Robert's General Masonry Repair

He was very honest and told me exactly what I needed to do.

Called Robert on Friday the 19th of July - he came that very evening to look at the concrete hearth on our front door. It was loose & falling. He said he could come out the next day - and he did. Work was completed on the 20th of July and he even caulked some brick work just to be nice.

We called several masonry contractors for quotes on tuck pointing the house - we had step cracks by side door - a large worn area in the back and several small areas needing attention. In addition we had a mail slot by the front door that has never been used since the house was built in 1961. All mail is delivered to a box by the street. We wanted this closed off due to it being a source of drafts and we also know of someone that had had firecrackers lit and dropped into their mail slot which unfortunately led to a fire and the death of an elderly resident. In addition the garage has two pillars one on each side of the large door - with brick matching the house. One just deeded tuck pointing but the other was crumbling and detaching form the walls of the garage. Robert suggested that the best way to fix the garage was to cut the pillar into 4 or five pieces and then rebuild it. This was to minimize the chance of bricks cracking and then we would have problems matching bricks since they were over 50 years old. We also were concerned that the new mortar would match the old weathered mortar - leaving a patchwork design on the house. Robert came out and mixed a couple different colors of mortar and patched two different areas so we could see which would look the best. After all was decided Robert and his assistant came out and did the job - cleaning up everything afterwards. The pillar was rebuilt, the mail slot eliminated, the house tuck pointed all on a Saturday. Then he returned on Monday to wash down the work areas of excess mortar and to caulk around the two garage pillars ( this was added on at his suggestion for the cost of the materials ). They had to replace a few bricks on the pillar and on the mail slot but they did an excellent job in finding bricks that blended in with the rest of the house. The mortar blends with the 50 year old weathered mortar - from 10 feet away you cant tell what was done - and moving closer you have to know what areas they worked on to find the tiny variance. Robert was extremely helpful in making suggestions and always being sure that we were happy with their work. I would recommend everyone to give him a chance to please you. I would not even think of using anyone else in the future. Robert is the "GO-TO" guy.

It went great I would gladly have Robert company do work on my home or any of my neighbors.

Robert came to our house because we had a 1/2 inch vertical crack in our brick veneer on the east side of the house which was about 7 feet from top to bottom, Robert brought some bricks that were a close match color wise but not exactly the same brick, meantime I had found out that the exact brick was available in Shaumburg< Ill. Robert made the long trip to Shaumburg to secure the bricks. Robert cut out the cracked bricks, 17 I think, then replaced with the new ones and mortared them in. I really didn't think it would turn out as well as it did, honest to God you almost cannot tell where the bricks were replaced, outstanding job. Robert also caulked around a front window section where the bricks worked away from the window, about a 1" crack, with the best available caulk on the market, again a great job. Robert also did a epoxy injection on 2 foundation cracks in our basement to secure it from leaking,so we should not have to worry about that anymore. Robert takes pride in his work and is very conscientious and honest and his rates are fair, I would recommend him without reservation.

We had lots of cracks and holes in between the bricks on the front of our house that we think was the culprit for the water we were getting in our basement. We hired Robert to tuckpoint the one side of the house that was the worst to see if it took care of our water problem. There was also an old tube through the brick that was removed and replaced with an old brick we had. He also caulked along the window sill to help make sure everthing was sealed. He was able to squeeze us in on a Sunday so that we could get the work done as quickly as possible and finished up on Monday after the morter had dried. The work looks great. We've only had one good rain storm since he finished but there seemed to be no water from the area that was the worst. There is a small amount of water still getting in from along the wall which is part of the area that was not caulked. Robert said he'd stop by and caulk that as well.

I asked Robert to do some tuck pointing at one of the apartment buildings I own. He looked at the areas I needed done including going up three stories to the roof to inspect the chimney. He took photos of the chimney showing me that the brick was crumbling badly and needed to be tuck pointed. I hired him and he came over with his crew about a week later to do the work. They showed up on time and did everything I asked them to do. The tuck pointing was neat and straight and they cleaned up after they finished. They did a very professional job. Robert was very nice and extremely helpful. He even got on the ladder and changed some light bulbs at one point for me! I am very pleased with their work and have already asked him to come out and tuck point another building I own.

