The Real Reason Your Stone Patio Holds Water and the Fix
A stone patio should make your backyard more relaxing, not more frustrating. Yet in Madison, many homeowners step outside after a rainstorm and find the same thing every time—puddles sitting on the patio long after the rest of the yard has dried. At first, it looks like a small nuisance, but standing water becomes a […]
Small Brick Cracks? Why Early Brick Repair Is Important
Tiny cracks in your brick wall can be easy to ignore. You see a thin line near a corner or above a window and think, “It’s probably nothing.” But small cracks often tell you that your home is shifting, settling, or under stress. When movement starts, it rarely stops on its own. That’s why early […]
Soft Walls vs. Brick Masonry: What the Viral Video Missed
A video went viral this week showing a man pushing a pencil straight into his wall. The pencil slid in like he was poking a sponge. People all over the world felt shocked, confused, and even angry. Many of them asked, “How can an expensive home have walls that are soft?” Moments like this make […]
How to Keep Your Brick Patio From Heaving
When the cold season hits, homeowners often start seeing their patios shift, crack, or lift in strange ways. What looked perfect in summer suddenly becomes uneven after a few hard freezes. If you have a brick patio, you’ve probably noticed this before — bricks rising at the edges, mortar lines splitting, or puddles forming where […]
How Graphene-Cement Reinvents the Outdoor Fireplace
If you’ve been dreaming about adding an outdoor fireplace to your backyard, there’s new construction news that could change how that dream comes to life. In November 2025, a team in the U.K. and Europe began testing something called graphene-cement — a stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly kind of concrete. You might be thinking, “What […]
Build a Stone Patio That Survives Every Winter
A well-built stone patio is one of the best ways to enjoy your backyard year-round. In the Huntsville area, homeowners love their patios for grilling, relaxing, or simply catching a bit of sunshine. But when winter rolls around, many patios start to show cracks, loose stones, and white chalky stains that weren’t there before. Those […]
Cold Snap Ahead? Protect Your Brick Fireplace
When the weather turns cold, a brick fireplace feels like the perfect way to warm up your home. But this week’s forecast comes with a warning that’s easy to overlook: North Alabama is expecting its first hard freeze of the season. According to local reports from WVTM 13 and the National Weather Service, overnight temperatures […]
Why Bridge Delays Impact Your ALTA Land Title Survey
When a big project like the Woolsey Finnell Bridge in Tuscaloosa gets delayed, the effects go far beyond traffic. It also touches nearby homes, businesses, and even property sales. If you’re planning to buy or develop land along McFarland Boulevard, this delay could affect your closing. That’s because your lender or title company will rely […]
How to Pick Brick Pavers That Stand Up to Heat & Weather
When you picture your dream outdoor kitchen, you probably imagine a built-in grill, warm lighting, and a smooth patio where everyone gathers. But the real hero of that space—often overlooked—is the surface under your feet. The brick pavers you choose can decide whether your outdoor kitchen stays strong for years or starts cracking after one […]
3 DIY Brick Hearth Mistakes to Fix Before Winter
As the weather cools down in Huntsville, families start cleaning their fireplaces and getting ready for cozy nights at home. But scroll through Reddit’s home improvement threads this week, and you’ll see something else heating up—DIY frustration. From dark mortar stains to crumbling bricks, homeowners everywhere are posting photos of “small weekend projects” that turned […]