Masonry Contractors in Valley Station, KY

Valley Station takes its name from its setting, a valley between Muldraugh Hill and the Knobs in southwest Jefferson County. The area was first settled in the mid-1800s, and the Salt River Turnpike, today's Dixie Highway, ran through it. Large-scale suburban development came in the 1950s and 1960s, so most homes that need masonry contractors in Valley Station are now 55 to 75 years old. The 2000 census counted 22,946 people and 8,948 housing units across about 7.8 square miles.

What postwar houses need now

Houses from the 1950s and 1960s were often built with brick fronts or full brick, block foundations, a single brick chimney and simple brick or concrete steps. At this age, common repairs are:

• Chimney tops with cracked crowns, missing caps and loose brick
• Tuckpointing on walls where joints have weathered or washed out
• Block foundations with cracked joints, damp spots and efflorescence
• Steps and stoops that have sunk or separated from the house
• Brick planters and low walls that have heaved

These are normal for houses of this age and are usually fixed in a day or two.

Hills on both sides

With Muldraugh Hill on one side and the Knobs on the other, some Valley Station lots sit on real slopes. Sloped yards bring retaining walls and the drainage problems that come with them. A wall that leans is almost always a water problem: no drainage stone, no outlet or a base that is too shallow. We rebuild failing sections with proper drainage. Louisville Metro requires a building permit for retaining walls over 4 feet tall, and Valley Station falls under Metro's rules.

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Matching brick on older homes

When a few bricks need replacing on a 1950s or 1960s house, the challenge is matching them. Brick made 60 years ago came in sizes and colors that are not always made today. We look for reclaimed or current brick that matches size, color and texture, and match the mortar color so repairs blend in. Where an exact match is not available, we can sometimes take brick from a hidden spot, like behind a porch, and use new brick there instead.

Chimneys and water

Many chimney problems start at the crown. A thin mortar cap cracks, water gets into the top courses and freezing loosens the brick. Replacing the crown with a proper overhanging one and adding a cap stops most of that. We also check flashing where the chimney meets the roof, since leaks there are often blamed on the roof.

What a visit looks like

We walk the outside of the house, look at the foundation from inside if possible and check the chimney from the roof. Then we write up what we found, what is causing it and what we recommend, with the urgent items separated from the ones that can wait. That gives you a clear plan instead of a guess.

What we do in Valley Station

• Brick repair and tuckpointing
• Block foundation repair
• Chimney crowns, caps and rebuilds
• Retaining walls for sloped yards
• Steps, stoops and porches
• Brick and block construction

Call (502) 443-8557 to set up a visit in Valley Station.