The Problem
A winter storm brought sustained northwest winds and heavy ice accumulation along the East Glencoe lakefront corridor in early 2024. The homeowners on this 1928 Tudor Revival contacted us after noticing joint loss on the north and west facades that they had not seen before the storm. Lakefront Tudor and French Eclectic estates in this area are among the most exposure-stressed masonry structures we encounter regularly - northwest fetch off Lake Michigan produces wind-driven rain and ice cycles that push into mortar joints already aged to varying degrees.
On arrival, we found mortar recession exceeding 3/4 inch across 60 percent of the north elevation and roughly 40 percent of the west. Three soldier course bricks above the main entry arch had shifted outward - a clear sign that ice had worked into the bed joint and expanded behind the brick units during the hard freeze. The chimney crown base joint was also open, with a visible gap wide enough to pass a wood shim.
The home had not been repointed in at least 20 years based on joint weathering patterns. The storm had accelerated what was already a progressing condition.
Our Solution
We prioritized the displaced soldier course bricks on day one. We removed each of the three units, cleaned the bed and head joint surfaces of loose mortar and debris with a wire brush and compressed air, and reset them in fresh Type N lime-blend mortar. Temporary hardwood wedges held the units plumb and aligned for a 48-hour cure before we removed the bracing and completed the surrounding joint work.
For the field mortar across the north and west elevations, we removed deteriorated material to a minimum 3/4 inch depth using 4-inch angle grinders with thin kerf diamond blades set to preserve the brick arris. In joints where ice had worked the recession past one inch, we hand-chiseled to clean substrate before packing.
The Type N mix was blended at 1:1:6 portland-lime-sand using a buff-tone sand matched to the original joint color visible in protected interior joints on the south porch. All joints packed in two lifts with a firm first lift before the finish course. Joint profile tooled to a slightly recessed beaded shape consistent with the Tudor Revival detailing on this home.
The chimney crown base joint was opened, cleaned, and repacked, then sealed at the crown perimeter with a Type N cap pointing.
The Result
At the completion of 10 working days, all 260 linear feet had been repointed and the three soldier course bricks reset and stable. The north and west elevations show consistent joint color and profile. The entry arch returned to its original alignment.
We provided the homeowners with a written post-storm assessment that documented the joint conditions before and after, which they retained for insurance purposes.
