Stone masonry in Santa Fe NM - stone walls that shed water and stay sound
Crumbling joints, loose stones or a wall that stays damp after rain? We fix what's causing it and repair the stone so it holds.
Who can fix or build a stone wall in Santa Fe?
Stone masonry in Santa Fe is mostly two jobs. The first is repairing older stone walls by repointing them, which means cutting out worn mortar and packing in fresh. The second is building new stone walls and features that stand up to the weather. At Sterling Santa Fe Concrete & Masonry we do both, and I sort out the mortar and the water first because those two things decide how long a stone wall lasts.
You're probably here because mortar is sanding out of the joints, a stone has worked loose, or part of the wall stays dark long after a storm. The price turns on the wall's size in square feet, how deep the joints have worn and how much old cement patching has to come out by hand. The schedule turns mostly on permits and any historic review, because those have to clear before we start. I'll measure your wall and give you your own figure in a written estimate.
What our stone masonry work involves
On an old wall, I start by finding where the water is getting in, because a wet wall will wear out new mortar as fast as it wore out the old. On walls laid in lime, we clean the joints out by hand. It's slower, but in most cases it's the least risky way to get old mortar out without chipping the stone. Then we mix a mortar soft enough to let the wall breathe, pack it in firm, tool it to match the rest of the wall and wash the stone down before we leave. On new stone work, I plan where the rain goes before we set the first stone, so the base, the slope of the ground and the top of the wall all move water away from it instead of into it.
If your house has brick as well as stone, the same thinking carries over to brick pointing, since old brick laid in soft mortar needs a soft mortar back. When a stone wall has cracks running through the stones themselves or has started to lean, the trouble usually starts underneath it, and we'd look at foundation repair before we repoint anything.
Stone walls, historic districts and permits in Santa Fe
The city's Land Use Department issues building permits for most construction work in Santa Fe. Its list of permit types includes walls and fences and re-stuccoing, but it doesn't name stone repair, so whether your particular job needs a permit isn't settled until we ask. If your house is in one of Santa Fe's five historic districts, the city's Historic Preservation Division has to approve the work before the city will issue a construction permit. Its staff can approve general maintenance and minor changes, and anything bigger goes to a public hearing before the city's historic review board. That review comes first, so it's the first thing I check.
In the older parts of Santa Fe we often find stone that was laid in lime years ago and later patched with hard gray cement, and the stone right beside those patches is usually where it's crumbling. Bare dirt against the foot of a wall causes the rest of the trouble we see. Rain soaks in from the top, splashes up from the ground and gets drawn back in from the soil, so we often regrade the dirt or add a gravel strip at the base as part of the repair. We run into the same thing on jobs in Los Alamos and on newer stone walls in Eldorado at Santa Fe, where it's a lot easier to plan for than to fix later.
How a stone masonry job goes
Call or send a message
You call (505) 303-0434 or use the form, and we set a time for me to come out. Tell us where the wall is and whether it's an old wall that needs repair or new work you're planning.
I look and write the estimate
I measure the wall, check where water is getting at it and look at the old mortar up close. Your written estimate says what I'd do, which mortar we'd use and why, and what's driving the price.
We file permits and approvals
Once you say go, I check what the city or the historic office wants for your address, and we file the paperwork. The work waits until the approvals are in hand, so a hearing, if your job needs one, sets the start date more than our calendar does.
We build it and walk it
My crew and I do the work, with me on site. When we're done, I walk the wall with you before we pack up.
Get a written estimate for your stone wall repair or new stone work
We'll reply within one business day to set a time, and I'll come out myself to look at the wall and measure it. The estimate is free, done on site and given to you in writing. There's no obligation to go ahead.
Questions before you hire a stone mason
How much does stone masonry cost in Santa Fe?
Brick and masonry work in Santa Fe usually costs about $10 to $25 per square foot. Old walls with deep joints, hard cement patches to cut out or awkward access sit toward the top of that range, and plain, sound walls sit toward the bottom. I'll measure yours and put the number in a written estimate.
What is the best mortar for repointing an old stone wall?
An old stone wall laid in lime should get a soft, breathable mortar back, not a hard Portland cement mix. Hard mortar lets less moisture through, so the water moves into the stone instead, and the stone can crumble and fail in ways that go past looks into the wall's strength. If you own a lime-laid wall, ask any mason what mortar they plan to use. I'll name mine in the estimate.
What causes stone veneer to fail on a house?
Water getting behind it is the most common cause, according to one veneer maker's installation guide. Adhered veneer is a thin stone facing bonded to a wall, so if you're choosing it, ask the installer how the wall will shed water. We plan that before any stone veneer installation starts.
How deep do old mortar joints need to be cut out on a stone wall?
On stone walls with wide joints, the old mortar sometimes has to come out several inches deep before new mortar goes in. A thin skim over loose mortar won't hold, so if I find wide, hollow joints I'll say so in the estimate, because the extra depth adds labor and moves the price.
Can I build my own stone wall in Santa Fe without a contractor?
You can act as your own builder in Santa Fe, but the city requires you to sign an affidavit acknowledging that the permit responsibilities and liabilities are yours. If you'd rather hand those off, we take care of the permit side when we do the work.
Who licenses masonry contractors in New Mexico?
New Mexico's Construction Industries Division, part of the state Regulation and Licensing Department, sets the rules for anyone contracting under the state's Construction Industries Licensing Act. That means the mason you hire for stone work falls under the same rules as any other contractor working on your house.
Why Santa Fe homeowners call Sterling Santa Fe Concrete & Masonry for stone work
I look at every job myself
I come out to see the wall and write the estimate, and I'm on site with my crew while the work gets done. The person who told you which mortar we'd use is the one watching it go in.
Trained on my father's jobs
I was mixing mortar and hauling brick on my father's jobs before I could drive, and I've run this business since 2013. Many of our calls come from older homes in the city's five historic districts, so old stone and the review that comes with it are familiar ground.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. That matters on stone work because a wall can hold back soil or sit right on a property line, and you want the people working on it covered.
On stone, the mortar and where the water goes decide how long the wall lasts, and I settle both before we start. Get in touch and I'll come take a look.
Other work that often goes with stone
Brick pointing
Older brick chimneys, garden walls and house fronts lose their joints the same way stone does, and refilling them keeps water from working into the brick behind.
Foundation repair
If a stone wall keeps cracking along the same line or has started to lean, the footing under it may be giving way, and that needs fixing first.
Get your stone wall repair or rebuild priced
Call (505) 303-0434 or use the contact form, and send a couple of photos with the wall's rough size in square feet and whether you're in a historic district, so I know what I'm walking up to before I come out.
