Masonry Contractor in Lake Hallie, WI
Stone veneer, brick and stone entry steps and block foundation repair for Lake Hallie homes, most of them newer than the village itself. Free written estimates.
Based in Eau Claire, the next town south.
- 2003 The year Lake Hallie became a village, split off from the Town of Hallie
- 1990 Median year a Lake Hallie home was built
- 4 in 10 Homes here built in 2000 or later
Housing figures: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 estimates. Incorporation date: Village of Lake Hallie.
Lake Hallie is the youngest municipality we work in. The lake it is named for is an oxbow beside the Chippewa River that a sawmill used as a log pond in the 1840s, but the village dates only from 2003.
It sits between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls where US 53 meets Highway 29, and it has been filling in with houses the whole time: 6,448 residents at the 2010 census, 7,170 in 2020.
Newer houses have masonry problems too, only different ones. Almost nothing here calls for lime mortar or salvaged brick. What comes up is stone veneer in its first few winters, front steps on ground that is still settling, and block basement walls under the houses from the 1960s and 70s. Eau Claire Masonry & Stucco is a masonry contractor based in Eau Claire, and this page covers those three.
Stone Veneer Installation and Repair in Lake Hallie
There are two kinds of veneer job in a village this new.
A newer house with haze, hairline cracks or a fallen stone
White haze is efflorescence, salts carried out of new mortar as it dries. In the first year or two it is normal and it fades. Haze that returns to the same spot, a crack that follows a window corner, or stones letting go near the ground point to water behind the wall.
An owner who wants to add stone
A wainscot on a plain front, a pair of columns, a fireplace wall. On an existing house the wall is built back in order: water barrier, drainage gap, lath, scratch coat, stone, with a weep screed at the bottom. HomeAdvisor's national cost guide puts installed stone veneer at roughly $13 to $22 per square foot. That is a typical range, not a quote, and small jobs with many corners run above it. Details are on our stone veneer installation page.
Brick and Stone Front Steps That Settle, Crack or Shed
The soil beside a new foundation was dug out and pushed back in, and it keeps settling for years. Entry steps are built right on top of it. Add a winter of de-icing salt and it is no surprise that the front stoop is often the first masonry on a newer house to look tired. Whose job the repair is depends on which part failed.
| What you see | What it usually means | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Brick or stone facing loose, steps still level | The facing has lost its bond; the core is fine | A mason. This is brick step and stoop repair. |
| Mortar joints washed out, treads solid | Salt and water have eaten the joints | A mason. The joints get repointed. |
| Whole stoop has sunk or tipped | The fill under the concrete core settled | A concrete or slab-lifting contractor. We do not pour concrete steps. |
| Gap opening between the steps and the house | One of them moved | Depends which. We will look and tell you. |
Block Foundation Repair on Lake Hallie's Older Homes
Not everything here is new. Census estimates put about one in six Lake Hallie homes in the 1970s, from when this was still a rural town, and houses of that era around the Chippewa Valley commonly sit on concrete block.
Wisconsin's dwelling code sets footings at least 48 inches down because frost goes that deep, and every winter frozen wet soil leans on the wall above. After fifty winters, block walls show it.
We replace broken block, rebuild short failed sections, repoint open joints and parge walls. The line between a mason's repair and an engineer's is drawn on the masonry foundation repair page. The brick chimneys on the same houses are at the age for new crowns and flashing, which is covered under chimney repair.
Building or Remodeling in Lake Hallie? Call the Mason Before the Siding Goes On
Most veneer failures are decided before a single stone is set: by how the water barrier laps, where the flashing goes at the windows, and whether the siding crew left room for a weep screed. Fixing those later means taking stone off.
If stone is in your plans, bring us in while the wall is still open. It costs nothing to ask, and it is the cheapest point in the whole job to get it right.
Lake Hallie Masonry Questions
Is Lake Hallie in your service area?
Yes. We are based in Eau Claire, and Lake Hallie is the next municipality north. Estimates here are free and written, the same as in Eau Claire.
Is Lake Hallie under Eau Claire or Chippewa Falls for building permits?
Neither. Lake Hallie has been its own village in Chippewa County since 2003, so permit questions go to the village, not to either city. We did not find a published village list saying whether veneer, steps or foundation repairs need a permit, so we check with the village office for your address before starting.
Can stone veneer be installed over my existing siding?
No. Vinyl or lap siding has to come off where the stone will go, down to the sheathing. The wall is then built back in layers, with a water barrier and a drainage gap behind the stone and clearance above the ground at the bottom.
Are cracks in a block basement wall serious?
Some are. Stair-step cracks near a corner are common and often old and stable. A long horizontal crack partway up the wall, with the wall leaning in above it, means soil pressure is pushing on the block, and a structural engineer should look at it before any mason does. We repair block and joints. We do not install wall anchors, piers or drain tile.
Do you repair gas or factory-built fireplaces?
No. Most fireplaces in newer houses are factory-built metal units or gas appliances, and those belong to a fireplace dealer or a chimney sweep. We repair site-built masonry fireplaces and we install or repair the stone or brick facing around any type.
Free Masonry Estimates in Lake Hallie
Tell us what you're seeing and about when the house was built. For veneer, a photo of the bottom edge and one of the nearest window help most. For steps, one from the side showing how they meet the house.
Own an older brick house just north of the village line? That is a different kind of work, covered on our page about tuckpointing and chimney repair in Chippewa Falls.
- We look at the wall, the steps or the basement in person
- You get the scope and the price in writing
- If it belongs to your builder, a concrete crew or an engineer, we say so
Get a Free Estimate
Tell us what's going on with the masonry or stucco. Prefer to talk? Call or text (715) 597-4359.
Thanks, we have your request.
We'll be in touch about your estimate. If it's easier, text photos of the job to (715) 597-4359.
Veneer, Steps or a Block Wall in Lake Hallie?
Call, or text a photo with the year the house was built. We'll tell you whose job it is, even if it isn't ours.