Masonry, Chimney and Brick Repair in Decatur, Indiana

Brick, Chimney and Masonry Repair in Decatur, Indiana

In Decatur we handle tuckpointing and repointing with mortar matched to the original and softer than the brick, brick repair and replacement on prewar walls, chimney repair and rebuilds, rusted steel lintels, limestone sills and trim, and bricklaying for steps, walls and new work. Chimneys get particular attention here. The 2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14), which the City of Decatur references, rates Adams County’s weathering Severe. Separately, the Brick Industry Association’s chimney guidance calls for Grade SW brick and Type N mortar on any chimney, because chimneys are exposed to the weather, with base flashing carried at least 4 inches up the chimney and counter-flashing set 3/4 to 1 inch into a mortar joint. For older brick commercial buildings we offer building restoration, and for damp basement and foundation walls, masonry waterproofing. Decatur has been an Indiana Main Street community since October 2014, and state OCRA grants can help fund facade work with a dollar-for-dollar match, though what is open in a given year varies.

What Decatur Is Built Of, and What Fails

Three of Decatur’s National Register listings show the materials its landmark buildings were built with. The Adams County Courthouse of 1872 to 1873 is Philadelphia pressed brick on a raised, rusticated stone foundation with Berea sandstone trim under a slate mansard; its first tower came down in 1900 and was replaced by a solid-brick front tower, and its side entrances were bricked in during the 1970s. The Charles Dugan House of 1902 is yellow brick veneer over wood framing, set on local stone from a quarry beside the St. Marys, and the Grand Rapids & Indiana depot of 1902 to 1903 is orange brick in stretcher bond with a limestone foundation, sill course and lintels. Indiana brick was mostly soft-mud brick until the late 1800s, and soft old brick is where hard mortar does its damage. The National Park Service’s repointing guidance is that new mortar must be softer and more permeable than the brick, because mortar that traps moisture pushes the damage into the brick faces, and the Brick Industry Association says repointing mortar should be no stronger than the original, pointing to Type N, O or K. On older brick, our crews repoint with lime-rich mortar and match lost brick with salvaged brick where it is available. On limestone trim, the Indiana Limestone Institute recommends nothing stronger than Type N and no acids. Freeze-thaw is measured here: NOAA’s cooperative station Decatur 1 N logged about 90 freeze-thaw days a winter, in a range of 70 to 115, over the winters 2015-16 to 2024-25 (an approximate count), and saturated brick can expand when the water in its pores freezes. Steel lintels need to be galvanized or maintained and flashed with weeps, since rust can take up to ten times the space of the steel and crack the brick above, and current Brick Industry Association guidance for brick veneer over wood framing calls for a 1 inch air space and weep holes behind the brick so the wall can drain. We match mortar on evidence, as in our historic mortar and stone matching work, though no one can promise an exact brick match.

Decatur’s Wet Clay Soils, the St. Marys and When to Call an Engineer

Downtown Decatur sits on Urban land-Blount soils. Blount is a somewhat poorly drained clay, up to 42% clay, that can be wet from about 23 centimeters (9 inches) down in April, and the Glynwood and Pewamo soils nearby are no better: USDA soil data rates all three Very limited for dwellings with basements because of a high water table and shrink-swell. For footings, the code’s Adams County row sets a 36 inch minimum footing depth. The river adds its own test. At the St. Marys gauge in Decatur, flood stage is 17 feet; residential flooding starts on East Jackson and Ogg Streets at 21.5 feet, and the east side floods extensively at 24.5 feet. The record crest was 26.92 feet on July 9, 2003, and the river reached 25.11 feet on June 18, 2015. After the river tops 21.5 feet, have the foundation and masonry on those streets looked over once the water drops. The Brick Industry Association says a professional engineer should investigate cracks wider than about 0.075 inch, cracks through several bricks, stepped or diagonal cracks, widespread spalling, rust on lintels or shelf angles, and brick that has moved out of plane. When we find those on a Decatur building, we document them and recommend an engineer’s assessment. We do not diagnose or repair foundations, and we work from the engineer’s findings on the masonry.

Serving Decatur as Part of the Fort Wayne Area

North Shore Masonry serves Decatur from our Fort Wayne operation, along with New Haven, Bluffton and Huntington; Decatur is about 22 road miles southeast of Fort Wayne via US 27. Start at our Fort Wayne masonry services hub for every service and town we cover.

Talk to a Masonry Contractor About Your Decatur Home or Building

If you are seeing open or sandy mortar joints on an older brick house, spalled brick faces, a cracked chimney crown or loose flashing, rust staining under a window, a loose limestone sill, or damp basement walls after the St. Marys runs high, call us at +1 260-305-8760 or request a free on-site estimate. Inside Decatur city limits, chimney rebuilds and structural masonry may need a City permit. The City’s permit application asks for 24-hour notice for every inspection, a flood plain elevation certificate where it applies, and contractors registered with the City who carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance, so we confirm permit needs with the City of Decatur Building & Zoning Department (260-724-3814) before work starts.

Masonry FAQs for Decatur, IN

Do I need a permit for masonry work in Decatur, Indiana?

It depends on the job; the City’s permit documents we reviewed do not list which masonry work needs one. The City of Decatur Building & Zoning Department, at 172 North Second Street, issues building and improvement permits inside city limits, and its application calls for a detailed site plan, 24-hour notice for inspections, a flood plain elevation certificate where it applies, and contractors registered with the City who carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance. Chimney rebuilds and structural masonry may need a permit, so we confirm permit needs with the City of Decatur Building & Zoning Department (260-724-3814) before work starts.

What mortar should be used to repoint an older Decatur house?

Mortar matched to the original and softer than the brick. About one Decatur home in five predates 1940, and Indiana brick was mostly soft-mud brick until the late 1800s. The National Park Service says repointing mortar must be softer and more permeable than the brick, and the Brick Industry Association says it should be no stronger than the original, pointing to Type N, O or K depending on the wall. A hard mix on soft old brick traps moisture and pushes the damage into the brick faces.

Do you come to Decatur from Fort Wayne?

Yes. We serve Decatur from our Fort Wayne operation, about 22 road miles away via US 27. We do not have an office in Decatur. Call +1 260-305-8760 to set up a visit.

How deep do footings go in Adams County?

The Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14), which the City of Decatur references, lists Adams County with a 36 inch minimum footing depth and Severe weathering. Separately, the Brick Industry Association recommends Grade SW brick for chimneys because they are exposed to the weather. Footing and foundation design belongs to a professional engineer; for any masonry we build, we confirm permit needs with the City of Decatur Building & Zoning Department (260-724-3814) before work starts.

What should I check after the St. Marys River floods?

Once the water is down, check foundation and basement walls, mortar joints and any brick that stayed wet. The National Weather Service puts residential flooding on East Jackson and Ogg Streets at 21.5 feet on the Decatur gauge and extensive flooding of the east side at 24.5 feet, so homes on those streets are the first the gauge’s flood impacts name. Where cracks are wider than about 0.075 inch, stepped or diagonal, or brick has moved out of plane, we document them and recommend a professional engineer’s assessment; we never diagnose foundations.

Can you repair limestone sills and trim on older Decatur buildings?

Yes. Some older Decatur buildings pair brick with limestone sills, lintels and trim, as the Grand Rapids & Indiana depot does. The Indiana Limestone Institute recommends nothing stronger than Type N mortar for Indiana limestone and no acids, so we keep acid cleaners off limestone trim when we clean the brick around it.