Masonry How To & DIY

Improve the value of your home by discovering our masonry step-by-step tips & ideas.

Masonry

How to Drill into Brick

Brick is an incredibly durable and long-lasting material. But if you need to hang a picture or mount a shelf to a brick wall, the usual methods can make the job seem impossible.

By Tom Scalisi

Brick is incredibly durable and can last a very long time, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the same old look for eternity. You can stain your brick surfaces for a new, fresh look, and we’ll show you how.

How to Replace a Hearth with Slate Tile

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough replaces a common terra cotta hearth with slate tile.

How to Build Steps with Landscape Timbers

Creating a durable outdoor staircase with This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook

How to Cut and Shape Stones

Escape the rock and the hard place with our most-watched YouTube video of all time

Bonus Uses for Masonry “Glue”

Mark McCullough has some solutions that don’t require mortar

How to Prevent Silica Dust when Drilling or Grinding

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough tests out different tools that collect silica dust more efficiently

How to Cut Stone with Hand Tools

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough demonstrates various techniques for cutting stone with hand tools.

How to Whitewash Brick with Masonry Supplies

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough demonstrates a way to whitewash brick with masonry materials

How to Make and Mix Concrete

Concrete projects can be tough work. While there isn’t much you can do about the labor, you can lighten the load on your wallet by making your own concrete mix. The process is simple, and you can tailor your mix for perfect results.

How to Repoint Brick Using Only Hand Tools

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough visits Milwaukee to teach a homeowner how to repoint brick

How to Work with Concrete

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains masonry materials and then shows how to pour a concrete slab

4 Tips for Building Stone Walls in Your Yard

Choose the best materials, location, and method and improve the look of your landscape

How to Cut Stone for Natural Stone Walls

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook demonstrates how to get the right-shaped stones for hardscaping projects using a variety of tools.

How to Install a Bluestone Landing on a Front Entry

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook upgrades an old brick with bluestone slabs

8 Concrete DIYs to Try

Versatile, affordable, easy to work with—concrete can be a DIYers best friend. From maintenance and repair to decorative elements, here are a few projects that anyone can do, quickly and confidently, with a bag of concrete and a bit of creativity.

How to Install Shutters on a Brick House

Use masonry anchors to attach working window coverings to a plain brick facade—and add some period charm, to boot

How to Build a Prefab Stone Wall

Roger Cook, landscape contractor, visits a stone yard that makes prefabricated stone walls at their facility before installing them on-site.

How to Repair a Crack in a Concrete Foundation

Fixing a fractured foundation with This Old House general contractor Tom Silva

How to Repair a Rusted Wrought Iron Railing

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva rebuilds a corroded, unsafe railing.

How to Restore a Colonial-Era Beehive Oven

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough explains the history and function of Colonial-era beehive ovens and then restores one in a house built in 1750.

4 Inexpensive Retaining Wall Ideas

We rounded up our best retaining wall ideas so you can plan your DIY landscaping project.

How to Cut a Granite Countertop

Cutting granite for kitchen countertops whether indoors or outdoors—is a DIY-able job. But there are some caveats to consider before getting started.

How to Resurface Worn Concrete

Trowel concrete resurfacer over your worn walkway, and you'll have a brand new, durable surface with uniform color. Before you get started, check out this how-to video on working with concrete.

How to Match Mortar

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough explains how to match mortar for repointing jobs

How to Install Concrete Pavers

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough helps an expecting couple install a concrete paver patio.

How to Reface a Concrete Wall

Mark McCullough and Jenn Nawada work together to reface an ugly concrete wall with a thin stone veneer to better match the rest of the patio that surrounds it.

How To Build a Stone Planter

Stack cast-concrete blocks in a tiered pattern to give your curb appeal a hefty boost

How to Redo a Brick Path

In this video, This Old House Mason Mark McCullough helps a homeowner redo his brick walkway that was originally a rush job. He explains that walkways need a sturdy, consistent base so it is not a project to be rushed.

How to Drill into Concrete

If you’re a DIYer of almost any level, chances are you’ll need to know how to drill into concrete or masonry at some point. Whether you’re mounting shelves on a cinder block garage wall, installing a window box on brick veneer or stucco, or mounting outdoor lighting onto stone, you’ll have to know how to drill into concrete.