The Problem
A homeowner in Central Morton Grove contacted us after one of the brick tread nosings on the front stairs became loose enough to shift under foot. Inspection revealed that the mortar at all four tread nosings had eroded to near zero depth - the brick faces were held in place primarily by their own weight. Two nosing bricks on the third step were completely detached and had been pushed back into place by the homeowner as a temporary measure.
The stoop itself had heaved approximately 2 inches above the foundation wall at the rear edge, creating both a trip hazard and a gap that channeled water directly against the foundation. The original stoop was built over compacted fill with a minimal concrete topping - no reinforcement, no proper footing. Seventy winters had settled the fill unevenly.
Our Solution
The stair run and stoop were demolished completely. The compacted fill beneath the stoop was excavated down 12 inches and the base was reformed with crushed stone compacted in two lifts. A new reinforced concrete base was poured for both the stoop platform and the stair foundation - 4 inches thick for the stoop, with #4 rebar on 12-inch centers, and a 6-inch thickened edge along the foundation wall bond line to prevent differential settling.
Once the concrete base cured for 72 hours, brick work began. Replacement brick was selected from the same production era as the home to match the existing field brick on the facade. All brick was set in Type S structural mortar. The tread nosings were set with particular care - each nosing brick was back-buttered, set tight to the mortar bed, and the front joint was packed full to depth and tooled with a flush profile to eliminate the water-collection groove that had contributed to the original erosion.
The stoop surface was pitched away from the foundation at 1/8 inch per foot to encourage drainage to the front edge rather than sitting against the house.
The Result
The rebuilt stair and stoop are structurally sound, properly pitched, and mechanically bonded to a reinforced concrete base. The tread nosings are solid and flush. The stoop surface drains correctly - water no longer pools against the foundation at the rear edge.
The brick matches the home’s existing facade within one shade, acceptable for a structural element that will naturally weather to a closer match over time.