Brick, Masonry or Concrete? Here's the Difference.

If you've been looking into repairs for your home, you've probably seen the words brickwork, masonry, and concrete used almost interchangeably. The truth is, they're not the same thing.

We at Masonry Markham get this question from homeowners across Markham all the time, whether they're restoring an older home near Main Street Unionville or repairing a front porch in Cornell. Understanding the difference can help you choose the right contractor—and avoid paying for work you don't actually need.


What's the Difference Between Concrete and Masonry?

The easiest way to think about it is this:
Concrete is a material. Masonry is a trade.

Concrete is made from cement, sand, stone, and water. It's commonly used for driveways, walkways, garage floors, foundations, and poured retaining walls.

Masonry is the skilled trade of building and repairing structures using materials like:

• Brick
• Natural stone
• Concrete block
• Cultured stone
• Mortar

So while concrete work can be part of masonry, masonry covers much more than just pouring concrete.

For example, repairing a cracked brick chimney isn't a concrete job—it's masonry. Rebuilding a stone garden wall is masonry. Repointing mortar joints around your home's brick exterior is masonry too.


So...What Is Brickwork?

Brickwork is simply one type of masonry.

Think of it like this:

• Masonry is the umbrella term.
• Brickwork is one specialty within it.

A mason might spend one day rebuilding a brick chimney, the next repairing a stone front entrance, and the following week restoring deteriorating mortar joints on a century home.

They're all masonry projects, even though only one is strictly brickwork.


Why This Matters for Markham Homes

Markham has a surprisingly wide mix of homes.

Walk through Unionville and you'll see heritage brick buildings that need careful mortar matching to preserve their original appearance. Head over to Angus Glen or Box Grove and you'll find newer homes where water damage, settling, or poor drainage can still create masonry issues after only a few years.

Then there are neighbourhoods around Markville and Raymerville where many homes are reaching the age where chimney repairs, porch rebuilding, or brick replacement are becoming more common.

Ontario doesn't really care whether your home is 15 years old or 115 years old. Once moisture gets into damaged mortar, it tends to get worse every winter. That's why small repairs are usually worth dealing with sooner rather than later.


A Recent Markham Repair

Not long ago, we helped a homeowner a few minutes from Toogood Pond who thought they had a "brick problem."

A few bricks beside the front steps had started cracking, and some mortar had fallen out. It looked fairly minor.

After taking a closer look, we found the real issue wasn't the bricks at all. Water had been getting underneath the steps for years, and repeated freezing and thawing had slowly pushed sections apart.

We rebuilt the damaged area, replaced the affected bricks, repointed the surrounding joints, and corrected the drainage issue that caused it in the first place.

Had they waited another winter or two, the repair likely would have turned into a complete front entrance rebuild.


Looking for Residential Masonry in Markham?

Not every contractor specializes in masonry restoration.

Matching brick colour, blending mortar joints, and making repairs look like they've always been there takes experience. It's one thing to stack new bricks on a new build. It's another to repair a wall so well that you can't tell where the work was done.

Whether you need chimney repairs, brick replacement, tuckpointing, stone restoration, or front step rebuilding, choosing a company that focuses on residential masonry Markham projects can make a big difference in the finished result.

What to Look for Before Hiring

If you're comparing contractors, don't just ask for a price.

Ask questions like:

• Do you specialize in brick and masonry repair?
• Will the new mortar match the existing colour?
• Can you source bricks that closely match my home?
• Do you guarantee your workmanship?
• Will the repair blend in with the existing wall?

Those answers often tell you much more than the quote itself.

What Actually Matters?

When reading masonry Markham reviews, don't focus only on the number of stars.
Instead, look for comments about:

• Whether the crew arrived when promised
• Clean-up after the work was finished
• Communication throughout the project
• How well the repaired brick matched the existing home
• Whether customers would hire the company again

At Masonry Markham, we believe good masonry repairs shouldn't stand out—they should blend in naturally with your home.

From heritage properties near Main Street Unionville to family homes in Wismer, Greensborough, Cornell, and throughout the rest of Markham, we provide masonry Markham services that are built to last through Ontario's changing seasons.