Masonry Contractor in Chatham, IL - Brick and Stone That Fits Your House
Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Springfield, IL. In Chatham we repoint and repair brick, fix chimneys, and build retaining walls, walkways and stone veneer that look like they belong on the house.
Older brick and newer homes in Chatham
Chatham is a village about ten miles south of Springfield, where we're based, and it keeps growing. A lot of what we see here is newer subdivision housing, where brick fronts, stone veneer and paver walks went in with the house. There's also a smaller core of older streets near the middle of the village, where the brick and the chimneys have a lot more winters on them.
That mix decides the job. On the newer homes it's usually a veneer wall, a step or a walk that cracked or settled, and on the older ones it's mortar that's worn out and needs repointing, with a repair that has to match brick that's been there a long time.
What to know before masonry work in Chatham
In Chatham, building permits come from the Village of Chatham, and its Building Code Administrator reviews the plans. The village's permit list names houses, other buildings, fences and solar, not masonry jobs one by one, so I don't guess at yours. We check with the village office for your address before we start, and if a permit's needed, we take care of the paperwork and build the review time into the start date. Building contractors working in the village also have to register with it, so it's fair to ask anyone you're hiring whether they have. We're licensed and insured.
Price moves with the size of the job, how much old brick or mortar has to come out, how close a match your house needs and how hard the spot is to reach. The schedule turns mostly on weather and on whether a permit has to clear first. We do the same kind of work over in Decatur, and the estimate I write is where you get the number for your own job.
Services in Chatham, IL
Tuckpointing
Older Chatham brick usually wears at the mortar joints first. We grind out the soft mortar and repack it with a mix that suits the brick.
Chimney repair
Chimneys on older Chatham houses take the weather hardest at the crown and top courses. Our chimney repair rebuilds what's loose and seals the top so water stays out.
Stone veneer installation
Plenty of newer Chatham homes went up with stone veneer across the front. We repair loose or cracked sections and add veneer that matches what the builder used.
Retaining wall construction
Lots in the newer subdivisions often need a wall where the yard was graded to slope. We build them on a packed base with drainage behind the wall.
Walkway construction
Front walks in newer subdivisions often settle where the fill under them wasn't packed well. We dig out, pack a proper base and relay the walk level.
Brick repair
Cracked or flaking brick turns up on old and new Chatham houses alike. We cut out the bad bricks and set replacements matched for size and color.
What Chatham ground and winters do to masonry
Chatham was built on what used to be open prairie between Lick Creek and Panther Creek, and ground like that usually holds water and moves with the seasons. So we don't set a wall, a walk or a step on loose fill. We dig to firm ground, pack the base and give water somewhere to go, because most of the settling and cracking I see here starts underneath.
Winters here freeze and thaw over and over. Water that gets into a cracked joint or a chimney crown expands when it freezes and pushes the masonry apart, which is why a small gap left alone tends to get bigger every year.
Get a free estimate for your Chatham masonry
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Chatham property, look the job over and write up a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
How a Chatham job goes
Call or send the form
Call (217) 210-0722 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home so you can show me what you've noticed.
I look it over myself
I walk the job, tell you what I see and write up the estimate. If the honest answer is a smaller job or one that can wait, that's what you'll hear from me.
We check permits, set a date
We check with the village for your address, and if a permit's needed we handle the paperwork. When a job needs a building permit on a site under an acre, the village wants an erosion control plan and the permit fee first, then approves the plan or sends back fixes within a week, so that week goes on the schedule.
We build it, then walk it
Our crew does the work and I'm on the job right alongside them. Before we pack up, we walk the finished work with you, and satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Chatham masonry questions, answered
Does the Village of Chatham inspect footings and fireplaces?
Yes, work done under a village permit is inspected in phases, from site stakeout and footing through a fireplace check when there's a fireplace, then a final. The footing and fireplace checks are the ones that touch masonry most, so we schedule our work around them instead of covering anything up early.
Do contractors have to register with the Village of Chatham?
Yes, building contractors working in their trade in Chatham register with the village, and registrations run out on the last day of December each year. To register, a contractor shows proof of general liability and workers compensation insurance and pays a $20 fee, so a current registration tells you they had that coverage when they signed up.
When does the last spring freeze come near Chatham?
Near Springfield, the last spring freeze, a low of 32 degrees or colder, comes around April 14 on average, and the first fall freeze around October 20. Frost at 36 degrees or below runs a little wider, to about April 25 in spring and from about October 9 in fall. Fresh mortar shouldn't freeze before it sets, so outside work here goes on the calendar with those dates in mind.
What causes a masonry repair to cost more in Chatham?
Usually it's how much old material has to come out before new work goes in, and how hard the match is. On older Chatham brick, finding brick and a mortar color that blend can take some hunting, and a chimney means working up on the roof, while a newer veneer home often has a stone that's still easy to get. I'll put a number on your job when I come out.
How do I find the covenants for my Chatham subdivision?
Start with the village website, since the village says it tries to post covenants for Chatham subdivisions and for subdivisions with annexation agreements. Some copies were printed from old county microfiche and are hard to read, so if yours is, ask whoever runs your subdivision for a clean copy. It's worth checking before a retaining wall or new veneer goes up.
What building code does Chatham use for houses?
The village works from the International Residential Code for one- and two-family houses and the International Building Code for other buildings, with some local changes. A permit application for other buildings has to include plans and engineering details of the work. The village office at 217-483-2451 can tell you which editions are current.
Have your Chatham masonry looked at
Masonry often looks better or worse from the ground than it really is, so call (217) 210-0722 or send the form and let me look before you pay anyone for anything.
