Mark Custom Masonry

Please note: I am not a hardscaper and I do not install dry laid pavers. The reason for this is that I cannot guarantee them against movement and they require frequent maintenance to prevent weeds, ants, discoloration, etc. Hardscapers don't mind because it provides them steady work, but as a mason it is my job to make sure that the work will last for decades. If you would like traditional flatwork laid with mortar, please indicate that in the request because I have to ignore all other requests for paver work so that I can get a refund from Thumbtack. If you are seeking hardscaping installation, there is a category under landscaping that may serve you better than the masonry and brick/stone repair categories. Hi, my name is David Mark and I am a mason. I began learning the trade in Bergen County Technical High School in New Jersey at the age of 15. After two years of learning to lay brick and block, I joined the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsworkers and worked out of Local 4 New Jersey for 8 years. While I worked on commercial jobs with the union, the work I especially loved was doing residential side work (mostly repairs) with my mentor Dominic LoBue. After leaving the business to work as a chef and eventually moving to Florida, I eventually went to Hillsborough Community College to get a certificate in entrepreneurship. While doing work on my own house and my parent's house, I realized how much I missed working outside and working with masonry. I decided to go back to Hillsborough Community College for Architecture and Construction Technology while starting a masonry business. I am passionate about traditional masonry and especially unit masonry such as brick and stone. I believe that the durability and beauty of masonry is unmatched and should be revisited for its long term value. I admire classical, modernist, and post-modernist architecture and believe that traditional masonry has value to offer in all three. Please note that this is a one man operation at the current time and I am focusing on smaller jobs. In addition to repairs and restoration, I am more inclined to take on new construction jobs if they are brick, stone or other "finished" unit masonry. At the current time I am only working with reinforced concrete block, stucco, pavers and concrete if the job entails repairs, restoration or maintenance.