I received many estimates from a variety of contractors to do restoration work on our tudor style house which is brick with decorative trim throughout. It was difficult finding the right person to handle this job since it involved some carpentry work with the removal of wood trim which was in terrible shape and completely rotted out. We had been experiencing water issues inside the house during heavy rains since the deteriorated wood trim was also serving as a barrier in between gaps in the original brick work construction. I met with Robert Ziaja, the owner of Robert's General Masonry and I was immediately impressed with his knowledge, attention to detail, and responsiveness. I am extremely picky and this is one of the best experiences I have had with any contractor. The entire process from our initial meeting through the job completion was handled with a level of care and professionalism which is unfortunately not in abundant supply in the construction industry. One of the things I really liked was his excellent communication skills - he kept me informed throughout the entire process letting me know exactly what was happening - this job was difficult and uncovered many unforeseen surprises. Robert was able to evaluate and switch gears on the spot while keeping me informed and collaborating to decide on the best course of action. Robert is hands on and has a skilled crew - he is a true craftsman clearly taking pride in his work which shows. I couldn't be happier with the work they performed - they did an excellent job despite the many obstacles. The brick work looks great and most importantly is now structurally sound and water tight. Prices very fair and additional costs were contained and accounted for in the estimate if they uncovered unforeseen deterioration which there was a great deal of. Mortar color was tested a week before work started to ensure a good match. I have found my "go to" guy for masonry work. I wouldn't call anyone else and will definitely use Robert's General Masonry services in the future.

Robert was excellent. My husband and I were extremely pleased with Robert's work. He was exactly on time,. Robert's work is very professional. Top notch. We asked that he check the other windows in our home for updating of caulk, etc. and he was happy to do so. He then recaulked our patio door as that caulk was weathered and shrinking. When we were looking for someone to perform the work on our home, we signed up for angie's list and obtained estimates. Robert was responsive and punctual. He did not tell us that we needed more work than was necessary. He was very honest and upfront. He called to schedule the appointment, Robert arrived on time and did a wonderful job. There was no damage to any shrubbery, no mess. I would recommend Robert to anyone. We are saving his name and number so that in the future if we need work, we would be calling him. excellent job. highly, highly recommended.

This was the third time I've used Robert's company - since I wasn't able to meet him for the inspection, he looked at both homes and called me immediately with his report & recommendations. Both homes were in need of repairs to the foundation. The older home had foundation stones which had to be re-set before it collapsed. We were going out of town and kept in touch via email. He sent me a contract, completed the work and met me for a walk-thru inspection and payment. The old foundations were crumbling and now they look nearly new. Some of the work was under a porch which had to be difficult unless you were 3 ft tall. The site was cleaned up, the tenant in the building said she barely knew they were there working. As in our previous contracts, everything was as Robert said it would be. He is easy to work with, professional in his jobs and reasonably priced. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing masonry repairs.

Robert came out for an estimate and walked me through exactly what needed to be done including the tricky scaffolding requirements to reach the chimney. After his initial visit I had a much better understanding of the underlying issues with my chimney. Of the three bids I received, Robert's was in the middle. (All quotes were in a +-10% range) My decision to go with Robert was based on his high level of professionalism and willingness to explain his work. Overall, I am very happy with the experience. Robert and his crew cleaned up the site nicely and I have no complaints whatsoever. I would definitely do business with Robert again.

I had brick windowsills at the back of my house where my dinette and kitchen are. I occasionally get water entering the house during heavy rains. A home inspector noted a couple areas where the bricks were sloped toward the house and suggested they were contributing to the leak I called for an estimate and Robert came out himself and went over the cost for resetting the bricks. The cost was very reasonable but I was still concerned that the multiple joints of the brickwork might lead to further leaks down the road. Robert and I both thought that a limestone sill would be a better solution for the area. He went out of his way to find a supplier who could get the limestone quickly as I was also having the siding redone. He installed the sills in one day and did an exceptional job. He matched the color of my existing mortar very well and cleaned up well afterward. I would most certainly use this provider again for my future needs.

