, so water drains away instead of pushing on the wall.
Stone masonry
Older stone foundations and walls around the city need repairs that match what's there. We reset loose stone and point it so the new work sits well with the old.
Walkway construction
Walks here that heave or hold puddles usually sit on a thin base. We dig out, pack a firm base and lay a walk that sheds water.
How it works when you call us about a job in Anamosa
Call or send us a message
Thank you for reaching out. We call you back and set up a time for me to come out to your house in Anamosa, and it helps if you can be there to show me what you've noticed.
I look over the job
I look at the wall, chimney or yard, ask what you've seen, and then write up what I'd do and why. You'll have the price and the reasons in writing before you decide anything.
We plan around city inspections
Once any permit is in place, we set a start date. If a city permit covers footings or a foundation, the city's public works director gets at least one working day to inspect before they're poured or set, so we build that wait into the schedule.
We build and tidy up daily
The same small crew I work alongside does the job. At the end of each day, we cover the work and leave the site tidy, so your yard stays usable while we're there.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Anamosa project
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to Anamosa and look the job over. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. I write up what I'd do and why, and you decide from there.
- Licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (319) 536-8125
- Location
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Questions about masonry work in Anamosa
How long is an Anamosa development permit good for?
Under the city's permit rules, a development permit stays good for one year from when it's issued, as long as work begins within 180 days. If construction hasn't really started by then, the permit expires 180 days after it was issued. The application also asks for the name and state registration number of every contractor on the job, so have those details ready when you apply.
How do I find out if my lot in Anamosa is in a flood hazard area?
Check the current Flood Insurance Rate Map for Jones County and Incorporated Areas, because that's the map Anamosa's floodplain rules use, and anything inside the flood boundary shown on it counts as a significant flood hazard. The draft flood maps the University of Iowa posts online aren't the official ones, so ask the city for the current map or look it up at the FEMA Map Service Center. We ask about it when we check with the city before your job.
Do I need a floodplain permit for a patio or retaining wall in Anamosa?
Yes. If the work is in the floodplain, you need a Floodplain Development Permit from the city's administrator before it starts. The city's floodplain rules count any man-made change to the land as development, including paving, filling, grading, excavation and storing materials. Before the finished work is used, the applicant also turns in a certification of the fill, floor elevations and flood protection from an engineer or land surveyor registered in Iowa.
What causes mortar joints to crumble on older brick houses in Anamosa?
Water is usually the cause. It gets in through worn joints, overflowing gutters or missing flashing, the metal strips that shed water where a chimney meets the roof, and breaks the mortar down from the inside. Patches made with mortar that's too hard for the brick can make it worse, because the wall then cracks around them instead of through the joints. We find where the water gets in first, so the new joints aren't fighting the same problem.
How much does masonry repair cost in Anamosa?
The cost comes down to the size of the job, the material and how much has to come apart before it can be put right. Matching old brick or stone takes more time than new work, a tall chimney needs staging to reach safely, and a wall or walk that needs digging out, a new base and drainage costs more than one that only needs the surface fixed. My written estimate shows what I'd do and why, so you can see where the money goes.
Can you match the stone or brick on an older house in Anamosa?
Usually, yes, though I'll only know how close we can get once I've seen the wall and the old mortar. We look at the color and size of the brick or stone, and at the sand and the shape of the joints, because mismatched mortar is what usually stands out. Careful mortar work on older brick homes is what we're best known for.
Ask about your Anamosa masonry project
Call (319) 536-8125 or send the form now, because if your lot sits in a mapped flood area or the job needs a city permit, that review needs time before we can start.
Request an estimateCall (319) 536-8125