Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Calcon
Yes. Calcon is a Registered Building Practitioner with a Domestic Builder – Unlimited registration. Our experience includes more than 25 years in the building industry, beginning in carpentry, with over 10 years specialising in remedial building and masonry repairs.
We specialise in repairing cracked masonry, loose or leaning brickwork, damaged plaster, failed or inadequate wall ties and rising damp. Our repair methods include HeliBar masonry steel-bar reinforcement, HeliTie remedial wall ties, temporary propping, brick replacement, repointing, plaster repairs and chemical damp-proof course installation.
Yes. Depending on the project, Calcon can also undertake extensions and renovations with a team of experienced trades. We pride ourselves in our quality of workmanship and service.
Calcon is based in Eltham and services those surrounds and across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, including Box Hill, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Balwyn, Surrey Hills, Doncaster, Glen Waverley and surrounding areas. Other metropolitan and regional locations may be considered depending on the type and extent of work required.
Yes. We undertake remedial repairs for commercial property owners, common property and multi-residential buildings. Calcon holds public liability insurance and can provide relevant insurance and registration details when required.
For eligible domestic building work, statutory warranties may apply under Victorian law. Calcon also provides a two-year workmanship warranty for eligible non-structural repairs. These rights operate alongside any applicable product warranties and consumer guarantees. Please refer to our Warranty Statement for the full terms, inclusions and exclusions.
FAQs About Quotations and Repairs
A Calcon builder or suitably experienced team member will inspect the affected area, discuss what you have noticed and consider the conditions that may be contributing to the damage.
Where the work falls within our services, we can then prepare a quotation setting out the proposed repairs. A quotation site visit is not an engineering inspection or building report. If advice from an engineer, building surveyor or another specialist is required, we will explain this to you.
There is generally no charge for a quotation site visit within the metropolitan areas we service. If the property is outside our usual service area or the inspection requires additional investigation, any applicable fee will be discussed with you beforehand.
That is common. Cracks, dampness and movement can have several possible causes, including seasonal ground movement, drainage problems, tree roots, deteriorated mortar, failed wall ties or movement within the building.
Tell us what you have observed and we can help determine whether the problem falls within our services and what the appropriate next step may be.
Repair costs vary depending on the type and extent of damage, site access, the materials and repair methods required, and whether brickwork, plaster, render or painted finishes need to be reinstated. After inspecting the affected area, we can provide a written quotation outlining the proposed work and its inclusions.
The timeframe depends on the number and extent of repairs, site access and whether brickwork, plaster, render or other finishes need to be reinstated.
Some localised repairs may be completed within one or two days, while larger or staged projects will take longer. The expected timeframe will be discussed as part of the quotation process.
Most localised remedial repairs can be completed while the property remains occupied. There may still be noise, dust and temporary restrictions around the work area.
For larger projects involving extensive plaster removal, propping or wall reconstruction, different arrangements may be required. We will discuss access and occupancy requirements before work begins.
This depends on the condition of the building and the proposed work. Many localised remedial repairs may not require a building permit. However, structural alterations, substantial wall reconstruction or work connected with foundation movement may require engineering, a building permit or involvement from a building surveyor.
Where these requirements apply, Calcon can work alongside the engineer, building surveyor and other relevant contractors.
The repaired area is intended to be reinforced or restored using the method described in the quotation. However, buildings and reactive clay soils can continue to move in response to seasonal moisture changes, drainage problems, tree roots, leaking services or other conditions outside the repaired area.
Calcon’s workmanship warranty does not guarantee against future ground or building movement, new damage elsewhere, or cracks reappearing because of factors outside the repair scope. Ongoing property and drainage maintenance remains important.
FAQs About Cracked and Damaged Walls
No. Cracks may result from shrinkage, temperature changes, deteriorated mortar, localised masonry movement or movement in the foundations.
The crack pattern, width, location and whether it continues to change can help indicate what may be happening. Engineering advice or further investigation may be recommended where the cause or extent of movement cannot be confirmed during a quotation inspection.
A crack should be checked if it is widening, repeatedly reopening, extending through several bricks or appearing around doors, windows or wall junctions. Doors or windows beginning to jam, visible wall separation, leaning brickwork or associated floor movement can also indicate that further assessment is needed.
Cracks allowing moisture into the building should also be addressed, even when they appear relatively small.
Filling and painting may be suitable for a minor surface crack, but it will not correct movement or deterioration within the masonry behind it.
If a crack repeatedly reopens, the underlying wall may need to be repaired or reinforced before the plaster or painted finish is reinstated.
We take care to match existing mortar colours, joint profiles, bricks and finished surfaces as closely as practical. However, existing materials may have aged, faded or weathered over many years, so an exact match cannot always be guaranteed.
FAQs About Wall-Ties
The installation method depends on the wall construction and the type of support required. HeliTie remedial wall ties are generally installed through small holes drilled through the outer brickwork and into the supporting masonry or structure behind it.
Once the ties have been installed, the access holes are repaired to blend with the surrounding brickwork as closely as practical. The finished repair is generally unobtrusive, although an exact colour and texture match cannot always be guaranteed.
FAQs About Leaning Walls
No. Some leaning or inadequately restrained masonry may be suitable for reinforcement using HeliTie remedial wall ties, HeliBars , propping or other repair methods.
However, if the masonry has moved too far, become unstable or deteriorated beyond practical repair, part or all of the wall may need to be rebuilt. Engineering and a building permit may also be required. The appropriate approach depends on the wall’s condition, construction and cause of movement.
Leaning, bulging or separating brickwork can become a safety concern, particularly where the masonry is loose, inadequately restrained or located beside a walkway, driveway or occupied area.
Avoid disturbing the wall and arrange an assessment. Where there is an immediate risk of falling masonry, keep people away from the area and seek urgent professional advice from an engineer.
FAQs About Rising Damp
Drying time varies according to the wall thickness, construction, ventilation, moisture level and how long the damp has been present. Heavily affected walls may take several months to dry.
Plastering, painting and other finishes should be timed appropriately so that moisture and salts remaining within the wall do not affect the new surface.
Calcon can install a chemical damp-proof course where rising damp has been confirmed. Depending on the agreed scope, we can also repair salt-affected mortar and brickwork and remove or reinstate damaged plaster or render.
The required repairs will depend on the moisture source, the extent of deterioration and the materials affected.
Our Service Area Includes:-
Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs, including Box Hill, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Balwyn, Surrey Hills, Doncaster, Glen Waverley and surrounding areas.
