When you say to yourself, ” I need to find some good masonry contractors near me.” Don’t forget to contact Ricky L. Gordon Mason Contractor. I have been working in Orange County, NY for over 25 years and I know the in and outs of good jobs around here.
What Jobs does Ricky do ?
Over the years I have worked on most types of masonry projects. The only type of masonry project that I have not much experience with is poured concrete foundations. Other than that, I must say there is probably few items I have not tried at least once.
I started out with my father when he and a friend went into business in Monroe, NY around 1976. We eventually ended up doing a lot of new block foundations as Monroe and it’s neighboring communities were beginning to grow at a pretty rapid pace. In those years many of our customers were police and fireman from NYC.
We had a decent size crew in those days including my brother, some friends and my Dad’s business partner’s son. During this time we built many home foundations and also started to get some commercial work on block buildings. As concrete foundations came into favor we started to get less home foundation jobs.
So we fell back on old skills like repairing and building sidewalks, stoops, patios etc. A favorite item of my Dads was always brick work, so we did build quite a few fireplaces and chimneys in those days. I always had a leaning toward stone work so I began to search for jobs where I could develop those talents.
Between the wealth of these specific branches of masonry projects in our developing years, I got a chance to hone my talent on different masonry skills. We did everything from patching sidewalk cracks to building large commercial buildings.
So where do I work?
In those early years most of our work centered around Monroe, NY. My father and I lived in Highland Falls, NY at the time. As a result, we did start to pick up quite a few jobs in that area too. Being that the masonry supplier we used at the time was in Monroe, NY, they referred us to many jobs in that area.
The surrounding area of Monroe was also experiencing quite a lot of growth in these times. As a result, we began to make contacts and work in many of these communities. Chester, NY was a big job location as was Washingtonville, Warwick, Tuxedo and others.
In 1996, I moved to Middletown, NY. Shortly after that my father passed away. My brother and other members of our once sizable crew had found their ways into other ventures as well. I worked with my own business partner for about 5 years and eventually decided to scale back and work mostly on my own.
In those years I began working in and around Middletown, NY. I have worked in Sullivan County in many of the lake areas such as Wolf Lake, Yankee Lake, Masten Lake and others. I will work in any of these past job site areas as I know them well and they are in a decent commute distance from my home in Middletown, NY.
Orange County NY has become like my home town as I have been to most communities here. These places are well known by me.
I insist on good quality work from myself
I have always been a stickler for paying attention to details. When I am working on a project I like to get the dirty work done right away so that I may concentrate on insuring the rest of the job is done to high quality standards.
The most important part of a masonry project in this area is the foundation upon which it sits. Here in Orange County, NY it is essential to build a footing below the frost grade of 3 foot 6 inches for any large project that you want to have longevity. Anything built above the frost grade will eventually begin moving with the freeze and thaw cycle’s action on the soil. This will lead to the projects failure in some form or another over time.
All projects built on top of the ground here in Orange County, NY, such as sidewalks and patios need certain control elements built into them. Gravel and drain pipes need to be used to drain away water. Control Joints need to be placed where actions of moving concrete due to expansion and ground movement will cause cracks.
A nice clean, well constructed job is what I strive for on every project no matter the size. It is also important to me that during the construction process the job site is kept neat and free of debris. I feel a cluttered job site is an eyesore and not very safe.
Many Clients over many years
During the course of 25 + years one picks up a vast collection of past customers. I have received many accolades over the years in written notes and such. I’m sure there have also been some customers who may have not been satisfied but I never heard from any.
It would be great to hear from any past clients who may come across this post. Please let me know in the comment section below how my projects have fared for you over the years. It would be great to hear from all of you.
Once you have earned a client’s trust they will call you for their needs exclusively. That has earned me the privilege of working and knowing many fine people over my career. I do not strive for quality to satisfy my customers however. I strive for quality to satisfy myself.
So it would be great to hear from you
In closing, Please leave me some comment below. It would be great like to help you solve any problems that you might have. Do you have a question on a project you would like to try yourself ? Also, just ask below. Thank you for the privilege of you time in reading this post. Check back often for more.