Found masonry on Angie's list. Wanted 2 pillars bricked up in front of house. Robert returned called in a timely manner. Came over to assess job, returned quote the next day. Scheduled a date for service, drove thru subdivision to review similar construction. Service provided, job site cleaned up. Come back to do final cleaning. Satisfied with job done.

Everything went very well. Read prior section. We will be sure to use Robert anytime we have something that requires his expertise.

Robert gave a written estimate of $600 to patch the bricks on our chimney with mortar. We decided to patch the bricks instead of replacing them to keep the cost down. The estimates from other companies to replace about 10 bricks were too expensive. Robert was able to come out within the week to do the work. He arrived promptly and checked out the chimney again. Robert said that we really should have 7 or 8 bricks replaced because they were too far gone to be patched. He would patch them if we insisted, but he didn't think they would last very long. He gave us a quote of only $100 more to replace the bricks instead of patching them. We agreed. Robert went to his office to get about 20 bricks that would match our chimney. He then came back and started the work. Well, our chimney was more damaged than we thought and before he could get to solid bricks he had to knock out about 30 bricks. He told us that there would be no extra charges for the more extensive work! He said he wanted to do the job right. He even had to go back to his office for more bricks. By the time he was done, our chimney looked beautiful, straight and solid! We are so glad that we hired Robert. It is great to find a professional that has that level of integrity and dedication to quality and still be willing to keep to his estimate. You will be happy you hired him!

I called Robert and he came right out to look at the house. He noticed some stuff I should address and gave me a estimate on the spot. We were able to get more done faster and I called him a couple days later and said we were ready and in lousy weather he came out and fixed everything beautifully. This is the second time Robert has helped me out and he does fantastic work and is very responsive.

We had a recurring leak around our chimney area since we moved in our new home in 2001. Several different specialties came & assessed the issue. We had flashing replaced, caulking redone, roof replaced, leak always recurred. Robert came out & took photos & showed us where the water was leaking. We had our first rain & no leak

I hired Robert last summer to seal two cracks in my foundation as well as patch a one inch crack in my brickwork that ran diagonally from the foundation to the roofline. At that time he suggested that I have both my chimneys tuckpointed sometime in the near future because the mortar had fallen out of several spots. The chimneys had never been tuckpointed in 37 years. Robert arrived on time and went right to work setting up scaffolding and the tools he would need for the job. He started on the fireplace chimney and routed out the old mortar. He then proceeded to mix new mortar and tuckpointed that chimney. After finishing that chimney he moved on to the furnace chimney and followed the same procedure. When Robert had finished both chimneys he proceeded to vacuum the roof and wash it down with a hose and then cleaned up all of the debris on the ground. When he completed the work that day you would never say that anyone had even worked on anything because he had cleaned up so thoroughly. He came back early the next morning to acid wash the brick and when he finished you could not even tell that the chimneys had been worked on. They looked absolutely perfect. It's refreshing to see someone who really cares about the quality of their work and is willing to clean up after themselves. If anyone is considering having some masonry work done Robert should be their number one choice. He even generously gives a 5 year warranty on his work. You certainly can't go wrong if you decide to utilize his services. He can handle all masonry jobs, large and small.

We found Robert Ziaja to be professional, thorough, and great to work with. He responded quickly to our call, arrived right on time, and gave us an estimate via email the same day. He understood and quickly responded to the changes we asked for in the estimate. He, personnally, and two assistants arrived on time on the appointed day. All of them were competent, businesslike, and very neat and clean. They respected and protected the plantings around the porch. The project created a huge amount of dust, which they blew into a trash bag so that we and our neighbors would not have our yards covered with dust. In the basement, they also were very neat and clean. In making the estimate, Mr. Ziaja thought that the foundation crack was not as bad as it turned out to be. At no additional cost to us, he did a thorough, permanent repair. This cost him more time, because he was forced to come back the following day and finish the two-step process. He also absorbed the cost of the materials, which were very expensive. We have found our go-to guy for masonry!

