Stone masonry in Lafayette LA - stone and mortar picked to suit your wall
Joints crumbling or a plain wall you want faced? We fix the water first, then set stone and mortar suited to your wall.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does stone masonry work on a house involve?
Stone masonry in Lafayette, LA usually means one of two jobs. We either face a wall with stone veneer, a stone face set on the wall, or we repoint an existing stone wall by cutting out the worn mortar and packing in new so the joints hold tight again.
Most calls start with joints you can scrape out with a key, a stone that's come loose, or a plain wall you're tired of looking at. The price moves with the size of the wall, the stone you choose, how it's set, how much old mortar has to come out and what water trouble needs fixing first. The schedule turns on that water repair, getting the stone in and any review the city needs. You get your own figure in the written estimate after I've seen the wall.
Is stone masonry the right call for your wall?
Crumbling or sandy joints
When mortar rubs out with a finger, repointing the joints keeps the stones from working loose.
Bare wall you'd like faced
Stone veneer puts a real stone face on block, brick or a plain wall without rebuilding it.
Older stone house or wall
Older stone needs softer mortar and careful joint work, so it pays to have a mason do it.
Loose or missing stones
A stone that rocks or has fallen out usually means the joints around it gave up first.
How we do stone masonry
First I find out where the water's coming from, because a leaking downspout or bad drainage can wash mortar right out of a wall, and we get that fixed before we touch a joint. Then we help you pick a stone and a way of setting it that suit your wall. On a repoint, we cut out the worn mortar, pack the joints with new mortar and tool them to match what's there. On a veneer job, we prep the wall, set the stone and clean the face before we pack up.
Stone usually sits next to other masonry. If the rest of the house is brick with tired joints, we can do the brick pointing at the same time. If the cracks in your stone run up from the ground, the trouble may be underneath, and that's where our foundation repair work starts. For a full stone face on a new or existing wall, see our stone veneer installation page.
Adhered stone veneer
The stone is bonded to the face of the wall with mortar, which suits a wall that can carry it. Which method is right depends on the wall's support, the load it'll take, the stone and the weather, not on what someone likes better.
Anchored stone veneer
The stone is tied back to the wall with anchors, which suits heavier stone or a wall where support and load call for it. I'll tell you which method your wall points to and why.
Repointing a stone wall
If the wall is sound and only the joints are worn, we replace the mortar and leave the stone where it is. It's usually the smaller job, and often it's all a wall needs.
What happens after you call about stone masonry in Lafayette?
Call or send a message
Call (337) 216-1882 or use the form and tell us what the wall is doing. Photos of the wall and a note about any leaking downspouts help me come out ready.
I look the wall over
I come out myself, check the joints, the stone and where the water goes, and tell you what I'd do and what I'd skip. You get a written estimate with the work and the price spelled out before anything starts.
We take care of permits
If you go ahead, we handle the permit side with your city. Some Lafayette permits need an application and a review before the city issues them, so we build that time into your start date.
The work and the walkthrough
Our crew fixes the water trouble first, then repoints or sets the stone with me on site. When it's done, we walk the finished wall together.
Choosing the stone for a stone masonry job
Pick stone with a record in our weather.
Not every natural stone is suggested for outdoor use, and a stone that looks great in a yard full of samples can still be the wrong call on an outside wall. The best results come from stone with a history of standing up to the weather where you live, so ask how a stone has held up in Lafayette before you settle on a color.
I'll tell you which stones I'd put on your wall and which ones I'd pass on, and why. If there's already stone on the house, matching it matters too, so we look at the choices in daylight right beside what's there.
Examples of masonry work
Look through these examples of brick, block, stone and concrete work to get ideas for the wall or project you have in mind.
Get a free estimate on your stone wall
Tell us about the wall and add photos, plus any leaking downspouts or drainage trouble you've noticed. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out for a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Why Lafayette homeowners call K&D Lafayette Masonry and Concrete for stone masonry
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, so the person pricing it knows the wall. Our crew does the work, and I'm on site running it.
Trained on inspected public work
I learned masonry on a municipal crew, laying block and setting brick on public work that had to pass inspection. I started this business in 2020 to bring that same care to homes, starting with the drainage and footing you won't see later.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and that's the first thing you should ask any contractor. I'm glad to go over it when I'm out at your house.
A small fix when it's enough
Plenty of stone walls around Lafayette only need the joints redone where water got at them, and I'll tell you so instead of selling you a rebuild. Call (337) 216-1882 or send us the form and I'll come take a look.
Stone masonry questions we hear
How much does stone veneer cost in Lafayette, LA?
Installed stone veneer across the US usually costs about $20 to $35 per square foot. That's the national going rate for veneer work, not our price, and where yours lands depends on your wall, the stone and any water repair it needs first. I'll put your figure in writing after I see the wall, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Who is allowed to do a stone masonry job in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, a home improvement job over $7,500 and up to $50,000 has to be bid or done by a home improvement registrant or a licensed contractor. A job of $50,000 or more, or any job with structural work, needs a licensed Residential Building Contractor. Ask whoever bids your wall which of those applies before you sign.
How do I pick the right mortar for an older stone wall?
Use a mortar no stronger than the stone around it or the original mix, which is what guidance for historic buildings advises. That same guidance says historic mortars should be lime based, because lime lets moisture out more easily than dense cement mortar, and mortar that traps moisture damages the stone. On an older wall, that's the mix I'll walk you through.
What is the best way to remove old mortar from a stone wall?
On older or historic stone, hand chisels and mash hammers usually pose the least risk of damage and give the best finished result, though they take more labor. Power saws and grinders are the most common way to do it, but in unskilled hands they can be disastrous on old masonry. Ask who'll be running them before the work starts.
What causes white stains on a stone wall?
White stains are usually salt that water carries out to the face of the stone, and on the surface it's fairly harmless. The trouble is salt that forms inside the stone, because that pressure can make the face flake off. If your stone is flaking, I'll start by finding where the water is getting in.
Is pointing the same as tuckpointing?
Pretty much, since repointing also goes by pointing, and people sometimes call it tuckpointing, though that's not quite the right word. Whatever you call it, the job is cutting worn mortar out of the joints and packing new mortar in.
Got a stone wall that needs work?
I come out, look the wall over and write you a free estimate that says what I'd do and what I'd skip.
Other work that goes with stone
Stone masonry rules in Lafayette and nearby
In Lafayette, the city requires a permit before most construction starts and none for cosmetic work, and its residential permit list names things like carports, sheds and gazebos but not stone masonry. So that list doesn't settle whether your repoint or veneer job needs one, and the place to ask is the city's building permit office. I find that out before we set a start date. A new stone wall also has to meet the setback rules of the city's Development Division, so we check where it sits on your lot before we plan it.
On jobs around here we see a lot of brick houses with a stone front, porch columns or a planter added later, where the new stone has to tie in with what's already there. We're based in Lafayette and do the same work in Broussard, Scott and the other cities around it.