I had previously hired some contractors to remove an interior wall, to expose brick underneath. Unfortunately they left the brick in rough shape with some pretty noticeable damage.
I was in a bit of a pinch. I contacted a few masons, and almost all of them said I had to: replace all the brick, stain it, or do a new wall with veneer. All of this seemed like a bit much, since I had already invested a bit to get the bricks exposed. It also seemed a bit overkill, seeing as the house is old, I didn't want the wall to be too "new". It had to look old.
Alas, Carlo came by, and he had a totally different approach. You could tell he has a lot of experience! He said no problem, he could repair the wall. He also stressed the importance of making it look old, like an antique! It was music to my ears. He was the only mason who said this is possible.
So, I went with Carlo. The job took two days. I also had him patch up some concrete blocks in the basement which were in disrepair. The guys were very polite, and on time. You could tell they were true professionals and took their craft seriously. They also made a point to thoroughly clean up the space before leaving. They even cleaned some extra muck that was in my basement!
The brick looks great now! I am so pleased I don't have to invest any more money into it. I will use Carlo for more work in the future.
Thanks Carlo!