Scott, I built these for Arnold Masonry

"If you've ever seen a fire pit or outdoor fireplace crack after just a few years — here's why that happened.

Georgia heat and humidity do strange things to masonry. The expansion and contraction from our summers to our winters? Most contractors don't account for that. They use the wrong mortar, the wrong base, skip the proper footings — and two years later, you've got cracks running through your $30,000 fireplace.

We've been building outdoor fireplaces in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, and across North Atlanta for 40 years. Four decades. We know which materials hold up. We know how deep to set the footings in Georgia clay.

If you're getting quotes, ask them: have you built fireplaces in this area that are still standing 20 years later? We can show you ours. Arnold Masonry and Landscape. 40 years in Atlanta."

"I've been building retaining walls across North Atlanta since 1985 — Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, all the way out to Alpharetta and Roswell. And here's what 40 years taught me.

Georgia clay is brutal. It expands when wet, contracts when dry. That puts enormous pressure on walls. The companies that fail? They undersize the blocks. They skip the drainage. They don't compact the base.

What do we do differently? First, we engineer the drainage behind the wall — because water is the enemy. Second, we use geogrid reinforcement on anything over four feet. Third, we compact in lifts, not all at once.

It's not complicated. It's just doing it right. After 40 years, we know exactly what 'right' looks like for Atlanta properties."

"A lot of homeowners ask me — what actually happens during a patio project? How long is this going to take? Is my backyard going to be torn up for months? Let me walk you through it.

Week one is always demo and prep. We're removing whatever's there, excavating to the proper depth, dealing with drainage — which is critical here in Atlanta — and compacting the base. Your backyard will look worse before it looks better. That's normal.

Week two and three, depending on the project, is when the magic happens. Stone goes down, patterns come together, borders get set. By the end of week three, most patios we do in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody — they're complete and you're walking on them.

That's how Arnold Masonry has done it for 40 years. We've built hundreds of patios across North Atlanta, and the process works."