How to Select a Contractor for Your Historic Restoration

The restoration of a historic building or monument isn’t the same as restoring any other commercial site. Historic properties present unique challenges and are subject to different guidelines than newer buildings and deserve extra care and attention. Before you choose a contractor for your historic restoration, make sure you have done your homework and found one that you can trust to maintain the integrity and beauty of the original construction.

A Trusted Partner

Not all contractors have the experience or knowledge to tackle historic restorations. It takes an understanding of traditional and modern construction methods alike to provide long-lasting results for your building or landmark. Here at Houck, we inspect your historic construction and carefully plan every step of the restoration to respect the cultural value of your site. We consider important factors such as:

State and Federal guidelines for restoring public historical buildings and monuments
Traditional materials and construction techniques
Advanced ways to build, attach and join for longer durability
Protection from the elements to reduce deterioration
Requirements for public access during restoration

With over 70 years experience in the business, you can trust us to provide class-leading results for your historic restoration.

Choose Your Contractor Carefully

Before you choose a historic restoration contractor, make sure you have found one that can offer:

Examples of previous successful historic restorations
An understanding of how to preserve old public buildings, monuments and landmarks
Innovative and durable solutions that respect traditional materials and methods
A comprehensive estimate before work begins

You will get all of this and more when you choose Houck for your historic renovation project.

Contact Us to Learn More

Are you in the process of selecting a contractor for the restoration of a historic monument or building? Houck is your top choice for quality results and we have the experience to prove it. Our commitment to our clients reflects in everything we do, so contact us to learn more and see examples of the work we have done.

Don’t trust your historic restoration to the lowest bidder or the company that promises to get the job done fastest. Your important historic site deserves the care and attention that only a proven construction and restoration leader can offer. Contact our team today for more information and to obtain a comprehensive quotation.

The Applications & Benefits of Masonry Restoration

Over time, masonry construction can start to show its age. Even the best-quality masonry will eventually start to deteriorate and crumble due to several factors, including:

Environment and weather
Wear and tear
Weight of the building or construction
Ground shifting
Subsequent modifications and additions

Most masonry constructions start to deteriorate at the joints. Masonry joints are made from liquid mortar that hardens after application and holds the stones, bricks or other building materials in place. Over time, this mortar can start to crumble and allow water to infiltrate. Once the process of mortar cracking has begun, it’s only a matter of time before your foundation, walls or supports fail. At the first sign of crumbling or missing mortar, it’s time to call an expert.

Experience Required

The benefits of restoring, instead of replacing, masonry work are numerous:

You can preserve the historic or traditional nature of your monument or landmark
You can avoid tearing down portions or all of your structure
You can enjoy a modern restoration that matches the original style
You can prolong the life of old buildings, monuments and landmarks

Simply tearing out old masonry work and replacing it with new masonry isn’t always advisable. This is especially the case for historic properties, where tradition and preservation guidelines dictate how historic monuments and buildings must be restored. Our team here at Houck has the experience and knowledge necessary to properly repair your masonry project while respecting the historic value of your site.

Steps to Masonry Restoration

When you approach us with a masonry restoration project, we take the time to understand your requirements and propose the right solutions:

We inspect your property, monument or building and determine the current condition
We note all mortar joints that need repair (including joint replacement and tuckpointing)
We identify loose or damaged areas that require special attention
We explain our safety measures to protect the public and our workers

When you choose Houck for your masonry restoration project, you can be sure that you’re getting a partner you can count on. We have over 70 years experience in the industry and are a trusted part of the PA construction and restoration community. We are proud of the work we do and will apply our standards of safety, quality and performance at every step of our masonry restoration. The result will be a perfect masonry rehabilitation that is as strong as it is beautiful, and it will give you many more years of use.

Choose the Service That Suits

You are invited to contact us for more information on our masonry services, including:

Historic Preservation: Making repairs to historic properties while respecting traditional materials and designs
Monument Rehabilitation: Bring back the grandeur and beauty of our nation’s important historical monuments
Structural Repair: Larger-scale restoration projects that turn back the hands of time on old, crumbling masonry

Come and find out how Houck has become the top name in PA for quality masonry restoration and repair.

