Bricklayer & Masonry in Cova da Piedade

Cova da Piedade is an old part of Almada that kept its character while the city grew around it, and its mid-rise buildings, some with tiled fronts, are now at the age where things need attention. We are called out for azulejos that have come loose or fallen from a facade, for render patches that have separated from the wall, for bathrooms and kitchens being retiled, and for closing up the mess left when services are renewed. We work through Cova da Piedade centro and the neighbouring areas of Laranjeiro, Feijó and Pragal, looking at the wall in person before putting a number to anything.

25K+

Interventions

4.8

Average rating

98%

Satisfaction

10+

Years experience

About our service in Cova da Piedade

Tiled facades are a local speciality and a local headache. Azulejos were bedded in mortar directly onto render, and when moisture gets behind that render the tiles begin to sound hollow and eventually come away, usually starting near a sill, a downpipe or a joint where water has been getting in. Replacing what has fallen without dealing with the water behind it means the next tile follows soon after. So we look for the route the moisture is taking, take back the render to something sound, and re-bed tiles as close in size and glaze as can still be found, being clear that an exact match to an older tile is rarely possible. Inside, the work is the ordinary business of an ageing building: bathrooms and kitchens stripped and retiled, floors levelled so a new covering can go down flat, chases filled and small pieces of partition rebuilt once the plumber and electrician have finished. We come between those trades and the painter, and we say so when we quote, because owners who book decoration first end up paying for it twice. Where a wall has been patched again and again we take the whole face back rather than adding another layer to the pile. Because much of this housing is in blocks, two things need settling before work starts. A facade, a roof or any shared part of the building belongs to the condomínio, so its agreement is required rather than one owner's wish, and access for a working platform usually has to be arranged with the building as well. Anything involving structure, a load-bearing wall, a beam, a column or a slab, needs a project from a qualified technician plus authorisation from the câmara municipal, and since rules vary by município we check with the câmara for the address rather than assuming.

Masonry work we provide in Cova da Piedade:

Services Included

Re-bedding and replacement of loose or fallen azulejos
Removal of hollow render and re-rendering of sound substrates
Bathroom, kitchen and hallway tiling
Screeding of floors ahead of tiles, vinyl or laminate
Filling chases and making good after plumbing and electrical work

Areas We Serve

We serve Cova da Piedade centro and the surrounding districts of Laranjeiro, Feijó and Pragal, including the older tiled buildings near the centre.

Cova da Piedade centroLaranjeiroFeijóPragal

Work Gallery

Rating

4.9

(4+ reviews)

Response within 2h
Verified professionals
Satisfaction guaranteed

Guarantee

We describe the substrate work, the materials and the expected appearance of any replacement tiling in the quote. If our work is not as agreed, we return to correct it.

Hours

Mon-Sat: 9am-8pm

Sunday: Closed

We describe the substrate work, the materials and the expected appearance of any replacement tiling in the quote. If our work is not as agreed, we return to correct it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions from Cova da Piedade owners:

Some azulejos have fallen off the front of my building. Can they be replaced?

Yes, though two things come first. Moisture behind the render is usually why they let go, so that route has to be found and closed or the next tiles will follow. And because a facade belongs to the building, the condomínio has to agree to the work, and access for a platform is arranged with it. Once that is settled we take the render back to a sound base and re-bed tiles as near to the original as is still available.

How close a match can you get to old tiles?

Close, seldom exact. Sizes, thicknesses and glazes change, and older ranges are usually out of production. We look for the nearest current equivalent and show it to you before ordering, and where the difference would be obvious we suggest treating a whole panel or a defined band so the result looks intentional instead of patched.

Is it worth just patching the render rather than taking it off?

It depends on what the surrounding render is doing. If it is firmly attached and only a small area has failed, patching is sensible and we do it. If large areas sound hollow when tapped, they have already parted from the wall and a patch will be surrounded by more failures within a season. We tap the wall on the visit and tell you which situation you are in.