Most people call our company because something around the house doesn’t look right anymore. Maybe it’s damaged brick, a chimney that’s starting to show its age, or a porch that’s moved enough that you notice it every time you walk past.
Sometimes it’s obvious what needs to be done. Sometimes we need to get out there and look at it.
One thing we see fairly often is a masonry problem that looks pretty minor from the driveway. A few loose mortar joints. Several damaged bricks. Maybe a crack in the porch or some wear showing up near the top of the chimney.
Up close can be a different story.
We’ve seen brick that looked rough but only needed work in a small area. We’ve also looked at porches where the crack wasn’t really the problem. Something underneath had moved, and the crack was just where it showed up.
That’s the part you can’t tell from a picture.
Oxford Township homes get the same Michigan weather we deal with everywhere else in Oakland County. Brick and mortar get wet, temperatures drop, things freeze, and over time weak areas start showing themselves.
Once we see what’s happening, we’re committed to what actually needs to be repaired.
They provided a detailed estimate, arrived on time each day, and the finished job exceeded expectations.
We are so very pleased with the entire experience with Lovell Masonry. They provided a detailed estimate, arrived on time each day, and the finished job exceeded our expectations.
They came out quickly for the estimate, rebuilt the chimney to the roofline, and even fixed a few extra bricks.
Came out quick for estimate. Took apart my chimney to the roof line and basically rebuilt it in one day. Even fixed a few errant bricks on the ground. Recommend them for any brick work.
Lovell Masonry reinstalled and leveled patio steps and handled the approval process well.
Very happy with the work Lovell Masonry completed to reinstall and level my patio steps from the kitchen entry door to the back patio. Team was great at handling inspection and project approval process as well!
They were responsive, did a great job redoing the porch, and had the best pricing out of five quotes.
This company is very responsive, and did a great job re-doing my porch. I will certainly be using them again to do all of my brick work! Pricing was the best I received out of the other 5 quotes I got.
The crew rebuilt the front porch from the bottom up and did an amazing job.
I had my front porch rebuilt from the bottom up. The crew did an amazing job. I would recommend them in a heartbeat.
A family business that was professional, friendly, on time, and did excellent work.
Family business, one son did the estimate, another did the job. Both professional, friendly, came right on time, and did excellent work. Thank you very much!
A lot of people assume an older chimney or porch needs to be rebuilt because part of it looks rough. Sometimes it does.
A lot of times, it doesn’t.
We can usually tell pretty quickly whether we’re dealing with isolated brick repair and mortar deterioration or something that deserves a closer look. Chimney repair might involve damaged brick and failing joints. Porch work may involve loose masonry, movement, worn steps, or concrete beneath the finished surface.
For new masonry construction, the conversation changes. Brick, stone, concrete masonry units, limestone, and other materials each bring different considerations to the job. If we’re working with a homeowner, builder, general contractor, or their staff, the expectations should be clear before materials start showing up.
The same goes for custom steps and other masonry features. They need to work with the house, the grade, drainage, and the surrounding construction rather than create another problem somewhere else.
Lovell Masonry offers senior and military discounts on eligible masonry projects. Discount details can vary by project scope, so contact the team to talk through the work and ask what may be available.
Mortar joints, drainage, material selection, curing, and movement all matter. You don’t necessarily notice those details when the work is new.
You notice them a few Michigan winters later if they were ignored.
On repair and restoration work, matching the existing masonry matters too. New brick or mortar doesn’t have to be identical in every situation, but it shouldn’t look like somebody patched the house with whatever happened to be available.
Lovell Masonry focuses on understanding the existing work first, then providing stone masonry and related services that make sense for the condition of the property and the needs of the project.
Common questions about brick, chimney, porch, step, and masonry repair in Oxford Township, MI.
Absolutely. We do jobs where the problem is only a handful of bricks and jobs where opening up that area shows us there’s more going on. We need to see it before we can tell you which one you’re dealing with.
Not necessarily. We’ve looked at plenty of chimneys where most of the masonry was still doing its job. If the brick is deteriorating, things are moving, or the damage goes beyond the mortar joints, that’s a different conversation.
That’s usually something we want to look at as a whole. If steps are moving or a brick porch is cracking, just fixing what you see on the surface may miss what’s happening underneath. Grade and drainage can matter here too.
Sometimes we can get a great match. Sometimes you’re dealing with a brick that’s been on the house for decades and isn’t made anymore. We look at the existing brick, mortar, color, and joint style and see what makes sense before getting too far into the job.
You don’t need to know whether it’s a small repair or a bigger masonry project before you call. Show us what you’re seeing at your Oxford Township home, and we’ll take it from there.
Contact Lovell Masonry for a free estimate.
Lovell Masonry is a small, family-owned masonry contractor based in Royal Oak and serving homeowners across Metro Detroit. With more than 25 years of hands-on experience, the company focuses on practical residential masonry work for brick, mortar, chimneys, porches, concrete, pavers, patios, and stonework.
