The Problem
The homeowner of this 1992 brick estate Colonial in West Schaumburg noticed that eight brick on the sill course below the front bay window had cracked faces - some had cracked through entirely and one had a piece missing large enough to allow a direct water path into the wall behind. The sill course on this home runs wide to carry the bay window projection, making it particularly exposed to water from the window above.
The home did not have a metal or stone sill cap, which is common on estates of this era that relied entirely on mortar and sloped brick faces to manage water. Over 30 years, that is a maintenance item that catches up.
Our Solution
We removed all eight damaged brick at the sill course, taking care to cut the mortar bed clean before extraction so the brick above the sill would not shift during the work. The window frame above was supported with a temporary prop while the sill course was out.
Replacement brick was sourced from a current production run that matched the buff-tan color and modular coursing of the original 1992 brick. We dry-staged the candidates against the existing facade under midday light to confirm the match before setting them.
Each replacement brick was set in Type N mortar with a consistent bed depth. The sill course was set with a slight forward pitch to direct water away from the wall face - the original installation was essentially flat, which contributed to water ponding on the course. All joints in the surrounding two-course band were repointed as well.
The Result
The sill is now watertight and sheds water correctly. The replacement brick match in color and texture reads as part of the original facade rather than a patch. The homeowner noted they had been putting off the repair for two seasons and were relieved to have it done before another winter.