The Best Type of Flooring for Commercial Buildings

Commercial floors see a lot of traffic, wear and abuse. To ensure that the floor in your commercial building or facility can last, you need to choose the right type of flooring and have it installed by a trusted professional. Here at Houck, we have over 70 years experience providing commercial customers in PA with top quality flooring that is built and installed to last. Learn more about commercial flooring so that you can be sure you’re making the right choice for your facility.

More than Appearance

While you do want your commercial floor to look good, there are other factors that go into selecting the right commercial flooring:

Wear Resistance: Traffic from people, carts, forklifts and other machines means a sub-standard floor can crack and break
Traction: The best commercial floors offer good grip to avoid slipping and sliding
Cleaning: An even and unbroken floor surface is easier to keep clean
Waterproof: Certain commercial facilities require waterproof flooring to keep spills out of the ground

Having a commercial floor installed or replaced involves disrupting your commercial activities, so you want to choose a trusted professional to do it right. At Houck, we plan all of our commercial flooring projects to minimize your downtime and ensure that you get many years of reliable service from your floor.

Choosing the Right Flooring

Selecting your flooring comes down to understanding how it will be used. We can help you choose the right commercial flooring material from a host of options:

Concrete: Poured concrete is the most common flooring for large commercial and industrial spaces that see a lot of heavy machine and equipment traffic. We can polish your concrete for an attractive appearance that reduces the appearance of dirt and marks.
Epoxy Floor Coatings: Choose epoxy floor coating for your commercial space if you want a long-lasting and easy-to-clean solution that looks great. You can choose from a range of colors and benefit from stain and water resistance, all in a commercial flooring that requires little maintenance
Vinyl: Vinyl flooring is an affordable solution for many low- to medium-traffic commercial spaces such as offices, stores and public buildings. Vinyl is an attractive and resistant flooring option that is easy to coordinate with other parts of your decor
Hardwood: Traditional hardwood is an upscale choice that adds class and style to your commercial space. Choose the finish and colors that work best in your space and enjoy the warmth of hardwood to create an inviting atmosphere for your commercial customers and visitors

These are just a few of the top commercial floorings you can choose from when you trust Houck for your commercial flooring project. Our team is committed to Safety, Quality and Performance, so contact us to discover how we’ve become a PA leader in commercial flooring installation and replacement.

How to Select the Right Mortar for Your Project

Guide to Choosing the Right Mortar for your Masonry Project

When completing a masonry project or repair, it’s vital to choose the appropriate type of mortar. The right mortar will ensure your masonry project endures into the future, preventing cracks and loose filling. At Houck, we always choose the type of mortar that’s best adapted to the materials, nature and environment of the project.

We’ve compiled this guide to help you choose correct mortar for all of your masonry repointing or tuck pointing projects.

Four Types of Mortar to Choose From

There are four major classes of mortar to choose from: N, S, M, and O. Each type of mortar provides unique properties and is suitable for a variety of applications. Here are descriptions of each:

Type N: Type N is a general-purpose mortar used for interior or exterior walls that are above-grade and under normal load conditions. Type N mortar provides a good combination of workability and durability and can be chosen for most general mortar jobs.
Type S: For increased load-bearing applications and below-grade exterior walls, Type S is recommended. It provides resistance in harsh exterior climates and is especially suitable for environments with cold winters, as it withstands deterioration from freezing and thawing.
Type M: For ultimate load-bearing strength and resistance to the elements, Type O mortar is the suitable choice. It is less workable than other mortars, so it should only be used if you require the additional properties under load and in extremely cold conditions.
Type O: This fourth type of mortar is relatively low-strength compared to the others. It is commonly used for repointing and aesthetic finishing, and can also be chosen for interior projects that aren’t part of a load-bearing structure.

Knowing the different types of mortar allows you to choose the appropriate product for the wall, support or feature you’re constructing or repairing. In all cases, it’s critical to follow the instructions supplied with the mortar. Be sure to maintain the correct ratio of mortar, water, and sand so your mortar is consistent, workable and safe.

Contact Houck for More Information

We invite you to contact our team here at Houck for more information. We have many years of experience in commercial and industrial building restoration and preservation and can help you choose the right type of mortar for your facility. Selecting the appropriate masonry product and application ensures your brick, stone or cinder block construction will last for years. Tell us about your project today, and we’ll be happy to offer comprehensive consultation.

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