TrueMasonry

If you’ve got a stone patio , you probably love how it adds charm and space to your backyard. But as fall storms roll in, that same patio could be quietly trapping water right where you don’t want it—against your home’s walls. Many homeowners assume leaks come from the roof, but in our humid, rain-heavy climate, the real problem often hides just below your feet. Why Drainage and Weep Vents Matter A patio isn’t just a flat surface to walk on. It’s part of a bigger system that interacts with your home’s structure. When rainwater can’t escape properly, it starts to seep between your stone patio and your house’s masonry wall. That trapped moisture might not show itself right away, but over time it leads to cracks, peeling paint, or even foundation damage. That’s where weep vents come in. These small gaps or plastic inserts along the base of brick or stone walls let hidden moisture escape. If they’re blocked by dirt, mulch, or new landscaping, water stays trapped behind the wall—and that’s ...

If you’ve ever thought about adding an outdoor kitchen to your Huntsville home, you’re not alone. Backyard cooking spaces are no longer a luxury — they’re becoming part of everyday living. The idea of grilling under the Alabama sky or hosting family dinners outside is exciting. But before you start buying appliances or choosing stone, it’s important to plan what goes underneath and inside your build. A strong masonry base and well-planned utilities can make the difference between a kitchen that lasts decades and one that cracks or leaks after a season. Start with the Ground Beneath Your Feet Every solid outdoor kitchen starts with good ground prep. Huntsville and Madison are known for their clay-heavy soils, which shift when they get wet. If you pour a slab straight onto loose dirt, it will crack before your first tailgate party. A mason begins by checking the slope. The ground should drain away from the house so rainwater doesn’t flow toward the foundation. Next comes the base. Inste...

If you’ve noticed a white, powdery film forming on your brick hearth , you’re not alone. In the past week, social media and Reddit have been filled with homeowners asking the same thing: “What is this white stuff on my fireplace?” Some think it’s mold. Others worry it’s asbestos. The truth is usually simpler — and less scary. It’s called efflorescence, and while it’s not dangerous, cleaning it the wrong way can seriously damage your brick. What Reddit Is Getting Wrong About Efflorescence This week, multiple posts on Reddit’s r/HomeImprovement and r/DIY communities went viral. People were scrubbing their fireplaces with acid, repainting their hearths, or even sanding the brick to “get the white off.” Unfortunately, those quick fixes often do more harm than good. Efflorescence is not mold, and it’s definitely not a paint defect. It’s simply a mineral deposit — salt that travels through your brick when moisture moves from inside to the surface. When the water evaporates, it leaves those w...

If you’ve searched for fireplace repair lately, you’ve probably seen the same thing many homeowners have—endless Reddit posts from frustrated people whose “fixed” fireplaces failed within weeks. Some paid thousands of dollars for crumbling mortar, peeling paint, or smoke leaks that made their living rooms smell like campfires. These stories aren’t rare. Over the past week, homeowners have flooded Reddit with complaints about poor workmanship, fast jobs, and mystery materials. Many say they trusted the wrong contractor and learned the hard way that not all masons know how to repair a fireplace correctly.  What’s Really Behind Those Angry Reddit Posts Scrolling through the latest threads, a pattern jumps out. People aren’t just mad that their fireplace still looks bad. They’re angry that they weren’t told why things went wrong. Most of the time, the trouble starts with three simple but costly mistakes: the wrong mortar, poor curing, and sealing that traps moisture. Wrong mortar. Ever...