Masonry Company in Windermere, FL

Town of Windermere or the Windermere area?

The Town of Windermere is small: about 2 square miles of land and about 3,100 people. The 34786 ZIP that carries its name covers about 20 square miles of land and about 42,000 people. Both sets of figures come from the Census Bureau.

The town lists Keene's Pointe, Summerport, Casabella, Belmere and the Reams Road area as outside its limits. Those addresses, like the rest of the 34786 ZIP outside the town, sit in unincorporated Orange County. The Orange County Property Appraiser shows which side of the line your lot is on.

The town line decides which office answers your permit questions. Inside the town, PDCS serves as the building department, and Wade Trim handles zoning and stormwater questions. Variance requests go to the town's Development Review Board, which advises Town Council. Outside the town, Orange County's Division of Building Safety handles building permits.

Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces on the Butler Chain of Lakes

The Butler Chain is 13 lakes and over 5,000 acres of water, joined by 32 navigable canals. Lake Butler alone covers about 1,600 acres. In 1985 the chain became the first lake system in Florida named an Outstanding Florida Water by the state.

Masonry does not rot, and it does not feed termites. The Florida Building Code rates termite infestation across the state as very heavy. We build the whole kitchen as a masonry structure instead of a metal or wood frame with a veneer skin.

A licensed plumber or gas contractor runs the gas line to the grill. A licensed electrician handles the outlets and lights. We build the openings for the grill, access doors, drawers and a sink to the sizes you pick.

Work near the shoreline can bring extra rules. Orange County has its own lakeshore and wetland permits, and the town adds shoreline rules of its own. PDCS or Wade Trim can say what applies to a lot in town.

Brick and stone for older lake homes and new custom homes

About half the town's homes were built before 1990, and fewer than 1 in 10 in 2010 or later. Nearly every one is a single-family house. Across the wider 34786 ZIP, about 4 in 5 homes were built in 2000 or later. These are Census Bureau survey estimates for 2020 to 2024.

The masonry jobs differ between the two. For an older lake home, that might mean an outdoor kitchen on the lanai or brick veneer on the front. On a new custom home, we build the natural stone veneer and the fireplace with the builder. The builder holds the permit and builds the house, and we build the masonry.

Gated communities in the Windermere area, such as Isleworth and Keene's Pointe, each have a homeowners association. If yours reviews exterior changes, get its approval before the work starts.

How does the ground near the lakes affect a slab or footing?

More than a quarter of the town's area is water. On dry land, the most common soil is Tavares fine sand, which the USDA soil survey rates moderately well drained. Its water table sits 42 to 72 inches down for much of the year.

Lower ground is wetter: about 14 percent of the town's land is poorly drained Smyrna fine sand. Its water table comes within 18 inches of the surface 1 to 4 months in most years. Another 7 percent is Sanibel muck, where water sits within 10 inches for 6 to 12 months.

A masonry kitchen or fireplace is heavy, so the ground under it matters. The Florida Building Code puts footings at least 12 inches below finished grade. A fireplace footing must be at least 12 inches thick and reach 6 inches past every side. We look at the ground on each lot before any concrete goes in.

By the house, we slope a patio or a mud-set brick walkway away from the walls. Mud-set brick is clay brick set in a mortar bed on a concrete slab. The Florida Building Code calls for lots graded to drain water away from foundation walls.