Preservation-grade work on Chicagoland landmark commercial buildings.
NPS Preservation Brief 2 standards. Custom lime mortar formulations matched to the original. Salvaged brick sourcing. Landmark commission submission support. Storefronts, mixed-use, churches, civic buildings, and institutional masonry.
Historic commercial masonry restoration in Chicagoland follows National Park Service Preservation Brief 2 standards: replacement mortar matched to the original in composition, color, joint profile, and tooling. The wrong mortar on a pre-1920 commercial building causes irreversible damage to soft Chicago common brick. The right work preserves a structure that has already lasted 100 years and lets it last another century.
Building Types We Restore
Pre-1920 Storefronts
Downtown Evanston, Wilmette Plaza, Highland Park Central Avenue, Lake Forest Market Square, and similar early-20th-century commercial districts. Soft Chicago common brick with lime mortar joints, decorative cornice, and original storefront kickplate masonry.
Mixed-Use Brick Buildings
Retail at grade with residential or office above, common in Chicago neighborhood corridors and inner-ring suburbs. Tuckpointing, lintel restoration, and cornice repair while maintaining occupied conditions.
Churches and Civic Buildings
Limestone and brick churches, fellowship halls, civic and library buildings. Specialized stone masonry, limestone consolidation, and chimney and tower work with appropriate access (often swing stage or boom lift).
Institutional and School Buildings
Early-20th-century school buildings, libraries, and institutional masonry. Tuckpointing scheduled around occupancy. Mortar specifications meet both preservation standards and district facilities requirements.
The Preservation Process
- Mortar Analysis. Sample extraction from protected joint locations, lab analysis of binder type and aggregate composition, color matching against unweathered original.
- Mockup and Approval. On-site mockup of repaired joint section using proposed mortar formulation. Submission to landmark commission for review if applicable.
- Specification Documentation. Written specification with ASTM designations, mix ratios, sand source, tooling profile, and lift sequence for submission with permit application.
- Hand-Cut Joint Preparation. Hand chisels and small angle grinders only on soft historic brick. No rotary saws or aggressive cutting that would damage the brick face beyond the joint.
- Mortar Placement in Lifts. Two or three lifts depending on joint depth, with each lift allowed to firm before the next, eliminating shrinkage voids.
- Profile Matching. Joint tooled with profile matching the original (concave, struck, weather-struck, or beaded) using era-correct jointer.
- Final Documentation. Photo record of completed work for owner archives and landmark commission close-out.