Masonry contractor in Jacksonville, IL - repairs that match your older brick
Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Jacksonville, IL. We repoint mortar, repair brick and chimneys, fix foundations, and build retaining walls and walks that look like they belong on your house.
Older homes and storefronts across Jacksonville
Jacksonville is mostly established neighborhoods, with plenty of older brick houses on streets that have been lived on a long time and a historic downtown full of brick storefronts. Most of our calls here are upkeep on that older masonry, not new building, a lot like what we see in the older parts of Springfield.
That age shapes the job. Old brick was laid with soft mortar, so a repair has to match it, or the patch ends up harder than the brick around it and starts breaking it down.
What changes the job in Jacksonville
Before we start anything in Jacksonville, we check with the city office for your address, and if the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork. That check comes before the start date, so it's part of the schedule from day one. We're licensed and insured, and I'd ask any mason you're thinking about to show you the same. Price moves with how much masonry needs work and how hard it is to reach, the schedule turns on that permit check and the crew's calendar, and the written estimate gives you your own number.
We're based in Springfield, so Jacksonville is a regular drive west for us, and we load the truck with what the job needs so we're not making a second trip. A lot of houses here sit close to the street or the neighbors, so I plan where the mixer, scaffold and pallets go before we show up, and we keep your walk and drive usable while we work. We do the same kind of work in Chatham and the other cities around Springfield.
Services in Jacksonville, IL
Tuckpointing
Older Jacksonville brick often has joints washing out or crumbling. We grind out the bad mortar and repoint with a mix soft enough to protect the brick.
Brick repair
Flaking or cracked bricks show up a lot on older walls and porches here. We cut out the damaged ones and match replacements by color, size and texture.
Chimney repair
Chimneys on older Jacksonville houses often go years without anyone looking at them. We repoint, rebuild the top courses or replace the concrete cap, whatever it needs.
Foundation repair
Older foundations here can crack, bow or let water into the basement. We find the cause first, then repair the block or brick rather than patch over it.
Retaining wall construction
Old timber or dry-stacked walls in Jacksonville yards often lean or give out. Our retaining wall construction starts with a packed base and drainage behind the wall.
Masonry restoration
Brick storefronts and older homes near downtown sometimes need more than one fix at once. Our restoration work repoints, repairs and cleans the masonry so it looks original.
What older Jacksonville houses ask of their brick
The biggest thing we see on Jacksonville houses is age. Mortar is supposed to wear out before the brick does, and on an older house it's usually been doing that for decades, so joints open up, water gets in behind the face and bricks start to flake. Some walls also carry old patches done with hard modern mortar, which looks fine for a while and then cracks the brick around it. We take out what's failing, match the mortar to the original and leave sound joints alone, because I'd rather tell you half the wall is fine than charge you to redo it.
Plenty of lots here also have older walks, steps and garden walls that have settled or shifted over the years. I'll tell you whether it's a repair or a rebuild before quoting either, and when it's a rebuild, we set it on a base that holds.
Get a free estimate for your Jacksonville masonry
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Jacksonville property myself, look the job over and write up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
How a Jacksonville job goes
Call or send the form
Call (217) 210-0722 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing. We set up a time for me to come out to the house.
I look the job over
I come out myself, walk the masonry with you if you're home and tell you plainly what I see, including what can wait. You get a written estimate, so you know the number before anything starts.
We schedule and do the work
Once you say go, we check what the city asks for, set a date and get to work. Our crew does the work, and I'm on the job right alongside them.
Walk the finished work together
Before we pack up, we clean the site and walk the finished job with you, so it helps if you can be home for that part. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions from Jacksonville homeowners
How much does masonry repair cost on an older house in Jacksonville, IL?
There's no fair number until I've seen the wall, because the price comes down to how much needs doing and how hard it is to reach. On older houses, the big swings are whether it's a few spots or a whole wall, whether a chimney or second story needs scaffolding, and whether the brick has to be hunted down to match. The written estimate gives you your number.
How do I know if my brick house in Jacksonville needs tuckpointing or just a few repairs?
Scratch a few joints with a key, and if the mortar only comes out as sand in a few places, it's usually a spot repair. If it's loose across a whole wall or chimney, that section is due for repointing, which means grinding out the old mortar and packing in new. I'll tell you which it is at the estimate, even when the answer is a smaller job.
How do I check if my house in Jacksonville is in a flood zone?
Search your address on FEMA's Map Service Center, where the current flood insurance maps are posted. It's worth a look before foundation or basement work, so you know what kind of water risk the house sits in.
Do I need flood insurance in Jacksonville if I'm not in a high-risk flood zone?
You may, according to FEMA, whether you're in a high-risk zone or not. Its reason is that most homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood damage, and a repaired foundation wall doesn't change what your policy covers.
Who can remove asbestos found during work on an older Jacksonville building?
A licensed asbestos abatement contractor, because the state requires every contractor who does abatement projects to be licensed and insured. Workers who manage or abate asbestos in schools, commercial or public buildings also have to be trained and licensed. If you're hiring for that part of the job, ask to see both the license and the insurance.
Can you repair brick on an older downtown Jacksonville building?
Yes, we repoint and repair brick on older commercial buildings the same way we do on houses, matching the mortar and brick so the repair doesn't stand out. Storefronts usually need scaffolding and some planning around foot traffic, which I'll go over at the estimate, and we check with the city office for the address first, like any job.
Call about your Jacksonville masonry today
Fixing open joints while it's still a repointing job usually costs a lot less than rebuilding brick later, so call (217) 210-0722 or send us the form.
