Masonry Contractor in Kenilworth, IL

Masonry Services in Kenilworth, IL

Our Kenilworth work covers tuckpointing and repointing with mortar matched to the original and softer than the brick, brick repair and replacement, repair of stone foundations and bases, chimney repair and rebuilds, replacing rusted steel lintels over windows and doors, after an engineer’s assessment where the rust has cracked or moved the brick, limestone sills and trim, and rebuilding masonry stoops, steps, walks and patios, with concrete work where the job calls for it. For larger jobs we handle full building restoration and masonry waterproofing, for houses and commercial buildings. Kenilworth limits construction to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, never on Sundays or holidays, and requires mud to be cleared daily, so we schedule our Kenilworth jobs around those hours.

What Kenilworth Is Built Of, and What Fails

Kenilworth began in 1889, when Joseph Sears bought 223.6 acres between the railroad and Lake Michigan to get away from the unsanitary conditions of Chicago, and it became one of the first planned communities in the United States. The Kenilworth Company followed in 1890 with Franklin Burnham as architect, laying out large lots and setbacks, and the village incorporated in 1896. Its population more than doubled in the 1920s, from 1,188 people in 1920 to 2,501 in 1930. West Kenilworth was built from the 1890s to the 1950s, and Kenilworth Beach largely in the 1920s. The Kenilworth Historical Society, citing a 2008 survey, lists Colonial Revival as the most common style and Tudor Revival second, and notes that many 1920s Colonial Revivals are brick rather than clapboard. Stone is part of the story too. The first house, from 1891, stands on a rusticated stone base, and the more than 40 structures George W. Maher designed here between 1893 and 1924 include red brick, brick and stucco, and rubblestone bases and chimneys. On houses of that age, mortar can be anything from pure lime and sand to a lime and Portland blend, and one failure the National Park Service describes is a later repair in hard Portland mortar that traps moisture until the brick faces pop off. Limestone trim needs the same care: the Indiana Limestone Institute recommends nothing stronger than Type N mortar for limestone and warns against acid cleaners. Winters are hard on wet masonry: NOAA readings at O’Hare average 74 days a winter that cross freezing, in a range of 47 to 91 (winters 2015-16 to 2024-25), and the Brick Industry Association’s guidance is to keep brick from staying saturated, so flashing and chimney crowns come first. Steel lintels are another weak point: rust can swell to up to ten times the volume of the steel it came from, cracking the brick above a window. We match mortar and stone on evidence, as in our historic mortar and stone matching work, and we repair sound masonry rather than replace it. That matters here: in 2006 the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Kenilworth as endangered after nearly 50 teardowns in a decade.

When to Call an Engineer About a Kenilworth House

Some cracks are maintenance and some are structural. 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 building up on lintels or shelf angles, brick that has moved out of plane, and sills that slope flat or back toward the wall. When we find any of those on a Kenilworth house, we document them and recommend an engineer’s assessment before any masonry repair.

Serving Kenilworth as Part of the Chicago Area

North Shore Masonry serves Kenilworth from our Chicago operation, with work nearby in Wilmette, which borders the village, and in Northfield, Evanston, Skokie, Northbrook and Highland Park. Start at our Chicago masonry services hub for every service and town we cover.

Talk to a Masonry Contractor About Your Kenilworth Home

If you are seeing open or crumbling mortar joints, spalled brick, loose stone on a foundation base, a cracked chimney crown, rust staining or cracks over a window, or a stoop or walk that has cracked or shifted, call us at +1 847-864-5990 or request a free on-site estimate. Chimney, stoop, walk and patio work needs a Village permit, and we confirm permit needs on repointing with the Building/Planning Division (847-251-1666 ext. 5253) before work starts.

Masonry FAQs for Kenilworth, IL

Do I need a permit for masonry work in Kenilworth?

Often, yes. The Village’s permit information lists structural repairs, exterior remodeling, chimneys, fireplaces and flues, patios, stoops, stairs, walkways and driveways among the work that needs a permit, and says hardscapes require a permit; a separate Impervious Surfaces Permit with zoning review can also apply. Applications need a plat of survey by an Illinois surveyor, preferably under five years old, and a site plan showing improvements and setbacks. On repointing, we confirm permit needs with the Building/Planning Division (847-251-1666 ext. 5253) before work starts. Work done without a required permit can be stopped and fined.

What mortar should be used to repoint a 1920s Kenilworth house?

One that is softer and more vapor permeable than the brick and no harder than the original mortar. Mortar in masonry built between 1873 and 1930 ranges from pure lime and sand to lime and Portland blends, and Portland cement was not common until the early 20th century. The Brick Industry Association says repointing mortar should be equal to or lower in strength than the original: Type N, O or K depending on the original, with lab analysis when the original is unknown. Mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part of the wall; a hard Portland mix on soft old brick traps moisture and pushes the damage into the brick faces.

Is my Kenilworth house under historic preservation review?

Kenilworth has eight National Register listings, and a 2008 nomination of the whole village as a National Register district was voted down, although the Kenilworth Historical Society says nearly every house would be eligible. The Village’s Building Review Commission reviews every demolition and can delay the demolition of a significant house by up to a year. Whether any review applies to a particular repair is a question for the Building/Planning Division, and we confirm it with them before work starts. Either way, we repair sound older masonry rather than replace it.

When is a crack in brick a structural problem?

The Brick Industry Association says a professional engineer should investigate cracks wider than about 0.075 inch (2 mm), cracks through several bricks, stepped or diagonal cracks, widespread spalling, rust building up on steel lintels or shelf angles, brick that has moved out of plane, and sills that slope flat or back toward the wall. If we see any of those, we document them and recommend an engineer’s assessment before any masonry repair.

What does an older Kenilworth chimney need?

Start at the top. Many older chimneys have a thin mortar wash instead of a proper crown, and the Brick Industry Association notes that precast caps outlast mortar washes. Base flashing should turn up at least 4 inches where the chimney meets the roof. For new chimney masonry, the Brick Industry Association specifies severe-weathering Grade SW brick and Type N mortar; on an old chimney, repointing mortar should be no stronger than the original. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends a yearly inspection, and notes that a chimney fire can reach about 2,000 degrees F and crack flue tiles. Chimneys, fireplaces and flues are on the Village’s permit list, so we confirm the permit with the Building/Planning Division before work starts.

How can I find out who built my Kenilworth house?

Ask the Kenilworth Historical Society, at 415 Kenilworth Avenue (847-251-2565). Its house history research can turn up the architect, dates, the contractors, permits and, for some houses, blueprints, and its Centennial Homes program covers 300 homes built from 1889 to 1925. That record can show what the original masonry looked like before any repair.