Serving Reading, PA and surrounding areas. (484) 516-0656
Total Reading Concrete & Masonry handles foundation repair, chimney work, tuckpointing, retaining walls, and more across Reading and Berks County. We show up, give you a straight estimate, and do the work right.
Total Reading Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor serving Reading, PA and the surrounding Berks County area. We handle all 16 types of masonry work - from foundation repair and chimney restoration to retaining walls, pavers, and fireplace installation. Every job gets a written estimate, licensed craftsmen, and work backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Cracks, bowing walls, or sticking doors? We stabilize shifting foundations before small problems become expensive ones.
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Crumbling mortar and missing caps let water and cold air inside. We repair chimneys so they are safe and watertight.
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Worn mortar joints are the first place water gets in. We remove the old material and pack in fresh mortar matched to your home.
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Spalled, cracked, or loose bricks weaken the whole wall. We replace damaged bricks and repoint joints so the repair lasts.
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Cracked asphalt drains your curb appeal. Durable paver driveways handle traffic, freeze-thaw cycles, and look sharp for decades.
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Leaning or crumbling retaining walls let soil shift into your yard. We build walls that hold their position season after season.
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Old masonry on historic homes needs careful hands. We clean, repair, and repoint original brick and stone without damaging it.
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A new fireplace adds warmth and value to your home. We build and line fireplaces that draw correctly and meet code.
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Stone veneer transforms the look of a plain wall or foundation. We install it to last - tight joints, proper backing, clean lines.
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Concrete block walls are strong, fast to build, and cost-effective. We lay them plumb and level for structures that hold up.
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A solid block wall foundation protects everything above it. We install them correctly from the footing up.
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Turn your backyard into a space you actually use. We build outdoor kitchens with stone and block that hold up to the elements.
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Heaved or cracked walkway pavers are a trip hazard. We install level, well-drained brick and stone paths built to last.
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A well-built brick wall adds privacy, structure, and character. We lay brick walls that stay plumb and look right for years.
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Natural stone is one of the most durable building materials available. We cut, set, and mortar it to fit your project.
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Worn-out pointing lets water into the wall. We grind out the old material and fill every joint cleanly for a watertight finish.
Learn MoreTell us what you are seeing - a crack, a leaning wall, crumbling mortar, or something you are not sure about. We ask a few questions to understand your situation and schedule a time to come out and look. We respond within 1 business day.
We walk the job with you, show you exactly what is wrong, and explain what we recommend to fix it. You get a written estimate in plain language - no vague line items. There is no charge for the estimate and no obligation to book.
Once you approve the estimate, we schedule the job and show up when we say we will. Most residential repairs take one to three days. We clean up each day and walk you through the finished work before we leave so you know exactly what was done.
We maintain our PA Home Improvement Contractor registration and carry liability insurance and workers compensation on every project. We can provide proof before any work begins.
Every estimate is written, itemized, and given at no charge. There is no pressure to commit. Most homeowners get two or three estimates - we encourage it because we know ours holds up to comparison.
We live and work here. We know Reading's older housing stock, its freeze-thaw winters, and the masonry problems that come with pre-1940 brick and stone construction.
If something is not right when the job is done, we come back and make it right. We do not consider a job finished until you are satisfied with the work and the cleanup.
Ready to talk? Call (484) 516-0656 or send us a message.
"My chimney had been losing mortar for two winters and I kept putting it off. They came out, showed me exactly what needed attention, and finished the repointing in a day. No mess left behind and the joints look clean. I should have called sooner."
Robert M., Reading - Chimney repair
"We had a basement wall that was bowing noticeably - enough that I was nervous about it after every hard frost. The crew explained the cause, pulled the permit, did the repair in two days, and the inspector signed off without any issues. Solid work from start to finish."
Sandra K., Wyomissing - Foundation repair
"The front walkway pavers were heaved and cracked from years of frost. They pulled everything out, reset the base, and relaid the whole thing. It has been through two winters now and still looks level. Good crew, showed up when they said they would."
James T., West Reading - Walkway construction
We respond within 1 business day. There is no obligation - submitting the form just starts a conversation. After you submit, someone from our office will call you to schedule a free on-site estimate at a time that works for you.