My 92 year old father's chimney broke. I looked up Masons on Angie's List and found Robert Ziaja (Robert's General Masonry). He had good reviews so I called him. He came out the same day and on time to inspect the damage. He took pictures with his phone and then he came inside and patiently explained everything to Dad plus showed him the pictures. Dad booked the work to be done. Robert gave us a time when he would begin and he, again, was on time. After letting the concrete set, Robert again said he would be back on Tuesday to finish the job. He did and even took more pictures to show Dad. Working with Robert was a pleasure. He arrived when he said he would; completely explained what needed to be done and when the job was complete he explained what else could be done without any sales pressure. His estimate was fair and there were no hidden or added-on charges. Robert will return in the spring to do the additional work and I highly recommend Robert Ziaja if you need masonry work.

Great job Robert! On time, great work and best price. Also, did some touch up work on the spot for no charge.

Robert returned my request for a bid within an hour. We set up an estimate for the next day. Right away, I was impressed with Robert's promptness and professionalism. During the estimate, we could not really see the issue up close due to the sheer height, but Robert approached his inspection from just about every angle. Right away he determined that a cracked chimney cap was the likely culprit--allowing water to seep down and rot the mortar from within. He explained the root cause concisely and professionally. Robert gave a fair estimate while advising that he (and others) could probably offer a better price were the chimney not so high. He encouraged me to seek out additional bids and was confident they would have a similar price and diagnosis. His verbal proposal was fairly comprehensive, including hauling away of the materials. Shortly after he left, he asked if I could take a few photos of the chimney and send to him for further inspection. This was a good sign that he was interested in the work and wanted to make a fair and competitive bid. I had a proposal emailed to me within a couple of hours. After seeking out a proposal from a mason in the family, I decided to proceed with Robert due to his fair bid, promptness, and professionalism. Robert also offered a cash discount, which I agreed too. Robert and his crew were of course right on time and wanted to ensure that his crew would not inconvenience my neighbors. They set up scaffolding and completed the fairly hefty job in about 5 hours. After chimney cap, bricks and mortar, were in place (about 80% complete) Robert asked me to take a look at the work. I was VERY pleased. Although the proposal called for replacing 6 layers of bricks, he replaced 8 and tuck pointed areas on the side of the chimney only visible from the roof. He said he would not charge for the extra work, as it was only made apparent upon the start of the job. Bricks and mortar all matched. He showed me the old cracked chimney cap, and made sure I was happy with the look from several angles. Robert and his crew literally went above and beyond my expectations. Every step of the process was prompt, concise, and professional. Robert and his crew took great pride in their work and I will gladly hire them again for any masonry work I may need.

We had some roof repairs and the roofing person recommended we get our chimney crown and cap repaired, there was just an open space/hole on top of the chimney. We called Robert and one other company to provide estimates. We went with Robert's recommended solution because it was a long term solution and he explained the issue in a lot of detail. He came with another mason on Saturday and took care of the repairs. Home repairs are stressful but Robert's approach made this repair very low stress. He took pictures of the repair and I am very happy that we went with his company. I would highly recommend!

Arrived when stated, had all materials, completed job all as agreed in the estimate. The outdoor outlet was especially nice since no electrician wanted to do it because of the masonry. Once the outlet was set into the brick, my electrician then pulled the wire.

Both of the cracks in the foundation are located in the crawl space. Robert came out on time and proceeded to chisel out the old patch that I had filled the cracks with and then mixed an epoxy and filled the cracks while at the same time inserting ports into the epoxy. After letting the epoxy cure for a while he then injected a liquid compound which turned into an expanding foam when it entered the remainder of the cracks, thus sealing it up. After all of the rain we have been having in the last few days I am relieved to say that NO water has seeped into the crawl space. He has also followed up with me to check on the work to make sure that I was completely satisfied. It is reassuring to know that he truly loves his work and cares about the client. I would highly recommend him to anyone requiring masonry or foundation repairs and I plan on having him return in next spring to tuckpoint my fireplace chimney.