Stone repair for Shoreview houses, from the 1950s on
Shoreview is a Ramsey County town full of lakes, Snail Lake, Turtle Lake and Island Lake among them, and Don Barger of Stonecrete Inc covers it from his base in White Bear Lake. Houses here go back to the 1950s. Don repairs the stone on them, resets loose stone, repoints worn joints and sets new stone where it is wanted. Call or text (612) 432-9467.
- Lakes
- Snail, Turtle and Island
- County
- Ramsey County
- Houses
- 1950s on
- Call or text
- (612) 432-9467
Lakes on every side
Shoreview has lakes everywhere: Snail Lake, Turtle Lake and Island Lake, and more besides. The town is in Ramsey County, west of Vadnais Heights, and its houses go back to the 1950s. Plenty of Shoreview lots slope toward water, and on those lots the soil at the low end of the yard holds water well into the spring thaw.
Mortar that has seen a lot of winters
A mid century rambler in Shoreview has had a lot of Minnesota winters go through its masonry. Every one of them pushed water into the joints, froze it and thawed it. Mortar is supposed to wear out before the stone does, and on houses this age it often has.
Repointing is how that gets fixed. The old mortar is cut out of the joint back to sound mortar, the joint is cleaned, new mortar is packed in, and the face of the joint is tooled so it sheds water. The new mortar should match the old in color and be no harder than the stone it sits against.
- Mortar that turns to sand when you scrape it with a key
- Joints worn back from the face of the stone
- Cracks running along the joints
- Stones that shift when pushed
What can wait and what should not
A hairline crack in a joint can be watched through a season. But a stone that moves, a step that rocks, or a joint gone soft lets water straight in, and another winter will open it further. Those are worth a photo to Don now.
On a lot that slopes toward one of the lakes, look at the steps and any stone walls on the low side first. That is where the ground stays wettest and where frost lifts things most.
Brick fronts and chimneys on Shoreview ramblers
Shoreview's ramblers and split levels also carry brick fronts and brick chimneys. The work Stonecrete Inc offers in Shoreview is stone. For brick, put the question to Don by phone or text.
Shoreview's lakes and parks
- Snail Lake Regional ParkOn Snail Lake Boulevard
- Turtle Lake ParkA park on Hodgson Road
- Island Lake County ParkRun by Ramsey County, on Victoria Street North
- Shoreview Commons ParkA city park on Victoria Street North
- McCullough ParkA city park in Shoreview
Questions
How do I know if Don covers my part of Shoreview?
Shoreview is within Don's area, which he puts at White Bear Lake and about 30 minutes around it. Text (612) 432-9467 with the nearest lake or main road if you want to check.
Does the whole house need repointing at once?
Often not. The side that takes the most weather, or the bottom of the wall where snow sits, can go first. Don can say from photos which joints look worst.
Should I patch bad joints myself?
Smearing new mortar or caulk over a bad joint tends to trap water behind it. The real repair is cutting the old mortar out and packing new mortar in.
Can new stone match the old stone on my house?
Stone that has been out in the weather a long time has changed color. A photo of it in daylight helps Don say how close a match is likely to get.
Don tells you plainly what the masonry needs, and what it does not, before any work starts.