(484) 516-0656Total Reading Concrete & Masonry serves Reading, PA and 12 communities across Berks County and surrounding areas - including Wyomissing, West Reading, Shillington, Pottstown, and Lebanon. We schedule same-week appointments for most locations within our service area.
Berks County averages multiple freeze-thaw cycles per winter - water in mortar joints freezes and expands, then thaws, widening cracks a little more each time. This is why masonry damage in Reading compounds year over year if it is not caught early.
White chalky staining on brick - called efflorescence - means water is moving through your wall and leaving mineral deposits behind. It signals that mortar joints are failing and water is getting inside the masonry, often well before you see visible damage.
A straight hairline crack in a mortar joint is usually normal settling. A diagonal crack running from a window corner, or a crack wider at one end than the other, signals active movement and needs a professional look before it worsens.
Homes built before 1940 in Reading used softer, lime-based mortar. Repairing them with modern high-strength mortar can crack the bricks themselves. Matching the repair material to the original is not optional on older masonry - it is the difference between a fix that lasts and one that makes things worse.
Sticking doors and windows, diagonal cracks from door frames, and gaps where walls meet the ceiling are all signs that the foundation may be moving. These symptoms are common in Reading's older housing stock, particularly after hard winters.
Routine tuckpointing and minor repairs generally do not require a permit. Structural work - foundation repairs, chimney rebuilds, or significant wall reconstruction - typically does. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry oversees the Uniform Construction Code that governs this work statewide.
Total Reading Concrete & Masonry is a licensed and insured masonry contractor based in Reading, PA, serving Reading and 12 communities across Berks County since 2015. We are registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office as a Home Improvement Contractor, as required under the Pennsylvania Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act.
We specialize in the masonry challenges specific to this area: older brick and stone construction, freeze-thaw mortar damage, and the foundation issues common in homes built before 1940. Our crew has worked on all 16 masonry service types listed on this site, in homes and commercial properties throughout the Reading area.
If the bricks themselves are structurally sound and the mortar is the main issue, repointing is the right call. Replace bricks only when they are cracked through, spalling badly, or hollow-sounding when tapped. Replacing bricks you do not need to replaces adds cost without adding value.
Each freeze-thaw cycle pushes a little more water into an open crack and forces it slightly wider. A crack that costs a few hundred dollars to seal today can become a bowing wall repair that costs several thousand if left through multiple winters. Early action is almost always cheaper.
The crown is the concrete slab at the top of your chimney. When it cracks, rainwater runs straight down inside the chimney and starts damaging mortar, bricks, and the liner from the inside out. A small crown repair is one of the highest-return chimney maintenance jobs you can do.
The Brick Industry Association publishes technical guides on masonry maintenance and repair standards that are worth reading before any major project. If you want a straight answer about your specific situation, call us at (484) 516-0656 or send a message.
Reading is a mid-size city of roughly 95,000 people in Berks County, Pennsylvania, situated in a valley between Mount Penn to the east and the Schuylkill River to the west. The city is known for its older housing stock - a large share of homes were built before 1940, many of them brick row houses and twin houses that were constructed to house workers during the city's industrial era. Neighborhoods near the Pagoda on Mount Penn climb steep hillside lots with old stone retaining walls, while blocks closer to FirstEnergy Stadium and downtown are flat and densely built.
Reading's climate is one of the main drivers of masonry work in the area. The city sits in a zone where temperatures cross the freezing mark many times each winter, and that freeze-thaw cycle is hard on brick, mortar, concrete, and stone. The National Weather Service records consistent winter precipitation and temperature swings that accelerate mortar deterioration, crack concrete, and push old stone walls out of alignment every season. Hillside neighborhoods near City Park also deal with drainage and retaining wall issues that are specific to sloped terrain.
Total Reading Concrete & Masonry has been working in Reading and the surrounding boroughs since 2015. We understand the conditions that come with older Berks County masonry - lime-based mortars, soft brick, stone rubble foundations - and we bring the right materials and methods to match. Whether your home is up near the Pagoda or down on a flat block near the river, we know what it takes to do the job right.
By appointment only, no walk-ins.
Total Reading Concrete & Masonry
211 N 10th St
Reading, PA 19601
(484) 516-0656hi@masonryreading.comAlways open, 24/7.
Call (484) 516-0656 or send us a message to schedule your free on-site estimate in Reading and Berks County.
