Masonry Contractors in St. Matthews, KY

St. Matthews grew from farm fields into neighborhoods over a few decades, and homeowners who call masonry contractors in St. Matthews are mostly living in the houses from that change. In the early 1900s the area grew so many potatoes it became a major national center for the crop, and from 1910 to 1946 the St. Matthews Produce Exchange was once the country's second-largest potato shipper. As streetcars and cars arrived, farms were subdivided into residential streets. After the 1937 Ohio River flood, many families left low-lying Louisville for St. Matthews' higher ground, which sped up that growth. The city incorporated in 1950, partly to build a sewer system, and had 17,534 residents in 2020.

What houses from those decades need

Interwar and postwar brick houses in St. Matthews were mostly built well, with solid brick or brick veneer, real chimneys and brick or limestone steps. Seventy to a hundred years on, the common needs are:

• Repointing where mortar has eroded on the weather side or under leaky gutters
• Chimney tops with spalled brick, cracked crowns and failing flashing
• Front steps where the treads have loosened or the landing has dropped
• Garden and retaining walls along driveways and side yards

On houses this age, we match the mortar to the brick. A mortar that is harder than the brick will push damage into the brick faces, which cannot be repointed later.

Chimneys on older houses

A lot of St. Matthews homes have chimneys that have not been rebuilt since the house went up. Those chimneys often have a crown that is cracked through, open joints in the top few courses and flashing that has been patched with roof cement. We take the chimney down to sound brick when needed, rebuild with matching brick, form a new crown with a drip edge and install a cap. A chimney that sheds water properly will last decades longer.

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How permits work in St. Matthews

The City of St. Matthews says building permits are issued by Louisville Metro, but a Letter of Compliance from St. Matthews is required before Metro will issue the permit. The letter goes through the City Engineer with an application, contractor information and two copies of a site plan. Louisville Metro requires a building permit for retaining walls over 4 feet tall. Most repointing and chimney repairs do not change the footprint, but larger walls, porches and additions follow that two-step process, and we help with both.

Shopping corridors and small lots

The city is known for Shelbyville Road's shopping centers and Mall St. Matthews, one of Louisville's first indoor malls, and its landmark Vogue Theater opened in 1938. Residential lots near those corridors are often narrow, with driveways tight against the house and walls on the property line. We plan staging and access carefully on small lots so neighbors' yards and driveways are protected while we work.

Our services in St. Matthews

• Tuckpointing and brick repair
• Chimney repair and rebuilding
• Stone and veneer for walls, columns and steps
• Retaining and garden walls
• Brick and block construction
• Masonry steps and porches

Call (502) 443-8557 to set up a visit in St. Matthews.